Short answer: the PSB Imagine T65 for better sound quality, the Polk Reserve R500 for the lower price. The PSB Imagine T65 ranks #26 of 56 floorstanding speakers at $2699. The Polk Reserve R500 ranks #28 at $699, $2000 cheaper.
On the PSB Imagine T65 side: Three-way design with dual 6.5” woven carbon fiber woofers delivers genuinely strong, extended low end for a $2,699 tower - among the better performers Erin has measured in this price class. Set against that: Noticeable dip in the midrange/crossover region that Erin flagged as affecting dialogue and vocal clarity, though he notes a couple bands of EQ smooths it out.
The case for the Polk Reserve R500: Dual 5.25” midwoofers paired with a ring radiator tweeter in a floorstanding tower design. The tradeoff: A bump around 4-6kHz gives a “shouty,” mildly sibilant quality in the lower treble.
Buy the PSB Imagine T65 if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the Polk Reserve R500 if the price matters more than sound quality.
Specifications Side By Side
| PSB Imagine T65 | Polk Reserve R500 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2,699 | $699.00 |
| Ranked | #26 of 56 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers | #28 of 56 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers |
| Drivers | 1" titanium dome tweeter, 5.25" woven carbon fiber midrange, 2x 6.5" woven carbon fiber woofers | Two 5.25" Turbine Cone woofer, 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator tweeter |
| Crossovers | 600Hz & 2000Hz, 4th-order Linkwitz-Riley | - |
| Dimensions | 38-13/16"H x 8-3/8"W x 13.5"D (986 x 213 x 343mm) | 40.3"H x 6.8"W x 12.4"D (1023.6 x 172.7 x 315 mm) |
| Weight | 44 lbs each | 39.2 lbs / 17.8 kg each |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal (3.3 ohms minimum measured by Erin’s Audio Corner; manufacturer specifies 4 ohms minimum) | 4.1 ohms minimum above 80Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner; 8 ohms nominal per manufacturer) |
| Sensitivity | 85.1dB (measured average, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 86.2dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Recommended Power | 20-200W | - |
| Bass Reflex | Dual rear slot ports, individual woofer chambers | - |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 47Hz (measured average, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 51Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 26Hz (measured average, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 33Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Frequency Response | 28Hz - 20kHz (±1.5dB, manufacturer specified) | - |
| Woofer Cabinet | - | ported, rear |
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- Revel F206 vs Q Acoustics 5040
- Q Acoustics 5040 vs Focal Aria Evo X N°2
- ELAC DF63 vs Klipsch Heresy IV
- PSB Imagine T65 vs Infinity Primus 360
- PSB Imagine T65 vs ELAC DF63
The Two Speakers In Full
PSB Imagine T65: $2,699 The Audio Factory
Pros: Three-way design with dual 6.5” woven carbon fiber woofers delivers genuinely strong, extended low end for a $2,699 tower - among the better performers Erin has measured in this price class. Distortion shows a clean second-order character with clear separation from third-order all the way up to 96 dB, indicating a well-controlled motor. Compression data shows enhancement rather than compression below about 50-60 Hz, so the bass can sound louder as you turn it up rather than choking off. Wide, forgiving vertical listening window (about ±25°) thanks to the 3-way layout, giving more seating and placement flexibility than most towers. Plenty of dynamic headroom for home theater use or a two-channel system - 100W drove it comfortably in Erin’s room.
Cons: Noticeable dip in the midrange/crossover region that Erin flagged as affecting dialogue and vocal clarity, though he notes a couple bands of EQ smooths it out. Some horizontal dispersion mismatch (about 10-15° of ballooning between 1-3 kHz) between the midrange and tweeter can add extra perceived attack or detail if your room’s sidewalls are reflective. Dips to 4 ohms, so it wants an amplifier comfortable driving a 4-ohm load. Distortion climbs above 3% around 60 Hz at 96 dB, though it’s benign second-order distortion.
Full PSB Imagine T65 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 26Hz (measured average, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 47Hz (measured average, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Bass Reflex | Dual rear slot ports, individual woofer chambers |
| Crossovers | 600Hz & 2000Hz, 4th-order Linkwitz-Riley |
| Dimensions | 38-13/16"H x 8-3/8"W x 13.5"D (986 x 213 x 343mm) |
| Drivers | 1" titanium dome tweeter, 5.25" woven carbon fiber midrange, 2x 6.5" woven carbon fiber woofers |
| Frequency Response | 28Hz - 20kHz (±1.5dB, manufacturer specified) |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal (3.3 ohms minimum measured by Erin's Audio Corner; manufacturer specifies 4 ohms minimum) |
| Recommended Power | 20-200W |
| Sensitivity | 85.1dB (measured average, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 44 lbs each |
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- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- PSB Imagine T65 vs Q Acoustics 5040
- PSB Imagine T65 vs ELAC DF63
- PSB Imagine T65 vs Polk Audio Reserve R700
- PSB Imagine T65 vs Emotiva Airmotiv T2+
- PSB Imagine T65 vs JBL HDI-3600
- PSB Imagine T65 vs Definitive Technology BP-9020
- PSB Imagine T65 vs Arendal 1961 Tower
- PSB Imagine T65 vs Infinity Primus 360
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Polk Reserve R500: $699.00 Amazon
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 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.
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 →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 33Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 51Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| 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) |
| Weight | 39.2 lbs / 17.8 kg each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Polk Reserve R500 vs ELAC DF63
- Polk Reserve R500 vs Linkwitz Lab LXmini
- Polk Reserve R500 vs Definitive Technology BP-9020
- Polk Reserve R500 vs Q Acoustics 5040
- Polk Reserve R500 vs Polk Audio Reserve R700
- Polk Reserve R500 vs Infinity Primus 360
- Polk Reserve R500 vs Klipsch Forte IV
- Polk Reserve R500 vs Emotiva Airmotiv T2+
- See all 15 comparisons