Short answer: the B&W 805S for loud, dynamic playback; the Polk R200 for the money. The 805S plays very loud with strong bass and well-controlled bass distortion for its size, but its CEA2034 spinorama shows directivity breaking down badly from around 1kHz to 3kHz, a flaw the reviewer called ‘clearly flawed execution’ that leaves vocals recessed without EQ. The R200 at $799 versus $2,500 has its own 800Hz-1kHz resonance.
Buy the Polk R200. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the B&W 805S is discontinued, so it is only available used.
Want more options? Browse the full Passive Home rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Polk R200 | B&W 805S | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $799.00 per pair | $2,500 per pair Discontinued |
| Ranked | #102 of 134 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #114 of 134 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 50Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 35.6Hz (derived, log-interpolated between spinorama.org -9dB/-12dB points) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 74Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 46.9Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal, 3.8 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 8 ohms nominal (3.7 ohms minimum) |
| Sensitivity | 85dB | 86.5dB (2.83V/1m, measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Drivers | 25mm soft dome + 165mm woofer | 1” aluminum dome tweeter, 6.5” woven Kevlar cone mid/bass |
| Weight | 31.3 lbs (14.2 kg) | 25.4 lbs (11.5 kg) each |
| Dimensions | 14.1”H x 7.5”W x 13.9”D (359.0 x 190.0 x 353.8 mm) | 16.5H x 9.4W x 13.8D in |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear | ported, rear |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 5.09 | 4.12 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.61 | 6.07 |
| DIY Kit | No | No |
| Frequency Response | - | 49Hz - 22kHz +/-3dB (-6dB at 42Hz and 50kHz) (Manufacturer specified) |
| Power Handling | - | 50-120W |
Related Speaker Comparisons
How Polk R200 compares with other leading options:
- Polk R200 vs Perlisten S4b
- Polk R200 vs KEF Reference 1 Meta
- Polk R200 vs GR-Research NX-Studio
- Polk R200 vs AsciLab C6B
- Polk R200 vs Audio First Cadentia 3
Prices on this page were last checked October 3, 2026 at 10:26 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 R200: $799.00 per pair Amazon eBay
Pros: Two-way design with a 6.5” midwoofer and 1” ring radiator tweeter, giving reasonably tight, well-defined imaging. Neutral through most of the midrange (roughly 200Hz-1kHz). On-axis response holds within about 1.5dB up to 10kHz. About 20dB of usable dynamic range (76dB to 96dB) before more significant compression sets in. Reasonably close to a 4-ohm nominal load, giving some flexibility with amplifier choice, though a dedicated 4-ohm-capable amp is still recommended. Measured bass extension of 74Hz (-3dB).
Cons: A resonance and associated distortion increase around 800Hz-1kHz creates a “tinny,” occasionally glaring quality on certain instruments and vocals, confirmed both by ear and in the frequency-response and distortion measurements. Above about 10kHz, the ring-radiator tweeter takes on an artificial, “digital-esque” quality, then falls off quickly above 16kHz. F3 of 74Hz and F10 of 50Hz mean there’s essentially no meaningful bass “thump” below about 60Hz: a subwoofer is strongly recommended even just to restore basic kick-drum presence. The ring radiator tweeter’s dispersion narrows sharply above about 8kHz, so the speaker should be aimed close to on-axis (no more than 5-10° of toe-out). Vertical listening position is fairly critical: moving more than a few degrees above or below the tweeter line causes a noticeable timbre shift due to a gap in the crossover region. Multitone distortion spikes substantially (to around 10%) in the 600Hz-1kHz region at higher output levels (around 96dB/1m), meaning the glare gets worse the louder it’s played. At the highest tested output (102dB, 26dB of dynamic range), the woofer shows clear signs of struggling; crossing to a subwoofer around 80-100Hz helps prevent bottoming out but doesn’t fully eliminate the compression.
Full Polk R200 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 50Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 74Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| DIY Kit | No |
| Dimensions | 14.1”H x 7.5”W x 13.9”D (359.0 x 190.0 x 353.8 mm) |
| Drivers | 25mm soft dome + 165mm woofer |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal, 3.8 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 85dB |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 5.09 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.61 |
| Weight | 31.3 lbs (14.2 kg) |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
B&W 805S: $2,500 per pair Discontinued eBay
Newer model: the B&W 805 D4. It’s likely to perform similarly, though we don’t have measurements to confirm that yet.
Pros: Bass and dynamic performance are strong for the cabinet size, playing very loud with well-controlled bass distortion. Horizontal beamwidth stays reasonably smooth through -6dB. Build quality has enough of a “quality feel” that the reviewer said it kept the speaker from the lowest possible rating. Measured bass extension of 46.9Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 86.5dB.
Cons: CEA2034 spinorama shows directivity breaking down badly starting around 1kHz and staying poor to 3kHz: a wide crossover-region flaw the reviewer called “clearly flawed execution” that leaves vocals sounding recessed and masked without EQ correction. A high 4kHz crossover point appears to leave the tweeter’s small sub-enclosure resonating audibly during playback. Discontinued, superseded by the 805 Diamond/805 D4 series.
Full B&W 805S review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 35.6Hz (derived, log-interpolated between spinorama.org -9dB/-12dB points) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 46.9Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| DIY Kit | No |
| Dimensions | 16.5H x 9.4W x 13.8D in |
| Drivers | 1” aluminum dome tweeter, 6.5” woven Kevlar cone mid/bass |
| Frequency Response | 49Hz - 22kHz +/-3dB (-6dB at 42Hz and 50kHz) (Manufacturer specified) |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal (3.7 ohms minimum) |
| Power Handling | 50-120W |
| Sensitivity | 86.5dB (2.83V/1m, measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 4.12 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 6.07 |
| Weight | 25.4 lbs (11.5 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons