Short answer: the Polk Audio Reserve R700 for better sound quality, the Polk Reserve R500 for the lower price. The Polk Audio Reserve R700 ranks #33 of 73 floorstanding speakers, rated 4.3/5, at $2,398. The Polk Reserve R500 ranks #37, rated 4.2/5, at $1,259.98, $1,138.02 cheaper.
What the Polk Audio Reserve R700 does well: 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. 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.
The case for the Polk Reserve R500: Dual 5.25” midwoofers paired with a ring radiator tweeter in a floorstanding tower design. The tradeoff: A bump around 4-6kHz gives a “shouty,” mildly sibilant quality in the lower treble.
Buy the Polk Audio Reserve R700 if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the Polk Reserve R500 if the price matters more than sound quality.
Want more options? Browse the full Passive Home rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Polk Audio Reserve R700 | Polk Reserve R500 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2,398 per pair | $1,259.98 per pair |
| Ranked | #33 of 73 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers | #37 of 73 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 31Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 33Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 40Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 51Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal, 3.5 ohms minimum (measured above 80Hz, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 4.1 ohms minimum above 80Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner; 8 ohms nominal per manufacturer) |
| Sensitivity | 87.5dB (measured average 300Hz-3kHz @ 2.83V/1m, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 86.2dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Drivers | 2x 8” polypropylene cone woofers, 1x 6.5” turbine cone midrange, 1x 1” Pinnacle ring radiator tweeter | Two 5.25” Turbine Cone woofer, 1” Pinnacle Ring Radiator tweeter |
| Weight | 102.1 lbs (46.3 kg) | 39.2 lbs (17.8 kg) each |
| 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) | 40.3”H x 6.8”W x 12.4”D (1023.6 x 172.7 x 315 mm) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 6.38 | 5.86 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.83 | 7.44 |
| DIY Kit | No | No |
Related Speaker Comparisons
How Polk Audio Reserve R700 compares with other leading options:
- Polk Audio Reserve R700 vs KEF Blade Two Meta
- MoFi SourcePoint V10 Master Edition vs Polk Audio Reserve R700
- Polk Audio Reserve R700 vs MoFi SourcePoint 888
- Polk Audio Reserve R700 vs Revel F328Be
- Radiant Acoustics Clarity 66 vs Polk Audio Reserve R700
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
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
- Polk Audio Reserve R700 vs PSB Imagine T65
- Polk Audio Reserve R700 vs Emotiva Airmotiv T2+
- Polk Audio Reserve R700 vs JBL HDI-3600
- Polk Audio Reserve R700 vs ELAC Debut 3.0 DF63
- Polk Audio Reserve R700 vs JBL Studio 698
- Polk Audio Reserve R700 vs KEF R11 Meta
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Polk Reserve R500: $1,259.98 per pair Amazon eBay
Pros: Dual 5.25” midwoofers paired with a ring radiator tweeter in a floorstanding tower design. Surprisingly neutral overall compared to Polk’s smaller bookshelf models: notably more even-handed than the brighter-sounding R200 the reviewer tested previously. Good linearity on-axis, within about -3/+2dB. Sensitivity close to 86dB, easily driven to adequate levels in a small-to-medium room with a 100W-capable amplifier. Takes very well to EQ: a single band of correction (about a 2dB cut around 4-5kHz) resolves the main tonal issue and transforms the sound. Dynamic range and compression performance is solidly “medium,” holding up fine through about 20dB of level increase before higher-frequency and bass output start to taper at extreme volumes. Measured bass extension of 51Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 86.2dB.
Cons: A bump around 4-6kHz gives a “shouty,” mildly sibilant quality in the lower treble. Counterintuitively, toeing the speaker out to reduce brightness makes this worse rather than better, since the ring-radiator tweeter’s directivity narrows rapidly above about 6-7kHz: pointed on-axis retains enough top-end air to balance the bump, but toed away that air drops off and the shoutiness stands out more. Bass is adequate for its 5.25” woofers but lacks real weight below about 40-50Hz; a subwoofer is still needed for movies and bass-heavy music. A cabinet resonance around 160-170Hz subtracts from rather than adds boom to the mid-bass region. Vertical listening window is fairly narrow: sitting more than about 10-20° above or below the tweeter axis causes a suckout in the 2-5kHz range, reducing clarity and attack. Multitone distortion ramps up noticeably around 1kHz, and crossing over to a subwoofer at 80Hz doesn’t meaningfully reduce it: likely a surround-related effect rather than excursion-related. Without applying corrective EQ, the reviewer says the 4-6kHz brightness would make it harder to live with day to day.
Full Polk Reserve R500 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 33Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 51Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| DIY Kit | No |
| Dimensions | 40.3”H x 6.8”W x 12.4”D (1023.6 x 172.7 x 315 mm) |
| Drivers | Two 5.25” Turbine Cone woofer, 1” Pinnacle Ring Radiator tweeter |
| Impedance | 4.1 ohms minimum above 80Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner; 8 ohms nominal per manufacturer) |
| Sensitivity | 86.2dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 5.86 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.44 |
| Weight | 39.2 lbs (17.8 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Polk Reserve R500 vs ELAC Debut 3.0 DF63
- Polk Reserve R500 vs Linkwitz Lab LXmini
- Polk Reserve R500 vs Emotiva Airmotiv T2+
- Polk Reserve R500 vs PSB Imagine T65
- Polk Reserve R500 vs Infinity Primus 360
- Polk Reserve R500 vs Q Acoustics 5040
- Polk Reserve R500 vs Klipsch Forte IV
- Polk Reserve R500 vs JBL HDI-3600
- See all 34 comparisons