In this review, we will be comparing ES60 and SE 6000F, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Polk Audio and Paradigm.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk ES60 and Paradigm SE 6000F first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Polk ES60 | Paradigm SE 6000F |
|---|
| Brand | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 | Paradigm
Canada · founded 1982 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-Dome | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 5.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 3 x 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene | 3 x 5.5" Mineral-filled polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 32-40k Hz | 53-21k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 93 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-300 watts | 15-100 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 23.60kg / 51.9lbs | 20.00kg / 44lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 44-1/2" x 8-1/2" x 15-3/4"
1131.0 x 216.0 x 401.0mm | 41-3/8" x 8-15/16" x 14-3/16"
1051.0 x 228.0 x 361.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Polk ES60 and Paradigm SE 6000F 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 |
Paradigm SE 6000F |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Bad |
(* 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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that ES60 is a 2-way design whereas the SE 6000F is a 3-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
Polk ES60Paradigm SE 6000F
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Polk ES60 |
Paradigm SE 6000F |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
3 x 5.5-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 SE 6000F features a 1" Tweeter, a 5.5" Midrange and 3 x 5.5" Mineral-filled polypropylene Woofer.
Frequency Response
ES60 has a frequency range of 32-40k Hz whereas SE 6000F has a frequency range of 53-21k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 32Hz, the ES60 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the SE 6000F's min frequency of 53Hz.
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
ES60 and SE 6000F have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. ES60 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the SE 6000F's is at 93 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Paradigm SE 6000F 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. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
ES60 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas SE 6000F has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 200 watts less than the ES60.
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
ES60 features 5-Way post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. SE 6000F has a Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Paradigm SE 6000F's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
ES60 has a bottom firing port whereas SE 6000F has a rear firing ports. Polk ES60's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Paradigm SE 6000F with its rear-firing port.
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 ES60's and Paradigm SE 6000F'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 Paradigm SE 6000F has external dimensions of 1051.0 x 228.0 x 361.0mm (41-3/8 x 8-15/16 x 14-3/16inch).
Paradigm SE 6000F is 80mm shorter and 40mm less deeper than Polk ES60 but it is also 12mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk ES60 and Paradigm SE 6000F in scale.
Comparison image of Polk ES60 and Paradigm SE 6000F 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 Paradigm SE 6000F is approximately 823.1cm2 / 127.6inch2. The ES60 requires 5% more surface area than the SE 6000F which gives it a small disadvantage 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 ES60 weighs 23.60kg / 51.9lbs and the Paradigm SE 6000F weighs 20.00kg / 44lbs. This makes the ES60 18% heavier than the SE 6000F.
Here is a comparison of how ES60 and SE 6000F'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 ES60?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of ES60:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille (attached)
- 4 Feet (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
- Online Product Registration
What's in the Box of Paradigm SE 6000F?
Here are the items that come with the SE 6000F:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
4 Rubber feet
4 Spike feet
Owner's Manual
Online Registration Card
Unboxing Instructions
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
100 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
32 Hz
vs
53 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
21k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
93 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Height |
1051mm
vs
1131mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
823cm2
vs
866cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1000USD
vs
1098USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Polk Audio Signature Elite ES60 |
Paradigm Monitor SE 6000F |
| Brand |
Polk Audio |
Paradigm |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
50-300 watts |
15-100 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
93 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
32-40k Hz |
53-21k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
5.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Mica-reinforced polypropylene |
Mineral-filled polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Butyl rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
5.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
2500Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
bottom |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1131.0mm (44.5") |
1051.0mm (41.4") |
| Width |
216.0mm (8.5") |
228.0mm (9") |
| Depth |
401.0mm (15.8") |
361.0mm (14.2") |
| Weight |
23.60kg (51.9lbs) |
20.00kg (44lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF, Wood-grain vinyl |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
n/a |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
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 ES60 digs deeper - 32Hz against 53Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Paradigm SE 6000F is more sensitive (93dB vs 90dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | A | Polk ES60 takes more power (300W vs 100W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | A | Polk ES60: bi-amping. Polk ES60 sits in a wider range (12 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | evenly matched | Much the same money ($1,098 vs $1,000 a pair). |
A Polk ES60 B Paradigm SE 6000F
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?
Polk ES60 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 53Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate Polk ES60 the better fit for a large room and a very large room, and Paradigm SE 6000F for a small room and a mid-size 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.