What amplifier does the Polk ES35 need?

Pick a speaker and tell us how loud you listen and how big the room is. We work out the power it actually needs, check which amplifiers can safely drive its impedance, and rank 293 amplifiers against it.

Your system

Four questions. Nothing is hidden on price.

Passive speakers only - a powered speaker already has its amplifier inside.
Changes the order only. Nothing is hidden for costing too little or too much.
Polk ES35
Polk ES35
Center Channel
89 dB · 8 ohm
$399 a pair
Full specs →
Power needed
9.5–150 W
per channel, into 8 ohms

To hit 95 dB peaks at 3 m from a pair of Polk ES35, you need at least 9.5 W a channel. Anything from about 19 W to 150 W a channel is comfortable; past that, more watts stop buying you anything.

Show the working
  • 95 dB target at the seat
  • +4.8 dB for 3.0 m of distance
  • -3 dB for a stereo pair
  • -87.0 dB effective sensitivity
  • 2 dB allowed for optimistic published sensitivity
  • Published sensitivity 89 dB, used as 87.0 dB per watt.

Marantz Stereo 70s with the Polk ES35

Excellent match
9 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (75 W to 150 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Full Marantz Stereo 70s specs · Clear this amp
 
$90 $25,000

224 integrated amplifiers suit the Polk ES35

Also show the 1 we do not recommend
1
WiiM Vibelink
WiiM Vibelink
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · 100 W into 8 ohms · $299
Excellent match
10 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 3 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (100 W to 200 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
2
WiiM Amp
WiiM Amp
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · 60 W into 8 ohms · $299
Excellent match
8 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (60 W to 120 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
3
WiiM Amp Pro
WiiM Amp Pro
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · 60 W into 8 ohms · $379
Excellent match
8 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (60 W to 120 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
4
OSD Nero Stream XD2
OSD Nero Stream XD2
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · 60 W into 8 ohms · $400
Excellent match
8 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (60 W to 120 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
5
Sonos Amp
Sonos Amp
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · 125 W into 8 ohms · $699
Excellent match
11 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (125 W to 250 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Costs more than the speakers - worth it only if you plan to upgrade them later.
6
FiiO AIR AMP
FiiO AIR AMP
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · 90 W into 8 ohms · $300
Good match
10 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
Barely gains into 4 ohms (90 W to 120 W) - a modest power supply.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
7
SVS Prime SoundBase
SVS Prime SoundBase
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · 75 W into 8 ohms · $699
Excellent match
9 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (75 W to 150 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Costs more than the speakers - worth it only if you plan to upgrade them later.
8
AudioControl Rialto 600
AudioControl Rialto 600
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · 100 W into 8 ohms · $899
Excellent match
10 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (100 W to 200 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Costs more than the speakers - worth it only if you plan to upgrade them later.
9
AudioControl Bijou 600
AudioControl Bijou 600
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · 100 W into 8 ohms · $899
Excellent match
10 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (100 W to 200 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Costs more than the speakers - worth it only if you plan to upgrade them later.
10
Emotiva BasX TA1
Emotiva BasX TA1
Stereo Receiver · Class A/B · 60 W into 8 ohms · $499
Good match
8 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
Power rises usefully into 4 ohms (60 W to 100 W).
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
11
Yamaha A-S501
Yamaha A-S501
Integrated Amplifier · Class A/B · 85 W into 8 ohms · $550
Good match
10 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
No 4 ohm power rating on file, so we cannot judge current delivery.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
12
OSD Nero Stream ARC
OSD Nero Stream ARC
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · 50 W into 8 ohms · $199
Excellent match
7 dB of headroom - enough, but at the modest end for this speaker, which takes up to 150 W.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (50 W to 100 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Sensible value pick against these speakers.
13
Yamaha WXA-50
Yamaha WXA-50
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · 55 W into 8 ohms · $599
Excellent match
8 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (55 W to 105 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Costs more than the speakers - worth it only if you plan to upgrade them later.
14
Eversolo Play
Eversolo Play
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · 60 W into 8 ohms · $699
Excellent match
8 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (60 W to 110 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Costs more than the speakers - worth it only if you plan to upgrade them later.
15
Marantz Stereo 70s
Marantz Stereo 70s
Stereo Receiver · Class A/B · 75 W into 8 ohms · $1,000
Excellent match
9 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (75 W to 150 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Costs more than the speakers - worth it only if you plan to upgrade them later.
16
Onkyo Muse Y-40
Onkyo Muse Y-40
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · 75 W into 8 ohms · $1,000
Excellent match
9 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (75 W to 150 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Costs more than the speakers - worth it only if you plan to upgrade them later.
17
Yamaha A-S301
Yamaha A-S301
Integrated Amplifier · Class A/B · 60 W into 8 ohms · $350
Good match
8 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
Barely gains into 4 ohms (60 W to 70 W) - a modest power supply.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
18
Fosi Audio MC351
Fosi Audio MC351
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · ? W into 8 ohms · $190
Good match
12 dB of headroom, far more than needed. No harm in it.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
No 4 ohm power rating on file, so we cannot judge current delivery.
Sensible value pick against these speakers.
19
Emotiva BasX TA2+
Emotiva BasX TA2+
Stereo Receiver · Class A/B · 135 W into 8 ohms · $1,299
Excellent match
12 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (135 W to 250 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Far more expensive than the speakers. Spend it on speakers first.
20
Musical Fidelity M2si
Musical Fidelity M2si
Integrated Amplifier · Class A/B · 76 W into 8 ohms · $1,299
Excellent match
9 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (76 W to 135 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Far more expensive than the speakers. Spend it on speakers first.

Showing the best 20 of 224. Narrow it with the price range below, or a different budget split.

68 power amplifiers that would also drive them

Listed separately because they are not a complete system: a power amplifier has no volume control and no inputs to speak of, so you need a preamplifier or a streaming preamp as well. Worth it if you already own one, or if you want to buy the two halves separately.

1
Cambridge Audio MXW70
Cambridge Audio MXW70
Power Amplifier · Class D · 70 W into 8 ohms · $599
Good match
9 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
Power rises usefully into 4 ohms (70 W to 125 W).
Costs more than the speakers - worth it only if you plan to upgrade them later.
2
Rogue Audio Stereo 100
Rogue Audio Stereo 100
Power Amplifier · Class A/B · 100 W into 8 ohms · $4,195
Good match
10 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Has a 8 ohm tap, which is exactly what this 8 ohm speaker wants. Taps: 4 / 8 ohm.
A valve amplifier makes the same power on each tap, so what matters is sensitivity - and at 87.0 dB this speaker is efficient enough that 100 W is comfortable.
Far more expensive than the speakers. Spend it on speakers first.
3
Naim NAP 250
Naim NAP 250
Power Amplifier · Class A/B · 100 W into 8 ohms · $8,999
Good match
10 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 2 ohms - stable into anything this speaker will throw at it.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (100 W to 190 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Far more expensive than the speakers. Spend it on speakers first.
4
MOON 330A
MOON 330A
Power Amplifier · Class A/B · 125 W into 8 ohms · $4,400
Good match
11 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (125 W to 250 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Far more expensive than the speakers. Spend it on speakers first.
5
Accuphase P-4600
Accuphase P-4600
Power Amplifier · Class A/B · 150 W into 8 ohms · $13,975
Good match
12 dB of headroom, far more than needed. No harm in it.
Rated down to 2 ohms - stable into anything this speaker will throw at it.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (150 W to 300 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Far more expensive than the speakers. Spend it on speakers first.
6
Fosi Audio ZA3
Fosi Audio ZA3
Power Amplifier · Class D · ? W into 8 ohms · $150
Good match
13 dB of headroom, far more than needed. No harm in it.
Rated down to 2 ohms - stable into anything this speaker will throw at it.
No 4 ohm power rating on file, so we cannot judge current delivery.
Sensible value pick against these speakers.
7
Cambridge Audio Edge M
Cambridge Audio Edge M
Power Amplifier · Class XA · 200 W into 8 ohms
Good match
13 dB of headroom, far more than needed. No harm in it.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
No 4 ohm power rating on file, so we cannot judge current delivery.
No current price on file for this amplifier.
8
PrimaLuna EVO 400 Power
PrimaLuna EVO 400 Power
Power Amplifier · Class A/B · 70 W into 8 ohms · $5,995
Good match
9 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Has a 8 ohm tap, which is exactly what this 8 ohm speaker wants. Taps: 4 / 8 / 16 ohm.
A valve amplifier makes the same power on each tap, so what matters is sensitivity - and at 87.0 dB this speaker is efficient enough that 70 W is comfortable.
Far more expensive than the speakers. Spend it on speakers first.
Were these amplifier recommendations useful?
It helps us tune the matching, and we read every comment.

Sensitivity and impedance figures are the manufacturer's own. We read sensitivity as dB at 2.83 V/1 m and take 2 dB off it, because published figures run high. Treat the result as a well-founded starting point, not a measurement. Full Polk ES35 specs.

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