In this review, we will be comparing ES60 and R500, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk ES60 and Polk R500 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Polk ES60 | Polk R500 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-Dome | 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
|---|
| Woofer | 3 x 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene | 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene Turbine Cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 32-40k Hz | 49-38k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-300 watts | 25-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 23.60kg / 51.9lbs | 17.70kg / 38.9lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 41.1" x 10.1" x 13.7"
1044.5 x 255.4 x 348.8mm |
|---|
What size room are the Polk ES60 and Polk R500 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 |
Polk R500 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
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through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both ES60 and R500 are 2-way speakers.
Polk ES60Polk R500
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 ES60 |
Polk R500 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 5.25-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 R500 features a 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene Turbine Cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz.
Frequency Response
ES60 has a frequency range of 32-40k Hz whereas R500 has a frequency range of 49-38k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 32Hz, the ES60 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the R500's min frequency of 49Hz.
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 R500 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. ES60 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the R500's is at 87 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Polk ES60 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk R500, 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 R500 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 100 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. R500 has a Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Polk R500's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
ES60 has a bottom firing port whereas R500 has a rear firing ports. Polk ES60's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Polk R500 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 Polk R500'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 Polk R500 has external dimensions of 1044.5 x 255.4 x 348.8mm (41.1 x 10.1 x 13.7inch).
Polk R500 is 86.5mm shorter and 52.2mm less deeper than Polk ES60 but it is also 39.4mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk ES60 and Polk R500 in scale.
Comparison image of Polk ES60 and Polk R500 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 Polk R500 is approximately 890.8cm2 / 138.1inch2. The ES60 requires 3% less surface area than the R500 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 ES60 weighs 23.60kg / 51.9lbs and the Polk R500 weighs 17.70kg / 38.9lbs. This makes the ES60 33% heavier than the R500.
Here is a comparison of how ES60 and R500'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 Polk R500?
Here are the items that come with the R500:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- 4 Outrigger feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet (pre-installed)
- Grille
- Hex-key
- Owner's Manual
- Online Registration
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5.25 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
32 Hz
vs
49 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
36k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Base Surface Area |
866cm2
vs
890cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1098USD
vs
1298USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Height |
1044mm
vs
1131mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
| General |
Polk Audio Signature Elite ES60 |
Polk Audio Reserve R500 |
| Brand |
Polk Audio |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
50-300 watts |
25-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
87 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
3.9 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
32-40k Hz |
49-38k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
5.25" |
| Woofer Composition |
Mica-reinforced polypropylene |
Polypropylene Turbine Cone |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Butyl rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
2500Hz |
2500Hz |
| Firing Direction |
bottom |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1131.0mm (44.5") |
1044.5mm (41.1") |
| Width |
216.0mm (8.5") |
255.4mm (10.1") |
| Depth |
401.0mm (15.8") |
348.8mm (13.7") |
| Weight |
23.60kg (51.9lbs) |
17.70kg (38.9lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF, Wood-grain vinyl |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Black, Walnut, White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
Both are Polk Audio, from different ranges - so the house sound is shared and the differences are mostly in scale, engineering and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass |
A |
Polk ES60 digs deeper - 32Hz against 49Hz. |
| Amplifier needs |
A |
Polk ES60 is more sensitive (90dB vs 87dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom |
A |
Polk ES60 takes more power (300W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size |
depends |
Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability |
A |
Polk ES60: bi-amping. |
| Price |
A |
Polk ES60 is cheaper - $1,098 against $1,298, about 15% less. |
A Polk ES60
B Polk R500
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement 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 is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take Polk R500 if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 49Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate Polk ES60 the better fit for a very large room, and Polk R500 for 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.