In this review, we will be comparing ES55 and A180, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Polk Audio and JBL.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk ES55 and JBL Stage A180 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Polk ES55 | JBL Stage A180 |
|---|
| Brand | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 | JBL
United States · founded 1946 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-Dome | 1" HDI (High Definition Imaging) waveguide |
|---|
| Woofer | 3 x 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene | 2 x 6.5" Polycellulose |
|---|
| Frequency response | 34-40k Hz | 40-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 40-200 watts | 20-225 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 20.00kg / 44lbs | 17.29kg / 38lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 41-9/16" x 8-1/2" x 12-3/8"
1056.0 x 216.0 x 315.0mm | 41-1/8" x 12" x 14-1/2"
1045.0 x 305.0 x 369.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Polk ES55 and JBL Stage A180 speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
Polk ES55 |
JBL Stage A180 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both ES55 and A180 are 2-way speakers.
Polk ES55JBL Stage A180
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Polk ES55 |
JBL Stage A180 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
ES55 features a 1" Terylene High-Res Soft-Dome Tweeter and 3 x 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz. On the other hand, the A180 features a 1" aluminum HDI (High Definition Imaging) waveguide Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Polycellulose Woofer.
Frequency Response
ES55 has a frequency range of 34-40k Hz whereas A180 has a frequency range of 40-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 34Hz, the ES55 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the A180's min frequency of 40Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
ES55 is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the A180 which has a nominal impedance of 6 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. ES55 sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the A180's is rated at 90 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the JBL Stage A180 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk ES55, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
A180 can handle a max power of 225 watts RMS, whereas ES55 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 25 watts less than the A180.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both ES55 and A180 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Polk ES55's and JBL Stage A180's external dimensions. Polk ES55 has external dimensions of 1056.0 x 216.0 x 315.0mm (41-9/16 x 8-1/2 x 12-3/8inch) whereas JBL Stage A180 has external dimensions of 1045.0 x 305.0 x 369.0mm (41-1/8 x 12 x 14-1/2inch).
Polk ES55 is 89mm narrower and 54mm less deeper than JBL Stage A180 but it is also 11mm taller.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk ES55 and JBL Stage A180 in scale.
Comparison image of Polk ES55 and JBL Stage A180 Size and External Dimensions
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Polk ES55 is approximately 680.4cm2 / 105.5inch2 and base area of the JBL Stage A180 is approximately 1125.5cm2 / 174.5inch2. The ES55 requires 40% less surface area than the A180 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The Polk ES55 weighs 20.00kg / 44lbs and the JBL Stage A180 weighs 17.29kg / 38lbs. This makes the ES55 16% heavier than the A180.
Here is a comparison of how ES55 and A180's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of Polk ES55?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of ES55:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille (attached)
- 4 Feet (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
- Online Product Registration
What's in the Box of JBL Stage A180?
Here are the items that come with the A180:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Outriggers
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spikes
- 8 Screws
- 2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
- Warranty Card
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
34 Hz
vs
40 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Base Surface Area |
680cm2
vs
1125cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
225 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Height |
1045mm
vs
1056mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
800USD
vs
898USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Polk Audio Signature Elite ES55 |
JBL Stage A180 |
| Brand |
Polk Audio |
JBL |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
40-200 watts |
20-225 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
34-40k Hz |
40-40k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Mica-reinforced polypropylene |
Polycellulose |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Butyl rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
HDI (High Definition Imaging) waveguide |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
2500Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
bottom |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1056.0mm (41.6") |
1045.0mm (41.1") |
| Width |
216.0mm (8.5") |
305.0mm (12") |
| Depth |
315.0mm (12.4") |
369.0mm (14.5") |
| Weight |
20.00kg (44lbs) |
17.29kg (38lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF, Wood-grain vinyl |
MDF, Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Polk ES55 digs deeper - 34Hz against 40Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (89dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | A | Polk ES55 is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (200W vs 225W). |
| Size | depends | Polk ES55 is easier to place; JBL Stage A180 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Polk ES55: bi-amping; JBL Stage A180: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | JBL Stage A180 is cheaper - $800 against $898, about 11% less. |
A Polk ES55 B JBL Stage A180
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
The usual trade-off: Polk ES55 measures better, JBL Stage A180 costs about about 12% more% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 40Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper JBL Stage A180 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Polk ES55 the better fit for a mid-size room, and JBL Stage A180 for a very large room.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.