In this review, we will be comparing ES60 and A190, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Polk Audio and JBL.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk ES60 and JBL Stage A190 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Polk ES60 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter
- 3 x 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer
- 32-40k Hz Frequency Response
- 90 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:50-300watts
- Weight:23.60kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1131.0" x 8-1/2" x 15-3/4"( 1131.0 x 216.0 x 401.0mm )
JBL Stage A190 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" HDI (High Definition Imaging) waveguide Tweeter
- 2 x 8" Polycellulose Woofer
- 36-40k Hz Frequency Response
- 91 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 6ohms
- Power Range:20-225watts
- Weight:22.61kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1117.0" x 13-1/4" x 17-1/2"( 1117.0 x 337.0 x 445.0mm )
What size room are the Polk ES60 and JBL Stage A190 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 ES60 |
JBL Stage A190 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Polk ES60 and JBL Stage A190 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 ES60 and A190 are 2-way speakers.
| Driver |
Polk ES60 |
JBL Stage A190 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
ES60 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 A190 features a 1" aluminum HDI (High Definition Imaging) waveguide Tweeter and 2 x 8" Polycellulose Woofer .
Frequency Response
ES60 has a frequency range of 32-40k Hz whereas A190 has a frequency range of 36-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 32Hz, the ES60 can go slightly deeper then the A190's min frequency of 36Hz.
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
ES60 is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the A190 which has a nominal impedance of 6 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. ES60 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the A190's is rated at 91 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the JBL Stage A190 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk ES60, 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.
ES60 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS from the amp the whereas A190 has a max power handling value of 225 watts RMS, 75 watts less than the ES60.
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
Both ES60 and A190 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or 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 ES60's and JBL Stage A190's external dimensions. Polk ES60 has external dimensions of 1131.0 x 216.0 x 401.0mm ( 44-1/2 x 8-1/2 x 15-3/4inch) whereas JBL Stage A190 has external dimensions of 1117.0 x 337.0 x 445.0mm ( 43-15/16 x 13-1/4 x 17-1/2inch) .
Polk ES60 is 121mm narrower and 44mm less deeper than JBL Stage A190 but it is also 14mm taller.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk ES60 and JBL Stage A190 in scale.
Comparison image of Polk ES60 and JBL Stage A190 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 ES60 is approximately 866.2cm2 / 134.3inch2 and base area of the JBL Stage A190 is approximately 1499.7cm2 / 232.5inch2. The ES60 requires 42% less surface area than the A190 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.