Polk TSi100 vs Polk TSi300 Comparison

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Polk TSi100

Passive Bookshelf | 61-24k Hz

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Polk TSi300

Passive Floor-standing | 47-24k Hz

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Polk TSi100

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Polk TSi300

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Polk TSi100

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Polk TSi300

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Polk TSi100 vs Polk TSi300 Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Polk Audio. Polk Audio TSi100 is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the TSi300 is a Floor-standing speaker.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Polk TSi100 and Polk TSi300 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	Polk TSi100	Polk TSi300
Brand	Polk Audio United States · founded 1972	Polk Audio United States · founded 1972
Design	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1" Dome	1"
Woofer	5.25" Organic Fiber	2 x 5.25" Organic Fiber
Frequency response	61-24k Hz	47-24k Hz
Sensitivity	89 dB	90 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Power range	20-100 watts	20-150 watts
Weight	4.53kg / 10lbs	11.82kg / 26lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)	11.0" x 7.0" x 10.1" 279.4 x 177.8 x 259.0mm	36-1/4" x 8-3/16" x 11-3/4" 921.0 x 208.0 x 299.0mm

TSi100 and TSi300 are members of Polk Audio's TSi series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.

Polk Audio TSi Series History

Model	Body	Frequency	Sensitivity	Impedance	Woofer
Polk TSi100	Bookshelf	61-24k Hz	89 dB	8Ω	1 x 5.25"
Polk TSi400	Floor-standing	44-24k Hz	91 dB	8Ω	3 x 5.25"
Polk TSi200	Bookshelf	50-24k Hz	89 dB	8Ω	2 x 5.25"
Polk TSi300	Floor-standing	47-24k Hz	90 dB	8Ω	2 x 5.25"
Polk TSi CS10	Center Channel	63-24k Hz	91 dB	8Ω	2 x 5.25"

What size room are the Polk TSi100 and Polk TSi300 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 TSi100	Polk TSi300
Near-field	Average	Bad
Small Room	Good	Poor
Mid-size Room	Average	Good
Large Room	Poor	Good
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 TSi100 and TSi300 are 2-way speakers.

Polk TSi100

Polk TSi300

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 TSi100	Polk TSi300
Driver Setup	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1-inch	1-inch
Midrange	-	-
Woofer	1 x 5.25-inch	2 x 5.25-inch

TSi100 features a 1" Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Organic Fiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz. On the other hand, the TSi300 features a 1" Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Organic Fiber Woofer.

Frequency Response

TSi100 has a frequency range of 61-24k Hz whereas TSi300 has a frequency range of 47-24k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 47Hz, the TSi300 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the TSi100's min frequency of 61Hz.

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

TSi100

TSi300

Min

Average

Median

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

TSi100 and TSi300 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. TSi100 sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the TSi300's is at 90 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Polk TSi300 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk TSi100, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

Bookshelf Speakers

TSi100

TSi300

Min

Average

Median

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.

TSi300 can handle a max power of 150 watts RMS, whereas TSi100 has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the TSi300.

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.

Amplifier - change this

Distance

Playing as

Polk TSi100

Polk TSi300

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

TSi300 features 5-way post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. TSi100 has a Pair of 5-way Binding Posts - Gold-Plated which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.

Cabinet Type and Port Position

TSi100 has a rear firing port whereas TSi300 has a bottom firing ports. Polk TSi300's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Polk TSi100 with its rear-firing 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 TSi100's and Polk TSi300's external dimensions. Polk TSi100 has external dimensions of 279.4 x 177.8 x 259.0mm (11.0 x 7.0 x 10.1inch) whereas Polk TSi300 has external dimensions of 921.0 x 208.0 x 299.0mm (36-1/4 x 8-3/16 x 11-3/4inch).

Polk TSi300 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 30.2mm wider, 641.6mm taller and 40mm deeper than Polk TSi100.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk TSi100 and Polk TSi300 in scale.

Comparison image of Polk TSi100 and Polk TSi300 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 TSi100 is approximately 460.5cm² / 71.4inch² and base area of the Polk TSi300 is approximately 621.9cm² / 96.4inch². The TSi100 requires 26% less surface area than the TSi300 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.

What's in the Box of Polk TSi100?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of TSi100:

2 Black bookshelf speakers
Detachable cloth grille (installed)
8 Self-adhesive rubber feet
Owner's Manual
Wall-Mount template
Online registration sheet
Polk Audio product brochure

What's in the Box of Polk TSi300?

Here are the items that come with the TSi300:

Tower speaker
Detachable cloth grille (installed)
Owners Manual
Wall-Mount template
Online registration sheet
Polk Audio product brochure

Reasons to choose Polk Audio TSi100 over Polk Audio TSi300

Mounting Bracket	Yes vs No	Allows mounting on walls
Height	279mm vs 921mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Base Surface Area	460cm² vs 621cm²	Takes less floor space
Price per pair*	149USD vs 358USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

Reasons to choose Polk Audio TSi300 over Polk Audio TSi100

Max Input Power	150 watts vs 100 watts	Handle more power from your amplifier
Sensitivity	90 dB vs 89 dB	Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Number of Woofers	2 vs 1	More woofers
Low Frequency Response	47 Hz vs 61 Hz	Generates deeper bass
Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring	Yes vs No	Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections

Polk TSi100 vs Polk TSi300 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Polk Audio TSi100	Polk Audio TSi300
Brand	Polk Audio	Polk Audio
Speaker Type	Bookshelf speakers	Floor-standing speaker
Power Range	20-100 watts	20-150 watts
Sensitivity	89 dB	90 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Frequency Response	61-24k Hz	47-24k Hz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	1	2
Woofer Size	5.25"	5.25"
Woofer Composition	Organic Fiber	Organic Fiber
Woofer Surround Material	Butyl Rubber	Butyl Rubber
Tweeter Size	1"	1"
Tweeter Type	Dome	n/a
Aimable Tweeter	No	No
Midrange Driver	No	No
Crossover Frequency	2500Hz	n/a
Firing Direction	rear	bottom
Physical Specs
Height	279.4mm (11")	921.0mm (36.3")
Width	177.8mm (7")	208.0mm (8.2")
Depth	259.0mm (10.2")	299.0mm (11.8")
Weight	4.53kg (10lbs)	11.82kg (26lbs)
Enclosure	Bass Reflex	Bass Reflex
Finish	Wood-grain vinyl	Wood-grain vinyl
Available Colors	Black, Cherry	Black
Mounting Bracket	Keyhole	No
Recommended Stand Height	16-30"	n/a
Grille	Yes	Yes
Moisture Resistancy	No	No
Connections
Biamp Inputs	No	Yes
Other
Parts Warranty	5 Years	5 Years
Labor Warranty	5 Years	5 Years

Verdict

Siblings in Polk Audio's TSi series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.

Area	Better	Why
Bass	B	Polk TSi300 digs deeper - 47Hz against 61Hz.
Amplifier needs	evenly matched	Similar sensitivity (89dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power.
Headroom	B	Polk TSi300 takes more power (150W vs 100W) - more in hand in a big room.
Size	depends	Polk TSi100 is easier to place; Polk TSi300 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides.
Type	depends	A Passive Bookshelf against a Passive Floor-standing - a different job rather than a better one.
Expandability	B	Polk TSi300: bi-amping.
Price	A	Polk TSi100 is cheaper - $149 against $358, about 58% less; arguably a different class.

A Polk TSi100 B Polk TSi300
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: Polk TSi300 measures better, Polk TSi100 costs about about 140% more% 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 61Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Polk TSi100 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Polk TSi100 the better fit for near-field listening and a small room, and Polk TSi300 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.