In this review, we will be comparing NS-F210 and XT60, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Yamaha and Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Yamaha NS-F210 and Polk XT60 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Yamaha NS-F210 | Polk XT60 |
|---|
| Brand | Yamaha
Japan · founded 1887 | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 0.875" Balanced dome | 1" dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 3.125" Cone | 6.5" Bi-laminate paper |
|---|
| Frequency response | 50-45k Hz | 38-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 86 dB | 86 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 40-120 watts | 25-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 7.30kg / 16.1lbs | 9.09kg / 20lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 41.3125" x 9.3125" x 9.3125"
1049.3 x 236.5 x 236.5mm | 36-9/16" x 9-1/16" x 9-15/16"
929.0 x 231.0 x 253.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Yamaha NS-F210 and Polk XT60 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* |
Yamaha NS-F210 |
Polk XT60 |
| Near-field |
Good |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Good |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
No way |
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 NS-F210 and XT60 are 2-way speakers.
Yamaha NS-F210Polk XT60
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Yamaha NS-F210 |
Polk XT60 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
0.875-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 3.125-inch
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
NS-F210 features a 0.875" Balanced dome Balanced dome Tweeter and 2 x 3.125" Cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 8 kHz. On the other hand, the XT60 features a 1" Terylene dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Bi-laminate paper Woofer.
Frequency Response
NS-F210 has a frequency range of 50-45k Hz whereas XT60 has a frequency range of 38-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 38Hz, the XT60 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the NS-F210's min frequency of 50Hz.
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
NS-F210 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the XT60 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
On the other hand, they have the same sensitivity of 86 dBdB.
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.
XT60 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas NS-F210 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 80 watts less than the XT60.
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
NS-F210 features 5-Way post type posts and XT60 has a 5-Way post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
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 Yamaha NS-F210's and Polk XT60's external dimensions. Yamaha NS-F210 has external dimensions of 1049.3 x 236.5 x 236.5mm (41.3125 x 9.3125 x 9.3125inch) whereas Polk XT60 has external dimensions of 929.0 x 231.0 x 253.0mm (36-9/16 x 9-1/16 x 9-15/16inch).
Polk XT60 is 5.5mm narrower and 120.3mm shorter than Yamaha NS-F210 but it is also 16.5mm deeper.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Near-identical footprints. Polk XT60 is 17mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Yamaha NS-F210 is 120mm taller.
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 Yamaha NS-F210 is approximately 559.3cm2 / 86.7inch2 and base area of the Polk XT60 is approximately 584.4cm2 / 90.6inch2. The NS-F210 requires 4% less surface area than the XT60 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 Yamaha NS-F210 weighs 7.30kg / 16.1lbs and the Polk XT60 weighs 9.09kg / 20lbs. This makes the XT60 25% heavier than the NS-F210.
Here is a comparison of how NS-F210 and XT60'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 XT60?
Here are the items that come with the XT60:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille (attached)
- Owners Manual
- Online Product Registration
 Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
 High Frequency Response |
45k Hz
vs
40k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
559cm2
vs
584cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
120 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
3.125 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
38 Hz
vs
50 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Passive Radiator |
two 6-1/2-inch
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Dolby Atmos Drivers |
Optional
vs
No
|
Dolby Atmos Compatibility |
 Height |
929mm
vs
1049mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
498USD
vs
500USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Yamaha NS-F210 |
Polk Audio Monitor XT60 |
| Brand |
Yamaha |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
40-120 watts |
25-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
86 dB |
86 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
50-45k Hz |
38-40k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
3.125" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Cone |
Bi-laminate paper |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
0.875" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Balanced dome |
dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
8 kHz |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1049.3mm (41.3") |
929.0mm (36.6") |
| Width |
236.5mm (9.3") |
231.0mm (9.1") |
| Depth |
236.5mm (9.3") |
253.0mm (10") |
| Weight |
7.30kg (16.1lbs) |
9.09kg (20lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Passive Radiator |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF, Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
A generation apart: Polk XT60 is the newer design, against a 2008 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Polk XT60 digs deeper - 38Hz against 50Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (86dB vs 86dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | Polk XT60 is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | B | Polk XT60 takes more power (200W vs 120W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Cabinet | depends | Ported vs Passive Radiator. |
| Expandability | B | Polk XT60: Atmos drivers. Polk XT60 sits in a wider range (9 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | evenly matched | Much the same money ($500 vs $498 a pair). |
A Yamaha NS-F210 B Polk XT60
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?
Polk XT60 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 50Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate Yamaha NS-F210 the better fit for near-field listening and a small room, and Polk XT60 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.