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 Philharmonic BMR Monitor ranks #134, rated 3.6/5, and costs $2,200, so there is little reason to consider the other one.
What the Polk Signature Elite ES20 does well: 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.
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 4.49 for the Polk Signature Elite ES20. Its bass reaches about 47Hz before falling 3dB, against 55.7Hz for the Polk Signature Elite ES20. The tradeoff: 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 Signature Elite ES20. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Philharmonic BMR Monitor and costs less, so it is the default pick unless a specific strength of the other one matters more to you.
Want more options? Browse the full Passive Home rankings.
Large, efficient bookshelf speakers with unusually deep bass for the price and wide horizontal coverage.
Three-way bookshelf speakers with premium drivers, a well-built cabinet and extremely wide dispersion for a broad soundstage.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Polk Signature Elite ES20 | Philharmonic BMR Monitor | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $398.98 per pair | $2200 per pair |
| Ranked | #119 of 222 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #134 of 222 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Enclosure | 2-way, Power Port bass-reflex | - |
| Drivers | 1” Terylene dome tweeter, 6.5” polypropylene woofer | 6” Ceramic woofer, Balanced Mode Radiator 2.5” midrange, RAAL 64-10X OEM tweeter |
| Dimensions | 14.8H x 8.5W x 13.8D in | 20”H x 8”W x 12.5”D (508 x 203.2 x 317.5 mm) |
| Weight | 17 lbs (7.7 kg) each | 32 lbs (14.5 kg) each |
| Sensitivity | 86dB | 84dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Impedance | 4/8-ohm compatible | 4 ohms nominal (3 ohms minimum above 80Hz, measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Country | United States (design) | - |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 4.49 | 6.02 (spinorama.org) |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 6.44 | 7.67 (spinorama.org) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 55.7Hz (measured, ASR via spinorama.org) | 47Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 38.6Hz (derived, log-interpolated between spinorama.org -9dB/-12dB points) | 32Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| DIY Kit | No | No |
| Woofer Cabinet | - | ported, rear |
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