Short answer: pick the Polk Audio Reserve R700 if you want sound quality that has been measured and ranked; the Focal Theva N°2 is unmeasured so far, so its case rests on features and price.
What the Focal Theva N°2 offers: A slim three-way bass reflex tower with a 1” aluminium-magnesium inverted dome tweeter, a 5” Slatefiber midrange and two 5” Slatefiber woofers.
What the Polk Audio Reserve R700 brings: Three-way design with a 1” ring radiator tweeter, 6.5” mid-range, and dual 8” mid-bass drivers in a ported, down-firing cabinet.
On paper: The Focal Theva N°2 is more sensitive, 90dB against 87.5dB, so it needs less amplifier power to play loud.
Price: the Focal Theva N°2 lists at $1,998 and the Polk Audio Reserve R700 at $2,398.
Buy the Polk Audio Reserve R700 if you want a speaker whose sound quality has been measured and ranked.
Buy the Focal Theva N°2 if you want higher sensitivity, and you can wait for measurements to confirm how it sounds.
Still deciding? The full Passive Home rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| Focal Theva N°2 | Polk Audio Reserve R700 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,998 per pair | $2,398 per pair |
| Ranked | - | #33 of 73 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers |
| Drivers | 1” (25mm) Al/Mg inverted dome tweeter, 5” (13cm) Slatefiber midrange, 2x 5” (13cm) Slatefiber woofers | 2x 8” polypropylene cone woofers, 1x 6.5” turbine cone midrange, 1x 1” Pinnacle ring radiator tweeter |
| Frequency Response | 53Hz-28kHz ±3dB (manufacturer specified) | - |
| Sensitivity | 90dB (manufacturer specified) | 87.5dB (measured average 300Hz-3kHz @ 2.83V/1m, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal, 2.9 ohms minimum (manufacturer specified) | 4 ohms nominal, 3.5 ohms minimum (measured above 80Hz, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Recommended Power | 40-200W | - |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear | ported, down-firing |
| Dimensions | 931H x 191W x 352D mm | 45”H x 12.6”W x 16.9”D (1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3 mm) |
| Weight | 17 kg each | 102.1 lbs (46.3 kg) |
| Cabinet Color | light wood, black, dark wood | - |
| Country | France | - |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | - | 31Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | - | 40Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | - | 6.38 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | - | 7.83 |
| DIY Kit | - | No |
Prices on this page were last checked September 29, 2026 at 3:43 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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The Two Speakers In Full
Focal Theva N°2: $1,998 per pair Amazon eBay
Older model: the Focal Chora 816 (rated 4.5/5).
Pros: A slim three-way bass reflex tower with a 1” aluminium-magnesium inverted dome tweeter, a 5” Slatefiber midrange and two 5” Slatefiber woofers. Focal rates it at 53Hz to 28kHz (±3dB) with a high 90dB sensitivity, so it gets loud from a small amplifier.
Cons: No independent measurements yet, so its tonal balance and directivity can’t be compared with ranked speakers. Impedance drops to 2.9 ohms, a demanding load that calls for an amplifier comfortable with low impedances. Sold individually, so a pair costs twice the listed price.
Full Focal Theva N°2 review and specifications →
| Cabinet Color | light wood, black, dark wood |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Dimensions | 931H x 191W x 352D mm |
| Drivers | 1” (25mm) Al/Mg inverted dome tweeter, 5” (13cm) Slatefiber midrange, 2x 5” (13cm) Slatefiber woofers |
| Frequency Response | 53Hz-28kHz ±3dB (manufacturer specified) |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal, 2.9 ohms minimum (manufacturer specified) |
| Recommended Power | 40-200W |
| Sensitivity | 90dB (manufacturer specified) |
| Weight | 17 kg each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- These figures are manufacturer-specified rather than independently measured.
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
Polk Audio Reserve R700: $2,398 per pair Amazon eBay
Pros: Three-way design with a 1” ring radiator tweeter, 6.5” mid-range, and dual 8” mid-bass drivers in a ported, down-firing cabinet. On-axis frequency response holds within about ±2dB across most of its range, with genuinely deep bass extension (F3 40Hz) reaching into the mid-30s Hz in-room. Wide horizontal radiation of about ±70°, giving a strong, enveloping stereo width and stage-extension effect on well-recorded tracks. Good low-level dynamics: solid bass thump at quiet listening volumes without over-accentuation. Strong distortion and compression control through the bass and midrange. Real nominal impedance closer to 4 ohms than the marketed 8 ohms, so with the right amplifier it can be driven hard: a $3,000 two-channel integrated brought out significantly more life than a budget $300 unit could. Excellent value at its roughly $1199/pair MSRP, ranking among the reviewer’s top picks under $2,500; outperforms the similarly-priced Klipsch RP-8000F II in bass extension and overall smoothness. Measured bass extension of 40Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 87.5dB.
Cons: Compression in the high frequencies rises sharply between 96dB and 102dB output: a real limitation only at very high volumes (around 100dB at 3 meters), but a clear step down from pricier ($5,000+) towers. Horizontal directivity mismatch around 4-5kHz, where the tweeter flares wider than the midrange, can sound a bit forward, especially noticeable when toed out further into the room; sidewall absorption or curtains help tame it. Harmonic distortion crosses the reviewer’s 3% threshold around 7kHz at 96dB output, possibly contributing to that same forward quality at high volume. Narrow vertical sweet spot (about ±15° from the tweeter axis), typical of non-coaxial tower designs: more of a consideration for multi-row home theater seating than single-row listening. The ring-radiator tweeter narrows noticeably above about 7-8kHz, and toeing the speaker out more than about 20° causes the top end to fall off quickly. Needs at least 2 feet of clearance from the rear wall to avoid boomy, exaggerated bass, since it lacks the bass-shelf tuning some rivals use to allow closer wall placement. Compared to the pricier KEF R5 Meta, has narrower horizontal (and much narrower vertical) directivity, so seating flexibility is more limited.
Full Polk Audio Reserve R700 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 31Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 40Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| DIY Kit | No |
| Dimensions | 45”H x 12.6”W x 16.9”D (1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 8” polypropylene cone woofers, 1x 6.5” turbine cone midrange, 1x 1” Pinnacle ring radiator tweeter |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal, 3.5 ohms minimum (measured above 80Hz, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 87.5dB (measured average 300Hz-3kHz @ 2.83V/1m, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 6.38 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.83 |
| Weight | 102.1 lbs (46.3 kg) |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, down-firing |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
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- See all 45 comparisons