In this review, we will be comparing TSi300 and TSi400, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk TSi300 and Polk TSi400 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Polk TSi300 | Polk TSi400 |
|---|
| Brand | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" | 1" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.25" Organic Fiber | 3 x 5.25" Organic Fiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 47-24k Hz | 44-24k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 91 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-150 watts | 20-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 11.82kg / 26lbs | 14.55kg / 32lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 36-1/4" x 8-3/16" x 11-3/4"
921.0 x 208.0 x 299.0mm | 38-3/4" x 8-3/16" x 14-1/2"
985.0 x 208.0 x 369.0mm |
|---|
TSi300 and TSi400 are members of Polk Audio's TSi series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
What size room are the Polk TSi300 and Polk TSi400 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 TSi300 |
Polk TSi400 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| 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.
Drivers
Both TSi300 and TSi400 are 2-way speakers.
Polk TSi300Polk TSi400
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 TSi300 |
Polk TSi400 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
3 x 5.25-inch
|
TSi300 features a 1" Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Organic Fiber Woofer. On the other hand, the TSi400 features a 1" Tweeter and 3 x 5.25" Organic Fiber Woofer.
Frequency Response
TSi300 has a frequency range of 47-24k Hz whereas TSi400 has a frequency range of 44-24k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 44Hz, the TSi400 can go slightly deeper then the TSi300's min frequency of 47Hz.
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
TSi300 and TSi400 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. TSi300 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the TSi400's is at 91 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Polk TSi400 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk TSi300, 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.
TSi400 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas TSi300 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the TSi400.
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 TSi300 and TSi400 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both TSi300 and TSi400 have bottom firing ports.
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 TSi300's and Polk TSi400's external dimensions. 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) whereas Polk TSi400 has external dimensions of 985.0 x 208.0 x 369.0mm (38-3/4 x 8-3/16 x 14-1/2inch).
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 TSi300 is approximately 621.9cm2 / 96.4inch2 and base area of the Polk TSi400 is approximately 767.5cm2 / 119.0inch2. The TSi300 requires 19% less surface area than the TSi400 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 TSi300 weighs 11.82kg / 26lbs and the Polk TSi400 weighs 14.55kg / 32lbs. This makes the TSi400 23% heavier than the TSi300.
Here is a comparison of how TSi300 and TSi400'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 TSi300?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of TSi300:
- Tower speaker
- Detachable cloth grille (installed)
- Owners Manual
- Wall-Mount template
- Online registration sheet
- Polk Audio product brochure
What's in the Box of Polk TSi400?
Here are the items that come with the TSi400:
- Tower speaker
- Detachable cloth grille (installed)
- Owners Manual
- Wall-Mount template
- Online registration sheet
- Polk Audio product brochure
 Height |
921mm
vs
985mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
621cm2
vs
767cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
358USD
vs
498USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
150 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
44 Hz
vs
47 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
| General |
Polk Audio TSi300 |
Polk Audio TSi400 |
| Brand |
Polk Audio |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-150 watts |
20-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
91 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
47-24k Hz |
44-24k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
5.25" |
5.25" |
| Woofer Composition |
Organic Fiber |
Organic Fiber |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Butyl Rubber |
Butyl Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Firing Direction |
bottom |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
921.0mm (36.3") |
985.0mm (38.8") |
| Width |
208.0mm (8.2") |
208.0mm (8.2") |
| Depth |
299.0mm (11.8") |
369.0mm (14.5") |
| Weight |
11.82kg (26lbs) |
14.55kg (32lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
Wood-grain vinyl |
Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Cherry |
| 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 |
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 TSi400 digs deeper - 44Hz against 47Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (90dB vs 91dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | B | Polk TSi400 takes more power (200W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Polk TSi300 is easier to place; Polk TSi400 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Polk TSi300: bi-amping; Polk TSi400: bi-amping. |
| Price | A | Polk TSi300 is cheaper - $358 against $498, about 28% less. |
A Polk TSi300 B Polk TSi400
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 TSi400 measures better, Polk TSi300 costs about about 39% 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. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $140 saved by taking the cheaper pair would buy a subwoofer or a better amplifier, and either usually does more for the sound than the difference between these two.
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.