In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by Polk Audio. Polk Audio Signature Elite ES55 is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the ES20 is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk ES55 and Polk ES20 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
ES55 and ES20 are members of Polk Audio's Signature Elite series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
What size room are the Polk ES55 and Polk ES20 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:
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Polk ES55 and Polk ES20 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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Drivers
Both ES55 and ES20 are 2-way speakers.
| Driver |
Polk ES55 |
Polk ES20 |
|
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 ES20 features a 1" Terylene Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz.
Frequency Response
ES55 has a frequency range of 34-40k Hz whereas ES20 has a frequency range of 41-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 34Hz, the ES55 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the ES20's min frequency of 41Hz.
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 ES20 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. ES55 sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the ES20's is at 86 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Polk ES55 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk ES20, 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.
ES55 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS from the amp the whereas ES20 has a max power handling value of 125 watts RMS, 75 watts less than the ES55.
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. ES20 has a 5-Way post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
ES55 has a bottom firing port whereas ES20 has a rear firing ports. Polk ES55's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Polk ES20 with its rear-firing port.
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 ES20'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 ES20 has external dimensions of 375.0 x 218.0 x 351.0mm ( 14-3/4 x 8-9/16 x 13-13/16inch) .
Polk ES55 is 2mm narrower and 36mm less deeper than Polk ES20 but it is also 681mm taller.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk ES55 and Polk ES20 in scale.
Comparison image of Polk ES55 and Polk ES20 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 ES20 is approximately 765.2cm2 / 118.6inch2. The ES55 requires 11% less surface area than the ES20 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Polk ES55?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of ES55:
Floorstanding loudspeakerGrille (attached)4 Feet (pre-installed)Owners ManualOnline Product Registration
What's in the Box of Polk ES20?
Here are the items that come with the ES20:
2 Bookshelf loudspeakers2 Grille (attached)8 Self-adhesive rubber feetOwners ManualOnline Product Registration