In this review, we will be comparing Prime Center and ES35, two Passive Center Channel speakers from SVS and Polk Audio. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of SVS Prime Center and Polk ES35 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
SVS Prime Center Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" dome Tweeter
- 3-1/2" Midrange
- 2 x 5.25" polypropylene Woofer
- 48-25k Hz Frequency Response
- 86 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:20-200watts
- Weight:9.18kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 196.0" x 18-11/16" x 9-1/8"( 196.0 x 475.0 x 232.0mm )
Polk ES35 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" High-res dome Tweeter
- 6 x 3" mica-reinforced polypropylene Dynamic Balance Woofer
- 66-40k Hz Frequency Response
- 89 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:20-150watts
- Weight:6.36kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 107.0" x 24-7/16" x 6-1/16"( 107.0 x 621.0 x 154.0mm )
What size room are the SVS Prime Center and Polk ES35 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* |
SVS Prime Center |
Polk ES35 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the SVS Prime Center and Polk ES35 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Prime Center is a 3-way design whereas the ES35 is a 2-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
| Driver |
SVS Prime Center |
Polk ES35 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 3-1/2-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
6 x 3-inch
|
Prime Center features a 1" aluminum dome Tweeter , a 3-1/2" Midrange and 2 x 5.25" polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 350Hz and 2400Hz. On the other hand, the ES35 features a 1" Terylene High-res dome Tweeter and 6 x 3" mica-reinforced polypropylene Dynamic Balance Woofer .
Frequency Response
Prime Center has a frequency range of 48-25k Hz whereas ES35 has a frequency range of 66-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 48Hz, the Prime Center can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the ES35's min frequency of 66Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Center Channel class in our database.
Low Frequency
Center Channel Speakers
High Frequency
Center Channel Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Prime Center and ES35 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Prime Center sensitivity is rated at 86 dB and the ES35's is at 89 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Polk ES35 a more sensitive speaker compared to SVS Prime Center, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Center Channel Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. While using an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
Prime Center can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS from the amp the whereas ES35 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Prime Center.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Prime Center features 5-Way post type posts and ES35 has a 5-Way post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
SVS Prime Center's 5-Way post terminals
Polk ES35's 5-Way post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Prime Center and ES35 have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
Polk ES35 Port
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare SVS Prime Center's and Polk ES35's external dimensions. SVS Prime Center has external dimensions of 196.0 x 475.0 x 232.0mm ( 7-11/16 x 18-11/16 x 9-1/8inch) whereas Polk ES35 has external dimensions of 107.0 x 621.0 x 154.0mm ( 4-3/16 x 24-7/16 x 6-1/16inch) .
Polk ES35 is 89mm shorter and 78mm less deeper than SVS Prime Center but it is also 146mm wider.
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 SVS Prime Center is approximately 1102.0cm2 / 170.8inch2 and base area of the Polk ES35 is approximately 956.3cm2 / 148.2inch2. The Prime Center requires 15% more surface area than the ES35 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 SVS Prime Center weighs 9.18kg / 20.2lbs and the Polk ES35 weighs 6.36kg / 14lbs. This makes the Prime Center 44% heavier than the ES35.
Here is a comparison of how Prime Center and ES35's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Center Channel class.
Weight
All Center Channel Speakers
What's in the Box of SVS Prime Center?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Prime Center:
Center channel loudspeakerGrille (pre-installed)4 Self-adhesive rubber bumpersOwners ManualSVS brochureOnline Product Registration Card
What's in the Box of Polk ES35?
Here are the items that come with the ES35:
LCR loudspeakerGrille (attached)4 Self-adhesive rubber feetWall-mount templateOwners ManualOnline Product Registration