Short answer: the Polk Audio Reserve R700. It ranks #32 of 71 floorstanding speakers by sound quality at $1199; the JBL Studio 590 ranks #68 and costs $2000, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the Polk Audio Reserve R700 offers: 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 $2,200/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. Watch for: 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.
What the JBL Studio 590 offers: Pretty deep bass. CEA2034 spinorama is flat on-axis at a high level, with high sensitivity around 89-90dB. Predicted in-room response is good aside from a dip between 800Hz-1.5kHz. Distortion at 86dB SPL/1m is good outside of the 8.5kHz resonance. Watch for: 3dB peak at 1.7khz, about a 4dB peak from 8k to 13k, going to be bright up top. Just okay vertical off axis. Really bad resonance at 8.5khz, which shows up as a sharp distortion spike at both 86dB and 96dB SPL/1m. Cumulative spectral decay (waterfall) reveals many fine resonances across the midrange and treble. At 96dB SPL/1m the midrange and treble get notably messier, with broad distortion elevation from 2-8kHz.
Buy the Polk Audio Reserve R700. It ranks higher for sound quality than the JBL Studio 590 and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
If sound quality matters at all to you, skip the JBL Studio 590. It ranks near the bottom of the 71 floorstanding speakers, so look higher up the list instead.
Specifications Side By Side
| Polk Audio Reserve R700 | JBL Studio 590 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,199.00 | $2000 Discontinued |
| Ranked | #32 of 71 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers | #68 of 71 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 31Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 32Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 40Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 48Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal, 3.5 ohms minimum (measured above 80Hz, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 6 ohms nominal (5 ohms measured minimum, Audio Science Review) |
| Sensitivity | 87.5dB (measured average 300Hz-3kHz @ 2.83V/1m, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 90.3dB (2.83V/1m, measured by Audio Science Review) |
| Drivers | 2x 8" polypropylene cone woofers, 1x 6.5" turbine cone midrange, 1x 1" Pinnacle ring radiator tweeter | 2x 8" (200mm) PolyPlas cone woofers, 1x 1" (25mm) Teonex dome tweeter on Bi-Radial horn (2.5-way) |
| Weight | 102.1 lbs / 46.3 kg | 107.8 lbs / 48.9 kg |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, down-firing | ported, rear |
| Dimensions | 45"H x 12.6"W x 16.9"D (1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3 mm) | 49.7"H x 12.7"W x 16.3"D (1263.0 x 322.0 x 413.0 mm) |
| Discontinued | - | Yes |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- Revel F206 vs Q Acoustics 5040
- Magnepan LRS+ vs Triangle Esprit Antal Ez
- Q Acoustics 5040 vs Klipsch RP-8000F II
- Revel F206 vs Polk Audio Reserve R700
- Klipsch RP-5000F II vs JBL Studio 590
Prices on this page were last checked August 25, 2026 at 6:19 AM 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.
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
The Two Speakers In Full
Polk Audio Reserve R700: $1,199.00 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 $2,200/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.
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) |
| 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) |
| Weight | 102.1 lbs / 46.3 kg |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, down-firing |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Erin’s Audio Corner: My Top 5 Just Changed: Polk Audio Reserve R700 Review More from Erin’s Audio Corner →
- Erin’s Audio Corner: My Absolute Favorite Products of 2024 Revealed
- Erin’s Audio Corner Website: Polk Audio Reserve R700
- Erin’s Audio Corner Measurements (spinorama.org)
- Reddit Search for Polk Audio Reserve R700 Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Polk Audio Reserve R700 vs Q Acoustics 5040
- Polk Audio Reserve R700 vs Emotiva Airmotiv T2+
- Polk Audio Reserve R700 vs PSB Imagine T65
- Polk Audio Reserve R700 vs ELAC Debut 3.0 DF63
- Polk Audio Reserve R700 vs Polk Reserve R500
- Polk Audio Reserve R700 vs JBL HDI-3600
- Polk Audio Reserve R700 vs KEF R11 Meta
- Polk Audio Reserve R700 vs Definitive Technology BP-9020
- See all 40 comparisons
JBL Studio 590: $2000 Discontinued eBay
Pros: Pretty deep bass. CEA2034 spinorama is flat on-axis at a high level, with high sensitivity around 89-90dB. Predicted in-room response is good aside from a dip between 800Hz-1.5kHz. Distortion at 86dB SPL/1m is good outside of the 8.5kHz resonance.
Cons: 3dB peak at 1.7khz, about a 4dB peak from 8k to 13k, going to be bright up top. Just okay vertical off axis. Really bad resonance at 8.5khz, which shows up as a sharp distortion spike at both 86dB and 96dB SPL/1m. Cumulative spectral decay (waterfall) reveals many fine resonances across the midrange and treble. At 96dB SPL/1m the midrange and treble get notably messier, with broad distortion elevation from 2-8kHz. Discontinued.
Full JBL Studio 590 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 32Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 48Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Dimensions | 49.7"H x 12.7"W x 16.3"D (1263.0 x 322.0 x 413.0 mm) |
| Discontinued | Yes |
| Drivers | 2x 8" (200mm) PolyPlas cone woofers, 1x 1" (25mm) Teonex dome tweeter on Bi-Radial horn (2.5-way) |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal (5 ohms measured minimum, Audio Science Review) |
| Sensitivity | 90.3dB (2.83V/1m, measured by Audio Science Review) |
| Weight | 107.8 lbs / 48.9 kg |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- JBL Studio 590 vs Triangle Esprit Antal Ez
- JBL Studio 590 vs Bose 901 Series V
- JBL Studio 590 vs Magnepan LRS+
- JBL Studio 590 vs JBL Stage 2 280F
- JBL Studio 590 vs Infinity Reference 253
- JBL Studio 590 vs Sony SS-CS3
- JBL Studio 590 vs Focal Aria Evo X N°2
- JBL Studio 590 vs Polk T50
- See all 24 comparisons