Short answer: the Revel F328Be if sound quality matters most, the Polk Reserve R500 if price matters most. The Revel F328Be ranks #9 of 226 floorstanding speakers, rated 4.7/5, at $19,359.90. The Polk Reserve R500 ranks #85, rated 4.2/5, at $1,118, $18,241.90 cheaper.
The Polk Reserve R500 is the deeper-bass pick. Dual 5.25” midwoofers paired with a ring radiator tweeter in a floorstanding tower design. Its bass reaches about 51Hz before falling 3dB, against 74Hz for the Revel F328Be. Watch for: A bump around 4-6kHz gives a “shouty,” mildly sibilant quality in the lower treble.
The Revel F328Be is the more accurate pick. CEA2034 spinorama shows a quite flat on-axis response with superb directivity and efficiency above 90dB. Its measured preference score, a predictor of how neutral it sounds, is 6.40 against 5.86 for the Polk Reserve R500. The catch: Vertical directivity is asymmetric: the reviewer recommends staying between -20 and +40 degrees relative to the tweeter axis, reflecting the driver layout of this three-way tower.
Buy the Polk Reserve R500 when the price outweighs sound quality for you, and the Revel F328Be when sound quality outweighs the price instead.
Want more options? Browse the full Passive Home rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Polk Reserve R500 | Revel F328Be | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,118 per pair | $19,359.90 per pair |
| Ranked | #85 of 226 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers | #9 of 226 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 33Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 39Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 51Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 74Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Dimensions | 40.3”H x 6.8”W x 12.4”D (1023.6 x 172.7 x 315 mm) | 50.9”H x 13.5”W x 17.6”D (1292.9 x 342.9 x 447 mm) |
| Impedance | 4.1 ohms minimum above 80Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner; 8 ohms nominal per manufacturer) | 8 ohms nominal (3 ohms minimum, measured by Audio Science Review) |
| Sensitivity | 86.2dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 91dB (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Drivers | Two 5.25” Turbine Cone woofer, 1” Pinnacle Ring Radiator tweeter | Three 8” (200mm) Deep Ceramic Composite aluminum cones, with cast frames woofer, 5-1/4” (130mm) Deep Ceramic Composite aluminum cone, with cast frame midrange, 1” (25mm) Beryllium dome, with acoustic lens waveguide tweeter |
| Weight | 39.2 lbs (17.8 kg) each | 112.4 lbs (51 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear | ported, rear |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 5.86 | 6.40 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.44 | 7.81 |
| DIY Kit | No | No |
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Prices on this page were last checked October 9, 2026 at 8:01 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.
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The Two Speakers In Full
Polk Reserve R500: $1,118 per pair Amazon eBay
Same family: the Polk Reserve R100 (smaller bookshelf, rated 3.4/5), the Polk R200 (larger bookshelf, rated 3.2/5), the Polk Reserve R600 (larger floorstanding, ranked lower, estimated 4.2/5), the Polk Audio Reserve R700 (larger floorstanding, ranked higher, rated 4.3/5), the Polk Audio Reserve R300 (smallest center, estimated 3.6/5), the Polk Audio Reserve R350 (center, rated 3.7/5) and the Polk Audio Reserve R400 (largest center, estimated 3.8/5).
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 Polk 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 →
| Released | 2021 (5 years ago) |
|---|---|
| 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
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Revel F328Be: $19,359.90 per pair Crutchfield eBay
Same family: the Revel M126Be (bookshelf, rated 4.3/5), the Revel F226Be (smaller floorstanding, ranked lower, rated 4.6/5), the Revel F228Be (smaller floorstanding, ranked lower, rated 4.5/5) and the Revel C426Be (center, rated 4/5). See every Revel Performa generation.
Pros: CEA2034 spinorama shows a quite flat on-axis response with superb directivity and efficiency above 90dB. Predicted in-room response is extremely accurate, with a smooth ~5dB downward slope from bass to treble that suits typical rooms without correction. Early reflections sum very nicely with the direct sound. Horizontal beamwidth of about ±70 degrees is wide and quite smooth. At 96dB SPL/1m distortion stays easily below the reviewer’s audibility threshold across nearly the whole range. Measured bass extension of 74Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 91dB.
Cons: Vertical directivity is asymmetric: the reviewer recommends staying between -20 and +40 degrees relative to the tweeter axis, reflecting the driver layout of this three-way tower. Impedance dips to a minimum of 3 ohms with an additional resonance-driven phase swing, calling for an amplifier comfortable with a demanding load. Very expensive and very heavy (51 kg each).
Full Revel F328Be review and specifications →
| Released | Jan 2020 (6 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 39Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 74Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| DIY Kit | No |
| Dimensions | 50.9”H x 13.5”W x 17.6”D (1292.9 x 342.9 x 447 mm) |
| Drivers | Three 8” (200mm) Deep Ceramic Composite aluminum cones, with cast frames woofer, 5-1/4” (130mm) Deep Ceramic Composite aluminum cone, with cast frame midrange, 1” (25mm) Beryllium dome, with acoustic lens waveguide tweeter |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal (3 ohms minimum, measured by Audio Science Review) |
| Sensitivity | 91dB (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 6.40 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.81 |
| Weight | 112.4 lbs (51 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
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