In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Polk Audio. Polk Audio Signature S50 is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the S20 is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk S50 and Polk S20 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Polk S50 | Polk S20 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | 1" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.25" Mica-reinforced polypropylene | 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 33-40k Hz | 39-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-150 watts | 20-125 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 14.50kg / 31.9lbs | 7.73kg / 17lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 37-7/16" x 10-5/16" x 11-1/16"
951.0 x 262.0 x 281.0mm | 14.8" x 8.5" x 13.7"
376.0 x 216.0 x 350.0mm |
|---|
S50 and S20 are members of Polk Audio's Signature S series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
What size room are the Polk S50 and Polk S20 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 S50 |
Polk S20 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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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Drivers
Both S50 and S20 are 2-way speakers.
Polk S50Polk S20
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 S50 |
Polk S20 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
S50 features a 1" Terylene Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz. On the other hand, the S20 features a 1" Terylene Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz.
Frequency Response
S50 has a frequency range of 33-40k Hz whereas S20 has a frequency range of 39-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 33Hz, the S50 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the S20's min frequency of 39Hz.
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
S50 and S20 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. S50 sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the S20's is at 88 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Polk S50 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk S20, 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.
S50 can handle a max power of 150 watts RMS, whereas S20 has a max power handling value of 125 watts RMS, 25 watts less than the S50.
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
S50 features 5-way post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. S20 has a 5-way post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Polk S50's 5-way post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
S50 has a bottom firing port whereas S20 has a rear firing ports. Polk S50's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Polk S20 with its rear-firing port.
Polk S50 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 S50's and Polk S20's external dimensions. Polk S50 has external dimensions of 951.0 x 262.0 x 281.0mm (37-7/16 x 10-5/16 x 11-1/16inch) whereas Polk S20 has external dimensions of 376.0 x 216.0 x 350.0mm (14.8 x 8.5 x 13.7inch).
Polk S20 is 46mm narrower and 575mm shorter than Polk S50 but it is also 69mm deeper.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk S50 and Polk S20 in scale.
Comparison image of Polk S50 and Polk S20 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 S50 is approximately 736.2cm2 / 114.1inch2 and base area of the Polk S20 is approximately 756.0cm2 / 117.2inch2. The S50 requires 3% less surface area than the S20 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Polk S50?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of S50:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille (attached)
- 4 Feet (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
- Online Product Registration
What's in the Box of Polk S20?
Here are the items that come with the S20:
- 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles (attached)
- 8 Self-adhesive rubber feet
- Owners Manual
- Online Product Registration