Short answer: the Polk Signature Elite ES20. It ranks #119 of 222 bookshelf speakers by sound quality, rated 3.7/5, at $398.98; the Dynaudio Emit 20 ranks #133, rated 3.6/5, and costs $1,049, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
Why pick the Polk Signature Elite ES20: Large, efficient bookshelf speakers with unusually deep bass for the price and wide horizontal coverage. Watch for: Predicted in-room smoothness of 0.238 and directivity-index consistency of 3.81 are average rather than class-leading.
Why pick the Dynaudio Emit 20: Bookshelf speakers with unusually deep, low distortion bass for a two-way design and wide, consistent dispersion. The catch: A resonance around 600-800Hz gives snares and similar percussion a muffled, flat quality lacking impact: confirmed as originating in the woofer itself (isolated via measurements of the raw driver out of the cabinet), and attempts at constrained-layer damping didn’t resolve it.
Buy the Polk Signature Elite ES20. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Dynaudio Emit 20 and costs less, so only choose the other one for a particular feature it does better.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Passive Home rankings.
Large, efficient bookshelf speakers with unusually deep bass for the price and wide horizontal coverage.
Bookshelf speakers with unusually deep, low distortion bass for a two-way design and wide, consistent dispersion.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Polk Signature Elite ES20 | Dynaudio Emit 20 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $398.98 per pair | $1,049.00 per pair |
| Ranked | #119 of 222 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #133 of 222 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Enclosure | 2-way, Power Port bass-reflex | - |
| Drivers | 1” Terylene dome tweeter, 6.5” polypropylene woofer | 7.1” Magnesium Silicate Polymer woofer, 1.1” Cerotar soft dome with Hexis tweeter |
| Dimensions | 14.8H x 8.5W x 13.8D in | 14.6”H x 8.1”W x 12.3”D (370.0 x 205.0 x 312.0 mm) |
| Weight | 17 lbs (7.7 kg) each | 12.8 lbs (5.8 kg) |
| Sensitivity | 86dB | 83.5dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner; 86dB manufacturer specified) |
| Impedance | 4/8-ohm compatible | 6 ohms nominal (5.5 ohms minimum above 80Hz, measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Country | United States (design) | - |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 4.49 | 4.22 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 6.44 | 5.92 |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 55.7Hz (measured, ASR via spinorama.org) | 54Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 38.6Hz (derived, log-interpolated between spinorama.org -9dB/-12dB points) | 33Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| DIY Kit | No | No |
| Woofer Cabinet | - | ported, rear |
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