In this review, we will be comparing S60 and ES60, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk S60 and Polk ES60 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Polk S60 | Polk ES60 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | 1" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 3 x 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene | 3 x 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 26-40k Hz | 32-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-300 watts | 50-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 23.60kg / 51.9lbs | 23.60kg / 51.9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 44-1/2" x 11-3/4" x 15-3/4"
1131.0 x 299.0 x 401.0mm | 44-1/2" x 8-1/2" x 15-3/4"
1131.0 x 216.0 x 401.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Polk S60 and Polk ES60 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 S60 |
Polk ES60 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Average |
(* 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 S60 and ES60 are 2-way speakers.
Polk S60Polk ES60
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 S60 |
Polk ES60 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
S60 features a 1" Terylene Dome Tweeter and 3 x 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz. On the other hand, the 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.
Frequency Response
S60 has a frequency range of 26-40k Hz whereas ES60 has a frequency range of 32-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 26Hz, the S60 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the ES60's min frequency of 32Hz.
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
S60 and ES60 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 90 dB.
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.
Both handle the same maximum of 300 watts RMS, though S60 is rated 20-300 watts and ES60 50-300 watts.
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
Both S60 and ES60 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Polk S60's 5-way post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both S60 and ES60 have bottom firing ports.
Polk S60 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 S60's and Polk ES60's external dimensions. Polk S60 has external dimensions of 1131.0 x 299.0 x 401.0mm (44-1/2 x 11-3/4 x 15-3/4inch) whereas 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).
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk S60 and Polk ES60 in scale.
Comparison image of Polk S60 and Polk ES60 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 S60 is approximately 1199.0cm2 / 185.8inch2 and base area of the Polk ES60 is approximately 866.2cm2 / 134.3inch2. The S60 requires 38% more surface area than the ES60 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 S60 weighs 23.60kg / 51.9lbs and the Polk ES60 weighs 23.60kg / 51.9lbs.
Here is a comparison of how S60 and ES60'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 S60?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of S60:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille (attached)
- 4 Feet (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
- Online Product Registration
What's in the Box of Polk ES60?
Here are the items that come with the ES60:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille (attached)
- 4 Feet (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
- Online Product Registration
 Low Frequency Response |
26 Hz
vs
32 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Price per pair* |
898USD
vs
1098USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Base Surface Area |
866cm2
vs
1199cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
Polk Audio Signature S60 |
Polk Audio Signature Elite ES60 |
| Brand |
Polk Audio |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-300 watts |
50-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
26-40k Hz |
32-40k 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 |
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") |
1131.0mm (44.5") |
| Width |
299.0mm (11.8") |
216.0mm (8.5") |
| Depth |
401.0mm (15.8") |
401.0mm (15.8") |
| Weight |
23.60kg (51.9lbs) |
23.60kg (51.9lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
Meddite MDF |
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 |
A generation apart: Polk ES60 is the newer design, against a 2016 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass |
A |
Polk S60 digs deeper - 26Hz against 32Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs |
evenly matched |
Similar sensitivity (90dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom |
evenly matched |
Similar power handling (300W vs 300W). |
| Size |
depends |
Polk ES60 is easier to place; Polk S60 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability |
depends |
Polk S60: bi-amping; Polk ES60: bi-amping. Polk ES60 sits in a wider range (12 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price |
A |
Polk S60 is cheaper - $898 against $1,098, about 18% less. |
A Polk S60
B Polk ES60
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 S60 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 32Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead.
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.