Short answer: the Philharmonic BMR Monitor on measured sound quality, the Polk R200 on price. The Philharmonic BMR Monitor ranks #134 of 222 bookshelf speakers, rated 3.6/5, at $2,200. The Polk R200 ranks #178, rated 3.2/5, at $799, $1,401 cheaper.
What the Polk R200 does well: A Polk bookshelf speaker with a 6.5 inch woofer and a ring radiator tweeter, sized for a medium room. Watch for: 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.
The Philharmonic BMR Monitor is the more accurate, deeper-bass option. Three-way bookshelf speakers with premium drivers, a well-built cabinet and extremely wide dispersion for a broad soundstage. Its measured preference score, a predictor of how neutral it sounds, is 6.02 against 5.09 for the Polk R200. Its bass reaches about 47Hz before falling 3dB, against 74Hz for the Polk R200. The catch: A 1-2dB bump around 2-3kHz creates a “glare” on vocals, guitars, and strings that the reviewer noticed consistently across many tracks.
Buy the Polk R200 when the price outweighs sound quality for you, and the Philharmonic BMR Monitor when sound quality outweighs the price instead.
Still deciding? The full Passive Home rankings cover every ranked option.
A Polk bookshelf speaker with a 6.5 inch woofer and a ring radiator tweeter, sized for a medium room.
Three-way bookshelf speakers with premium drivers, a well-built cabinet and extremely wide dispersion for a broad soundstage.
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 R200 | Philharmonic BMR Monitor | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $799.00 per pair | $2200 per pair |
| Ranked | #178 of 222 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #134 of 222 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 50Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 32Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 74Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 47Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal, 3.8 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 4 ohms nominal (3 ohms minimum above 80Hz, measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 85dB | 84dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Drivers | 25mm soft dome + 165mm woofer | 6” Ceramic woofer, Balanced Mode Radiator 2.5” midrange, RAAL 64-10X OEM tweeter |
| Weight | 31.3 lbs (14.2 kg) | 32 lbs (14.5 kg) each |
| Dimensions | 14.1”H x 7.5”W x 13.9”D (359.0 x 190.0 x 353.8 mm) | 20”H x 8”W x 12.5”D (508 x 203.2 x 317.5 mm) |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear | ported, rear |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 5.09 | 6.02 (spinorama.org) |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.61 | 7.67 (spinorama.org) |
| DIY Kit | No | No |
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