In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Polk Audio. Polk Audio Signature S60 is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the S20 is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk S60 and Polk S20 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Polk S60 | Polk S20 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | 1" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 3 x 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene | 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 26-40k Hz | 39-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-300 watts | 20-125 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 23.60kg / 51.9lbs | 7.73kg / 17lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 14.8" x 8.5" x 13.7"
376.0 x 216.0 x 350.0mm |
|---|
S60 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 S60 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 S60 |
Polk S20 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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 S60 and S20 are 2-way speakers.
Polk S60Polk 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 S60 |
Polk S20 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
1 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 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
S60 has a frequency range of 26-40k Hz whereas S20 has a frequency range of 39-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 26Hz, the S60 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the 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
S60 and S20 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. S60 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the S20's is at 88 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Polk S60 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.
S60 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas S20 has a max power handling value of 125 watts RMS, 175 watts less than the S60.
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
S60 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 S60's 5-way post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
S60 has a bottom firing port whereas S20 has a rear firing ports. Polk S60'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 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 S20'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 S20 has external dimensions of 376.0 x 216.0 x 350.0mm (14.8 x 8.5 x 13.7inch).
Polk S60 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 83mm wider, 755mm taller and 51mm deeper than Polk S20.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk S60 and Polk S20 in scale.
Comparison image of Polk S60 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 S60 is approximately 1199.0cm2 / 185.8inch2 and base area of the Polk S20 is approximately 756.0cm2 / 117.2inch2. The S60 requires 59% more surface area than the S20 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
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 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