In this review, we will be comparing ES60 and ES55, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Polk Audio Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk ES60 and Polk ES55 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
ES60 and ES55 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 ES55 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 ES60 and Polk ES55 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking
through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both ES60 and ES55 are 2-way speakers.
| Driver |
Polk ES60 |
Polk ES55 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
3 x 6.5-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 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.
Frequency Response
ES60 has a frequency range of 32-40k Hz whereas ES55 has a frequency range of 34-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 32Hz, the ES60 can go slightly deeper then the ES55's min frequency of 34Hz.
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 ES55 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. ES60 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the ES55's is at 89 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Polk ES60 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk ES55, 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 ES55 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 100 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 ES55 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both ES60 and ES55 have bottom firing ports.
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 ES55'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 ES55 has external dimensions of 1056.0 x 216.0 x 315.0mm ( 41-9/16 x 8-1/2 x 12-3/8inch) .
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk ES60 and Polk ES55 in scale.
Comparison image of Polk ES60 and Polk ES55 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 ES55 is approximately 680.4cm2 / 105.5inch2. The ES60 requires 27% more surface area than the ES55 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 Polk ES55 weighs 20.00kg / 44lbs. This makes the ES60 18% heavier than the ES55.
Here is a comparison of how ES60 and ES55'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 loudspeakerGrille (attached)4 Feet (pre-installed)Owners ManualOnline Product Registration
What's in the Box of Polk ES55?
Here are the items that come with the ES55:
Floorstanding loudspeakerGrille (attached)4 Feet (pre-installed)Owners ManualOnline Product Registration
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Low Frequency Response |
32 Hz
vs
34 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
1056mm
vs
1131mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
680cm2 (216x315mm)
vs
866cm2 (216x401mm)
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
898USD
vs
1098USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Polk Audio Signature Elite ES60 |
Polk Audio Signature Elite ES55 |
| Brand |
Polk Audio |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
50-300 watts |
40-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
32-40k Hz |
34-40k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Mica-reinforced polypropylene |
Mica-reinforced polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Butyl rubber |
Butyl rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
Soft-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
2500Hz |
2500Hz |
| Firing Direction |
bottom |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1131.0mm (44.5") |
1056.0mm (41.6") |
| Width |
216.0mm (8.5") |
216.0mm (8.5") |
| Depth |
401.0mm (15.8") |
315.0mm (12.4") |
| Weight |
23.60kg (51.9lbs) |
20.00kg (44lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF, Wood-grain vinyl |
MDF, Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |