R500 is a 2-way Passive Bass Reflex Floor-standing speaker by Polk Audio. It features a 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene Turbine Cone Woofer. The speaker has a frequency range of 49-38k Hz and a sensitivity of 87 dB. Polk R500 has an MSRP of 1298$ per pair.
R500 is a member of Polk Audio's Reserve series of Passive speakers. Below you can see the main specs of these speakers.
Polk Audio Reserve Series Speakers
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Frequency Response
Polk R500 has a Frequency response range of 49-38k Hz at ±3dB and Power Range of 25-200 watts. At a minimum frequency of 49 Hz, R500 will provide an average bass depth so depending on your use case, you may consider supplementing your system with a subwoofer.
Here we have a comparison of how R500's Low and High frequency values compare with the average, max and min Low and High frequency values in its class.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Among the speakers in our database with a max MSRP price of 1500$ (Pair), these are the 5 Passive Floor-standing speakers that have the deeper bass levels than the Polk R500's 49Hz:
Polk R500's Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter
What is the Crossover frequency of Polk R500?
Crossover frequency of the R500 is set to 2500Hz. This is the threshold frequency where the higher frequency signals over this level are sent to the tweeter and the lower frequency signals are sent to the woofer by the crossover component.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Polk R500's nominal impedance level is 8 ohms but can go down to as low as 3.9 ohms, and has a sensitivity of 87 dB.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Is the Polk Audio Reserve R500 an easy to drive speaker?
8 Ohms is pretty much the standard impedance amongst stereo speakers and amplifiers so Polk Audio Reserve R500 is not considered a difficult to drive speaker from nominal Impedance perspective. With a sensitivity level of only 87 dB, Polk Audio Reserve R500 is a difficult to drive speaker from Sensitivity perspective, make sure to choose an amplifier with hogh output if you like listening your music at high volume levels.
Minimum Impedance of Polk R500
Even though the nominal impedance of the R500 is 8 ohms, the minimum impedance level of this speaker according to Polk Audio is 3.9 ohms Polk Audio Reserve R500 so while choosing an amplifier, you should ideally check if the unit you are considering can provide this impedance level.
Input Type
R500 features Post type connectors. Bi-amping and Bi-wiring is not possible.
Polk R500 Back View
Polk R500 Speaker Size: Weight and Dimensions
Polk R500 has external dimensions of (Height x Width x Depth) 41.1 x 10.1 x 13.7inch (1044.5 x 255.4 x 348.8mm ). Each speaker weighs 17.70kg / 38.9lbs.
To have a better perspective on the real life size of Polk R500, let's compare it with a standard size Compact Disc which has a diameter of 4.7inch (120mm).
Polk R500 Speaker Size Compared to a Compact Disc
Here we place the Polk R500 virtually next to a standard width amplifier and turntable on a media center to get a better idea about the size.
Polk R500 Floor-standing Speaker next to a Media Stand
Cabinet type and Materials
Polk R500 has a
Bass Reflex type cabinet and MDF/Vinyl finish. Bass Reflex type loudspeakers (aka Ported, Vented or Reflex Port) have enclosures that uses a port, hole or vent cut into the cabinet. Ported designs are generally more efficient than the Sealed designs.
Speaker Feet
Polk R500 comes with the parts below which you can use to secure your loudspeaker on the surface that you are putting on:
4 Outrigger feet (pre-installed)4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)4 Spike feet (pre-installed) It is always recommended to use some kind of feet under all types of speakers. Besides limiting the movement of the speakers, it also compensates for non-flat surfaces and limits the contact surface area of the speaker. Rubber based feet also help isolating the vibrations within certain frequency ranges.
Port Position
Polk R500 is a rear-firing port speaker so you have to make sure you leave enough space between the back of the speaker and wall or bookshelf so that it has room to breathe.
Available colors
Polk R500 is available in Black, Walnut, White.
Grille
R500 comes with magnetic grilles. The purpose of the speaker grille is to protect the delicate driver elements from external impacts while still allowing the sound pass as clearly as possible.Since the included grille of the R500 magnetic type, it is very easy to put it on and off.
Polk R500 with Grille
What's in the Box of Polk R500?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of R500:
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
User's Manual
For more information about how to setup, use and maintain the Polk Audio Reserve R500, use the direct link below to download the official manual document:
Download User Manual for Polk R500
Official Brochure
Here is a link to download the official brochure for the Polk Audio Reserve R500 speaker:
Official Brochure for Polk R500
Official Product Page
Official manufacturer's product page for the Polk Audio Reserve R500 speaker can be found below:
Official Product Page for Polk R500
Warranty
5 Years of parts warranty and 5 Years of labor warranty is generally provided by the manufacturer.