Polk Audio Signature Elite ES55 is a 2-way Passive Bass Reflex Floor-standing speaker by Polk Audio. It features a 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter and 3 x 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer. The speaker has a frequency range of 34-40k Hz and a sensitivity of 89 dB. Polk ES55 has an MSRP of 898$ per pair but can often be found around 798$ per pair.
What size of room is the Polk ES55 speaker good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use the Polk ES55 is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated its suitability to various sizes of environments considering its size and max power parameters:
| 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 replaced the older S55 with this model. Follow the link to read our detailed comparison of these models:
Compare Polk ES55 vs Polk S55
What are the speakers in Polk Audio's Signature Elite Series?
ES55 is a member of Polk Audio's Signature Elite series of Passive speakers. Below you can see the main specs of these speakers.
Polk Audio Signature Elite Series Speakers
Polk Audio Signature Elite Series Speakers
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What is the Frequency Response of the Polk ES55 speaker?
Polk ES55 has a Frequency response range of 34-40k Hz at ±3dB and Power Range of 40-200 watts. At a minimum frequency of 34 Hz, ES55 will provide a deep bass that will probably satisfy majority of listeners, especially for music. Movie lovers and music listeners who like to experience a full range response will still benefit from the use of a subwooofer though.
To focus on the subwoofers that are in a similar price range with Polk ES55, check out the Powered Subwoofers under $1000. Alternatively, find the Full list of Powered Subwoofers regardless of the price.
Here we have a comparison of how ES55'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
What is the Crossover frequency of Polk ES55?
The Crossover frequency of the ES55 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.
What are the Impedance and Sensitivity of the Polk ES55? Is it an easy-to-drive speaker?
Polk ES55's nominal impedance level is
8 ohms and has a sensitivity of
89 dB.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
8 Ohms is pretty much the standard nominal impedance amongst stereo speakers and amplifiers so Polk Audio Signature Elite ES55 is not considered a difficult to drive speaker from nominal Impedance perspective.
Sensitivity
89dB of Polk Audio Signature Elite ES55 is an average sensitivity for stereo speaker so it is neither easy nor difficult to drive Sensitivity wise.
Check the amplifiers that are in a similar price range to the Polk ES55:
Input Type
ES55 has 5-Way post type connectors and lets bi-amping/bi-wiring. Bi-wiring can provide improvements in the overall transparency of your loudspeakers by running separate speaker wires to the low & high frequency drivers from a single amplifier. Bi-amping allows the use of separate amplifiers for the high & low frequency drivers of your loudspeaker which may result in greater dynamic range & lower distortion.
Polk ES55 External Dimensions and Weight
Polk ES55 has external dimensions of (Height x Width x Depth) 41-9/16 x 8-1/2 x 12-3/8inch (1056.0 x 216.0 x 315.0mm ).
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 ES55 is approximately 680.4cm2 / 105.5inch2.
To get a better perspective on the real life size of Polk ES55, let's compare it with a standard size Compact Disc which has a diameter of 4.7inch (120mm).
Polk ES55 Speaker Size Compared to a Compact Disc
Here we place the Polk ES55 virtually next to a standard width amplifier and turntable on a media center to get a better idea about the size.
Polk ES55 Floor-standing Speaker next to a Media Stand
WeightThe Polk ES55 weighs 20.00kg / 44lbs per piece. Here is a comparison of how ES55's weight compares with the average, max and min weights in its class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
Weight
Floor-standing Speakers under $1000
How does the Polk ES55 compare to the Polk Audio Signature Elite ES60?
One of the natural alternative to the Polk ES55 is the ES60 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 ES55 and Polk ES60 Size and External Dimensions
Check the Detailed Comparison of Polk ES55 vs ES60 for more details.
Cabinet type and Materials
Polk ES55 has a
Bass Reflex type cabinet and a MDF, Wood-grain 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 ES55 comes with
4 Feet (pre-installed) which you can use to secure your loudspeaker on the surface that you are putting on. 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 ES55 is a bottom-firing port speaker
Available colors
Polk ES55 is available in Black.
Does the Polk ES55 come with a Grille?
ES55 comes with 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.
What's in the Box of Polk ES55?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of ES55:
Floorstanding loudspeakerGrille (attached)4 Feet (pre-installed)Owners ManualOnline Product Registration
Official Product Page
Official manufacturer's product page for the Polk Audio Signature Elite ES55 speaker can be found below:
Official Product Page for Polk ES55
Warranty
5 Years of parts warranty and 5 Years of labor warranty is generally provided by the manufacturer.