In this review, we will be comparing S10 and Prime Bookshelf, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from Polk Audio and SVS.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk S10 and SVS Prime Bookshelf first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Polk S10 | SVS Prime Bookshelf |
|---|
| Brand | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 | SVS
United States · founded 1998 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-Dome | 1" Hard-Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 4" Mica-reinforced polypropylene | 6.5" |
|---|
| Frequency response | 67-40k Hz | 48-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-100 watts | 25-150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 2.73kg / 6lbs | 7.03kg / 15.5lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 8.4" x 5.0" x 6.1"
214.0 x 127.0 x 155.0mm | 13.2" x 8.0" x 10.2"
337.8 x 203.2 x 261.6mm |
|---|
What size room are the Polk S10 and SVS Prime Bookshelf 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 S10 |
SVS Prime Bookshelf |
| Near-field |
Average |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Good |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Bad |
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.
Drivers
Both S10 and Prime Bookshelf are 2-way speakers.
Polk S10SVS Prime Bookshelf
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 S10 |
SVS Prime Bookshelf |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 4-inch
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
S10 features a 1" Terylene Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 4" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz. On the other hand, the Prime Bookshelf features a 1" aluminum Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2300Hz.
Frequency Response
S10 has a frequency range of 67-40k Hz whereas Prime Bookshelf has a frequency range of 48-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 48Hz, the Prime Bookshelf can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the S10's min frequency of 67Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf 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
S10 and Prime Bookshelf have the same Impedance of 8 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 87 dB.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf 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.
Prime Bookshelf can handle a max power of 150 watts RMS, whereas S10 has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Prime Bookshelf.
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
S10 features 5-way post type posts and Prime Bookshelf has a 5-way post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Polk S10's 5-way post terminals
SVS Prime Bookshelf's 5-way post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both S10 and Prime Bookshelf have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
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 S10's and SVS Prime Bookshelf's external dimensions. Polk S10 has external dimensions of 214.0 x 127.0 x 155.0mm (8.4 x 5.0 x 6.1inch) whereas SVS Prime Bookshelf has external dimensions of 337.8 x 203.2 x 261.6mm (13.2 x 8.0 x 10.2inch).
SVS Prime Bookshelf is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 76.2mm wider, 123.8mm taller and 106.6mm deeper than Polk S10.
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 S10 is approximately 196.9cm2 / 30.5inch2 and base area of the SVS Prime Bookshelf is approximately 531.6cm2 / 82.4inch2. The S10 requires 63% less surface area than the Prime Bookshelf 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 S10 weighs 2.73kg / 6lbs and the SVS Prime Bookshelf weighs 7.03kg / 15.5lbs. This makes the Prime Bookshelf 158% heavier than the S10.
Here is a comparison of how S10 and Prime Bookshelf's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Bookshelf class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
What's in the Box of Polk S10?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of S10:
- 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
- 2 Grille (attached)
- 8 Self-adhesive rubber feet
- Wall-mount template
- Owners Manual
- Online Product Registration
What's in the Box of SVS Prime Bookshelf?
Here are the items that come with the Prime Bookshelf:
- 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles (pre-installed)
- 8 Self-adhesive rubber bumpers
- Owners Manual SVS brochure
- Online Product Registration Card
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
25k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Mounting Bracket |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows mounting on walls |
 Height |
214mm
vs
337mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
196cm2
vs
531cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
199USD
vs
600USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
150 watts
vs
100 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
4 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
48 Hz
vs
67 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
| General |
Polk Audio Signature S10 |
SVS Prime Bookshelf |
| Brand |
Polk Audio |
SVS |
| Speaker Type |
Satellite speakers |
Bookshelf speakers |
| Power Range |
20-100 watts |
25-150 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
87 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
67-40k Hz |
48-25k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
4" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Mica-reinforced polypropylene |
|
| Woofer Surround Material |
Butyl rubber |
Polypropylene |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
Hard-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
2500Hz |
2300Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
214.0mm (8.4") |
337.8mm (13.3") |
| Width |
127.0mm (5") |
203.2mm (8") |
| Depth |
155.0mm (6.1") |
261.6mm (10.3") |
| Weight |
2.73kg (6lbs) |
7.03kg (15.5lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
Meddite MDF |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Black Ash,Piano Gloss Black |
| Mounting Bracket |
Keyhole |
No |
| Recommended Stand Height |
28-31" |
24-28" |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - SVS Prime Bookshelf costs roughly 3x what Polk S10 does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | SVS Prime Bookshelf digs deeper - 48Hz against 67Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (87dB vs 87dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | B | SVS Prime Bookshelf takes more power (150W vs 100W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Polk S10 is easier to place; SVS Prime Bookshelf is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Price | A | Polk S10 is cheaper - $199 against $600, about 67% less; arguably a different class. |
A Polk S10 B SVS Prime Bookshelf
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?
The usual trade-off: SVS Prime Bookshelf measures better, Polk S10 costs about about 3x the price% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 67Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Polk S10 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Polk S10 the better fit for near-field listening and a small room, and SVS Prime Bookshelf for a mid-size room and a large 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.