Short answer: the ELAC DF63 for better sound quality, the Polk Audio XT60 for the lower price. The ELAC DF63 ranks #29 of 59 floorstanding speakers at $649. The Polk Audio XT60 ranks #36 at $229, $420 cheaper.
What the ELAC DF63 offers: Three-driver floorstanding layout: two 6” dedicated midbase drivers plus a separate 6” mid-range driver (confirmed by measuring different driver impedance/inductance) and a 1” dome tweeter, each woofer given its own stuffed chamber inside the cabinet. The tradeoff: A genuine measured resonance around 200-300Hz (visible in frequency response, impedance, and group delay) causes an audible “droning” coloration on female vocals.
The case for the Polk Audio XT60: Passive-radiator-loaded design (6.5” woofer plus two 6.5” passive radiators) gives deeper bass than the driver size alone would suggest - 43.9Hz at -3dB / 38.1Hz at -10dB, genuinely competitive extension for a budget tower. The catch: Bass alignment Q is the highest, least-controlled figure in this entire batch, consistent with owner reports of a slightly loose, boomy low end at higher volumes.
Buy the ELAC DF63 if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the Polk Audio XT60 if the price matters more than sound quality.
Specifications Side By Side
| ELAC DF63 | Polk Audio XT60 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $649.00 | $229 |
| Ranked | #29 of 59 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers | #36 of 59 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 29Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 38.1Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 71Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 43.9Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
| Dimensions | 43.1"H x 7.7"W x 10.6"D (1094.7 x 195.6 x 269.2 mm) | 19.05 x 92.5 x 23.09cm (7.5 x 36.4 x 9.09 in) each |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal (3.4 ohms minimum, measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 4/8-ohm compatible |
| Drivers | Two 6.5" Aramid Fiber woofer, 6.5" Aramid Fiber midrange, 1" Aluminum Dome tweeter | 1" Terylene dome tweeter, 6.5" bilaminate polypropylene woofer, 2x 6.5" passive radiators |
| Sensitivity | 86.6dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 86dB (1W/1m) |
| Weight | 58.2 lbs / 26.4 kg each | 20 lbs / 9.07 kg (20 lb) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear | Passive radiator-loaded |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- Polk Reserve R500 vs Definitive Technology BP-9020
- Polk Reserve R500 vs Linkwitz Lab LXmini
- Polk Reserve R500 vs Infinity Primus 360
- Polk Reserve R500 vs Polk Audio XT60
- Definitive Technology BP-9020 vs Polk Audio XT60
The Two Speakers In Full
ELAC DF63: $649.00 Amazon
Pros: Three-driver floorstanding layout: two 6” dedicated midbase drivers plus a separate 6” mid-range driver (confirmed by measuring different driver impedance/inductance) and a 1” dome tweeter, each woofer given its own stuffed chamber inside the cabinet. The dedicated midrange driver keeps distortion low even at higher output, avoiding the intermodulation grain typical of two-way bookshelf designs. The waveguide keeps high-frequency directivity well controlled, and overall horizontal directivity is good up to about 2kHz. Harmonic distortion looks good at both 86dB and 96dB, and multitone distortion stays below the reviewer’s 3% threshold. A shallow bass rolloff (F3 71Hz, F10 29Hz) lets it extend fairly low without a hard cutoff. Preferred by the reviewer over the similarly-priced Polk R500 (too much high-frequency narrowing, less neutral) and considered ahead of the Polk R700 as well.
Cons: A genuine measured resonance around 200-300Hz (visible in frequency response, impedance, and group delay) causes an audible “droning” coloration on female vocals. A mild peak around 10kHz makes shakers and similar high-frequency percussion jump too far forward in the mix; needed about 2dB of EQ to tame in testing. A dip in the 1-3kHz range gives the speaker a warm, slightly veiled character - the reviewer suspects the tweeter crossover point (around 2-3kHz) is set a bit high and could be lowered to fill this in. Directivity shows a noticeable handoff mismatch around 2.5kHz where the midrange driver hands off to the tweeter, though it’s minor at the -6dB point. Vertical directivity is narrower than horizontal, so listeners need to stay close to the tweeter axis. Low EPDR (about 1.5 ohms minimum) means a Class AB amplifier should be well-ventilated. Best positioned pointed directly at the listener and closer to the front wall - toeing it out into the room causes too much high-frequency rolloff.
Full ELAC DF63 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 29Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 71Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 43.1"H x 7.7"W x 10.6"D (1094.7 x 195.6 x 269.2 mm) |
| Drivers | Two 6.5" Aramid Fiber woofer, 6.5" Aramid Fiber midrange, 1" Aluminum Dome tweeter |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal (3.4 ohms minimum, measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 86.6dB (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 58.2 lbs / 26.4 kg each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
Polk Audio XT60: $229 Amazon Bhphotovideo Crutchfield
Pros: Passive-radiator-loaded design (6.5” woofer plus two 6.5” passive radiators) gives deeper bass than the driver size alone would suggest - 43.9Hz at -3dB / 38.1Hz at -10dB, genuinely competitive extension for a budget tower. Hi-Res Audio certified, Dolby Atmos/DTS:X compatible, and works with either 4- or 8-ohm amplifier outputs.
Cons: Bass alignment Q (lfq 0.96) is the highest, least-controlled figure in this entire batch, consistent with owner reports of a slightly loose, boomy low end at higher volumes. On-axis deviation (nbd_on_axis 0.512) is also the roughest measured figure in the batch. The vinyl-wrapped (not wood veneer) cabinet reads as budget up close per owner reviews, and at least one owner reported blowing a driver under sustained heavy bass - some caution is warranted with bass-heavy source material at volume.
Full Polk Audio XT60 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 38.1Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 43.9Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
| Dimensions | 19.05 x 92.5 x 23.09cm (7.5 x 36.4 x 9.09 in) each |
| Drivers | 1" Terylene dome tweeter, 6.5" bilaminate polypropylene woofer, 2x 6.5" passive radiators |
| Impedance | 4/8-ohm compatible |
| Sensitivity | 86dB (1W/1m) |
| Weight | 20 lbs / 9.07 kg (20 lb) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | Passive radiator-loaded |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Polk Audio XT60 vs Klipsch Heresy IV
- Polk Audio XT60 vs Klipsch Forte IV
- Polk Audio XT60 vs Definitive Technology BP-9020
- Polk Audio XT60 vs KEF Q11 Meta
- Polk Audio XT60 vs Klipsch RP-5000F II
- Polk Audio XT60 vs Polk Reserve R500
- Polk Audio XT60 vs PSB Imagine T65
- Polk Audio XT60 vs Q Acoustics 5040
- See all 15 comparisons