Polk Audio Reserve R500 is a 2-way Passive Bass Reflex Floor-standing speaker by Polk Audio. It was released in March 2021. 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.
Room Size Suitability
The size of the room where you plan to use the Polk R500 is a crucial factor in your decision. We have assessed its suitability for various room sizes based on its dimensions and maximum power output:
| Listening Environment* |
Suitability |
| Near-field | Bad |
| Small Room | Poor |
| Mid-size Room | Good |
| Large Room | Good |
| Very Large Room | 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.)
Polk Audio's Reserve Series of Loudspeakers
R500 is a member of Polk Audio's Reserve series of Passive speakers. The Reserve range is Polk Audio's high-value step-up line, with Pinnacle tweeter and Power Port technology from the flagship Legend series. Below you can see the main specs of these speakers.
See all 10 Polk Audio Reserve models compared »
Polk Audio Reserve Series Speakers
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Frequency Response of the Polk R500 Speaker
Polk R500 has a Frequency response range of 49-38k Hz at ±3dB and Power Range of 25-200 watts. With a minimum frequency of 49 Hz, R500 delivers moderate bass depth so depending on your use case, you might want to consider adding a subwoofer to your system.
Here we have a comparison of how R500's Low frequency value compares with the average, max and min Low frequency values in its class.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Thinking about a subwoofer for the Polk R500?
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
Crossover frequency of the Polk R500?
The 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
8 Ohms is pretty much the standard nominal impedance amongst stereo speakers and amplifiers so Polk Audio Reserve R500 is not considered a difficult to drive speaker from nominal Impedance perspective.
Sensitivity
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 a high output if you like listening to your music at high volume levels. You may especially have a hard time using Tube amplifiers which are traditionally very low power compared to Class A/B or Class D amps. Work out how loud the Polk R500 plays in your room →
Minimum Impedance of the 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.
What amplifier does the Polk R500 need?
At normal listening levels in a medium room, about
15–200 W
per channel into 8 ohms.
Set your own conditions and we will rank every amplifier we cover.
Prefer to browse? Integrated amplifiers under $1,500, or every amplifier we cover.
Input Type
R500 features Post type connectors. Bi-amping and Bi-wiring are not possible.
Work out what gauge speaker cable this run needs →
Polk R500 Back View
Polk R500 External Dimensions and Weight
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 ).
Base Surface Area
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base area of Polk R500 is approximately 890.8cm2 / 138.1inch2.
To get 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
Find speakers that fit your shelf or alcove → · Work out where they should sit in the room →
WeightThe Polk R500 weighs 17.70kg / 38.9lbs per piece. Here is a comparison of how R500's weight compares with the average, max and min weights in its class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
Weight
Floor-standing Speakers under $1500
How does the Polk R500 compare to the Polk Audio Reserve R600?
One of the natural alternative to the Polk R500 is the R600 which is located one step higher in Polk Audio's Passive Floor-standing selection.
Here is a scaled size comparison of these two speakers to give you an idea how their external dimensions compare:
Comparison image of Polk R500 and Polk R600 Size and External Dimensions
Check the Detailed Comparison of Polk R500 vs R600 for more details.
Cabinet type and Materials
Polk R500 has a
Bass Reflex type cabinet and a 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 and White.
Does the Polk R500 come with a Grille?
R500 comes with magnetic grilles. The purpose of the grille is to protect the delicate driver elements from external impacts while still allowing the sound to pass as clearly as possible. Since the included grille of the R500 is 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
Recommended Accessories
Here is a list of accessories that we think you may need for the Polk Audio Reserve R500.
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.