In this review, we will be comparing Prime Pinnacle and R600, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from SVS and Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of SVS Prime Pinnacle and Polk R600 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | SVS Prime Pinnacle | Polk R600 |
|---|
| Brand | SVS
United States · founded 1998 | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" dome | 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.25" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 3 x 6.5" Polypropylene | 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene Turbine Cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 29-25k Hz | 43-38k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 87.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-300 watts | 25-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 25.95kg / 57.1lbs | 21.50kg / 47.3lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 41" x 8" x 13-15/16"
1042.0 x 204.0 x 355.0mm | 41.9" x 11" x 15"
1063.8 x 280.7 x 381.6mm |
|---|
What size room are the SVS Prime Pinnacle and Polk R600 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 Pinnacle |
Polk R600 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| 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.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Prime Pinnacle is a 3-way design whereas the R600 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.
SVS Prime PinnaclePolk R600
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
SVS Prime Pinnacle |
Polk R600 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.25-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
Prime Pinnacle features a 1" aluminum dome Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 3 x 6.5" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 300Hz and 2100Hz. On the other hand, the R600 features a 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene Turbine Cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2700Hz.
Frequency Response
Prime Pinnacle has a frequency range of 29-25k Hz whereas R600 has a frequency range of 43-38k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 29Hz, the Prime Pinnacle can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the R600's min frequency of 43Hz.
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
Prime Pinnacle and R600 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Prime Pinnacle sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the R600's is at 87.5 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.
Prime Pinnacle can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas R600 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Prime Pinnacle.
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
Prime Pinnacle features Post type posts and R600 has a Post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
SVS Prime Pinnacle's 5-Way post terminals
Polk R600's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Prime Pinnacle has a rear firing port whereas R600 has a bottom firing ports. Polk R600's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to SVS Prime Pinnacle with its rear-firing port.
Polk R600 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 SVS Prime Pinnacle's and Polk R600's external dimensions. SVS Prime Pinnacle has external dimensions of 1042.0 x 204.0 x 355.0mm (41 x 8 x 13-15/16inch) whereas Polk R600 has external dimensions of 1063.8 x 280.7 x 381.6mm (41.9 x 11 x 15inch).
Polk R600 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 76.7mm wider, 21.8mm taller and 26.6mm deeper than SVS Prime Pinnacle.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of SVS Prime Pinnacle and Polk R600 in scale.
Comparison image of SVS Prime Pinnacle and Polk R600 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 SVS Prime Pinnacle is approximately 724.2cm2 / 112.3inch2 and base area of the Polk R600 is approximately 1071.2cm2 / 166.0inch2. The Prime Pinnacle requires 32% less surface area than the R600 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 SVS Prime Pinnacle weighs 25.95kg / 57.1lbs and the Polk R600 weighs 21.50kg / 47.3lbs. This makes the Prime Pinnacle 21% heavier than the R600.
Here is a comparison of how Prime Pinnacle and R600'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 SVS Prime Pinnacle?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Prime Pinnacle:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille (pre-installed)
- 4 Elastomer isolation feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Nuts
- 4 Protective discs
- Owners Manual
- SVS brochure
- Online Product Registration Card
What's in the Box of Polk R600?
Here are the items that come with the R600:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- 4 Outrigger feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet (pre-installed)
- Grille
- Hex-key
- Owner's Manual
- Online Registration
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
29 Hz
vs
43 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
1042mm
vs
1063mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
724cm2
vs
1071cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 High Frequency Response |
38k Hz
vs
25k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Price per pair* |
1698USD
vs
2000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
SVS Prime Pinnacle |
Polk Audio Reserve R600 |
| Brand |
SVS |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-300 watts |
25-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
87.5 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
29-25k Hz |
43-38k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polypropylene |
Polypropylene Turbine Cone |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
dome |
Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.25" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
300Hz and 2100Hz |
2700Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1042.0mm (41") |
1063.8mm (41.9") |
| Width |
204.0mm (8") |
280.7mm (11.1") |
| Depth |
355.0mm (14") |
381.6mm (15") |
| Weight |
25.95kg (57.1lbs) |
21.50kg (47.3lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Black, Walnut, White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | SVS Prime Pinnacle digs deeper - 29Hz against 43Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (88dB vs 88dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | A | SVS Prime Pinnacle takes more power (300W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | SVS Prime Pinnacle is easier to place; Polk R600 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Price | B | Polk R600 is cheaper - $1,698 against $2,000, about 15% less. |
A SVS Prime Pinnacle B Polk R600
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: SVS Prime Pinnacle measures better, Polk R600 costs about about 18% 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 43Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Polk R600 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate SVS Prime Pinnacle the better fit for a very large room, and Polk R600 for a mid-size 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.