Short answer: the Ascend Acoustics ELX Ribbon Tower on measured sound quality, the Polk Audio XT60 on price. The Ascend Acoustics ELX Ribbon Tower ranks #12 of 228 floorstanding speakers, rated 4.6/5, at $5,698. The Polk Audio XT60 ranks #178, rated 3.5/5, at $458, $5,240 cheaper.
What the Polk Audio XT60 does well: A budget tower with a woofer and two passive radiators that gives surprisingly deep bass for the price. The tradeoff: Bass alignment Q (lfq 0.96) is an unusually high, underdamped figure for a tower speaker, consistent with owner reports of a slightly loose, boomy low end at higher volumes.
The Ascend Acoustics ELX Ribbon Tower is the more accurate, deeper-bass pick. Highly accurate three way bamboo towers with a ribbon tweeter, deep tight bass and a long warranty. Its measured preference score, a predictor of how neutral it sounds, is 6.97 against 5.19 for the Polk Audio XT60. Its bass reaches about 38.7Hz before falling 3dB, against 43.9Hz for the Polk Audio XT60. The catch: Listening window smoothness measures a moderate 0.40 and on axis deviation runs 0.286dB average, both trailing the tighter figures posted by some smaller passive AsciLab and Ascend bookshelf models.
Buy the Polk Audio XT60 if the price is the priority over sound quality, or the Ascend Acoustics ELX Ribbon Tower if sound quality is the priority over the price.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Passive Home rankings.
A budget tower with a woofer and two passive radiators that gives surprisingly deep bass for the price.
Highly accurate three way bamboo towers with a ribbon tweeter, deep tight bass and a long warranty.
Prices on this page were last checked October 31, 2026 at 7:11 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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Specifications Side By Side
| Polk Audio XT60 | Ascend Acoustics ELX Ribbon Tower | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $458 per pair | $5,698 per pair |
| Ranked | #178 of 228 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers | #12 of 228 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 38.1Hz (measured, spinorama.org) | 28.5Hz (measured, spinorama.org vendor data) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 43.9Hz (measured, spinorama.org) | 38.7Hz (measured, spinorama.org vendor data) |
| Impedance | 4/8-ohm compatible | 8 ohms nominal |
| Sensitivity | 86dB (1W/1m) | 87.5dB @ 2.83V/1m anechoic (manufacturer) |
| Drivers | 1” Terylene dome tweeter, 6.5” bilaminate polypropylene woofer, 2x 6.5” passive radiators | RAAL 70-20xram ribbon tweeter, 6” SEAS Excel Curv midrange (sealed sub-chamber), 2x 6” SEAS Excel aluminum woofers |
| Weight | 20 lbs (9.07 kg) each | 56 lbs (25.4 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | Passive radiator-loaded | - |
| Dimensions | 19.05 x 92.5 x 23.09cm (7.5 x 36.4 x 9.09 in) each | 43”H x 7.5”W x 10.5”D (1092 x 190 x 267 mm) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 5.19 | 6.97 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.13 | 8.42 |
| DIY Kit | No | No |
| Enclosure | - | ported |
| Power Handling | - | 400W continuous, 600W peak |
| Frequency Response | - | 36-27,000Hz +/-3dB anechoic (manufacturer) |
| Warranty | - | 7 years parts and labor |
| Country | - | United States |
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