In this review, we will be comparing ES55 and XT60, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Polk Audio
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk ES55 and Polk XT60 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Polk ES55 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter
- 3 x 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer
- 34-40k Hz Frequency Response
- 89 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:40-200watts
- Weight:20.00kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1056.0" x 8-1/2" x 12-3/8"( 1056.0 x 216.0 x 315.0mm )
Polk XT60 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" dome Tweeter
- 6.5" Bi-laminate paper Woofer
- 38-40k Hz Frequency Response
- 86 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:25-200watts
- Weight:9.09kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 929.0" x 9-1/16" x 9-15/16"( 929.0 x 231.0 x 253.0mm )
What size room are the Polk ES55 and Polk XT60 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 |
Polk XT60 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Poor |
(* 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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Polk ES55 and Polk XT60 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both ES55 and XT60 are 2-way speakers.
| Driver |
Polk ES55 |
Polk XT60 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
1 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 XT60 features a 1" Terylene dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Bi-laminate paper Woofer .
Frequency Response
ES55 has a frequency range of 34-40k Hz whereas XT60 has a frequency range of 38-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 34Hz, the ES55 can go slightly deeper then the XT60's min frequency of 38Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
ES55 and XT60 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. ES55 sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the XT60's is at 86 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Polk ES55 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk XT60, 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. While using
an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the
max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
ES55 features 5-Way post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. XT60 has a 5-Way post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become 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 Polk XT60'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 Polk XT60 has external dimensions of 929.0 x 231.0 x 253.0mm ( 36-9/16 x 9-1/16 x 9-15/16inch) .
Polk XT60 is 127mm shorter and 62mm less deeper than Polk ES55 but it is also 15mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk ES55 and Polk XT60 in scale.
Comparison image of Polk ES55 and Polk XT60 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 Polk XT60 is approximately 584.4cm2 / 90.6inch2. The ES55 requires 16% more surface area than the XT60 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.