In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by Polk Audio. Polk Audio Signature Elite ES60 is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the ES15 is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk ES60 and Polk ES15 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 )
Polk ES15 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter
- 5.25" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer
- 44-40k Hz Frequency Response
- 85 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:20-100watts
- Weight:5.91kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 307.0" x 7-9/16" x 10-3/16"( 307.0 x 193.0 x 259.0mm )
ES60 and ES15 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 ES60 and Polk ES15 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 ES15 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Average |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| 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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Polk ES60 and Polk ES15 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 ES15 are 2-way speakers.
| Driver |
Polk ES60 |
Polk ES15 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
1 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 ES15 features a 1" Terylene Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz.
Frequency Response
ES60 has a frequency range of 32-40k Hz whereas ES15 has a frequency range of 44-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 32Hz, the ES60 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the ES15's min frequency of 44Hz.
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 and ES15 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. ES60 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the ES15's is at 85 dB. This 5 dB difference makes the Polk ES60 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk ES15, 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 ES15 has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 200 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
ES60 features 5-Way post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. ES15 has a 5-Way post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Polk ES15's 5-Way post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
ES60 has a bottom firing port whereas ES15 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 ES15 with its rear-firing port.
Polk ES15 Power Port 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 ES60's and Polk ES15'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 ES15 has external dimensions of 307.0 x 193.0 x 259.0mm ( 12-1/16 x 7-9/16 x 10-3/16inch) .
Polk ES60 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 23mm wider, 824mm taller and 142mm deeper than Polk ES15.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk ES60 and Polk ES15 in scale.
Comparison image of Polk ES60 and Polk ES15 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 ES15 is approximately 499.9cm2 / 77.5inch2. The ES60 requires 73% more surface area than the ES15 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Polk ES60?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of ES60:
Floorstanding loudspeakerGrille (attached)4 Feet (pre-installed)Owners ManualOnline Product Registration
What's in the Box of Polk ES15?
Here are the items that come with the ES15:
2 Bookshelf loudspeakers2 Grille (attached)8 Self-adhesive rubber feetWall-mount templateOwners ManualOnline Product Registration
Max Input Power 
Sensitivity 
Woofer Size 
Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring 
Mounting Bracket 
Height 
Base Surface Area 
Price per pair*