In this review, we will be comparing D330 and S50, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Wharfedale and Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale D330 and Polk S50 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Wharfedale D330 | Polk S50 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-Dome | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 5" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 5" Black woven Kevlar Cone | 2 x 5.25" Mica-reinforced polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 56-20k Hz | 33-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-120 watts | 20-150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 18.20kg / 40lbs | 14.50kg / 31.9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 38" x 7.9" x 13.3"
965 x 200 x 338mm | 37-7/16" x 10-5/16" x 11-1/16"
951.0 x 262.0 x 281.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Wharfedale D330 and Polk S50 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* |
Wharfedale D330 |
Polk S50 |
| 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.
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through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that D330 is a 3-way design whereas the S50 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.
Wharfedale D330Polk S50
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Wharfedale D330 |
Polk S50 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5-inch
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
D330 features a 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter, a 5" Midrange and 1 x 5" Black woven Kevlar Cone Woofer. On the other hand, the S50 features a 1" Terylene Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz.
Frequency Response
D330 has a frequency range of 56-20k Hz whereas S50 has a frequency range of 33-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 33Hz, the S50 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the D330's min frequency of 56Hz.
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
D330 and S50 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. D330 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the S50's is at 89 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Polk S50 a more sensitive speaker compared to Wharfedale D330, 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.
S50 can handle a max power of 150 watts RMS, whereas D330 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 30 watts less than the S50.
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
S50 features 5-way post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. D330 has a Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Wharfedale D330's Post terminals
Polk S50's 5-way post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both D330 and S50 have bottom firing ports.
Polk S50 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 Wharfedale D330's and Polk S50's external dimensions. Wharfedale D330 has external dimensions of 965 x 200 x 338mm (38.0" x 7.9" x 13.3") whereas Polk S50 has external dimensions of 951.0 x 262.0 x 281.0mm (37-7/16 x 10-5/16 x 11-1/16inch).
Polk S50 is 14mm shorter and 57mm less deeper than Wharfedale D330 but it is also 62mm 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 Wharfedale D330 is approximately 676.0cm2 / 104.8inch2 and base area of the Polk S50 is approximately 736.2cm2 / 114.1inch2. The D330 requires 8% less surface area than the S50 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 Wharfedale D330 weighs 18.20kg / 40lbs and the Polk S50 weighs 14.50kg / 31.9lbs. This makes the D330 26% heavier than the S50.
Here is a comparison of how D330 and S50'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 S50?
Here are the items that come with the S50:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille (attached)
- 4 Feet (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
- Online Product Registration
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Base Surface Area |
676cm2
vs
736cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
150 watts
vs
120 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
89 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
5.25 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
33 Hz
vs
56 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
951mm
vs
965mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
498USD
vs
598USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Wharfedale D330 |
Polk Audio Signature S50 |
| Brand |
Wharfedale |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
25-120 watts |
20-150 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
4.1 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
56-20k Hz |
33-40k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5" |
5.25" |
| Woofer Composition |
Black woven Kevlar Cone |
Mica-reinforced polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Foamed Polyether |
Butyl rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
2500Hz |
| Firing Direction |
bottom |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
965.0mm (38") |
951.0mm (37.4") |
| Width |
200.0mm (7.9") |
262.0mm (10.3") |
| Depth |
338.0mm (13.3") |
281.0mm (11.1") |
| Weight |
18.20kg (40lbs) |
14.50kg (31.9lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
Meddite MDF |
| Available Colors |
Rosewood, Black, White, Walnut |
Black |
| 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 |
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 |
B |
Polk S50 digs deeper - 33Hz against 56Hz. |
| Amplifier needs |
evenly matched |
Similar sensitivity (88dB vs 89dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom |
B |
Polk S50 takes more power (150W vs 120W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size |
depends |
Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability |
B |
Polk S50: bi-amping. |
| Price |
B |
Polk S50 is cheaper - $498 against $598, about 17% less. |
A Wharfedale D330
B Polk S50
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement 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?
Polk S50 is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take Wharfedale D330 if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 56Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead.
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.