Short answer: the SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle for better sound quality, the Polk T50 for the lower price. The SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle ranks #39 of 56 floorstanding speakers at $4999.98. The Polk T50 ranks #45 at $249, $4750.98 cheaper.
The case for the SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle: A large curved-baffle tower built for time alignment: a 1” dome tweeter flanked by two 5.25” midranges above two 8” mid-bass drivers, plus a matching pair of 8” drivers and dual ports on the back. The tradeoff: Not a fully linear speaker: a dip in the upper midrange followed closely by a peak (roughly 2-3kHz) gives vocals and other midrange content a shouty, forward quality that toe-out alone doesn’t resolve.
What the Polk T50 gets right: Pretty deep bass for the price. The catch: 5dB peak at 1khz, 4dB bright top end from 11khz on up.
Buy the SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the Polk T50 if the price matters more than sound quality.
If sound quality matters at all to you, skip the Polk T50. It ranks near the bottom of the 56 floorstanding speakers, so look higher up the list instead.
Specifications Side By Side
| SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle | Polk T50 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4,999.98 | $249.00 |
| Ranked | #39 of 56 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers | #45 of 56 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 27Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 38Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 40Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 47Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Drivers | 1" dome tweeter, two 5.25" midranges, four 8" mid-bass drivers (2 front, 2 rear) | 2x 6.5" bi-laminate paper cone woofers, 1x 1" Terylene dome tweeter + 2x 8" passive bass radiators |
| Weight | 100.1 lbs / 45.4 kg (100 lb) each | 75.4 lbs / 34.2 kg |
| Sensitivity | 88.1dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 86.3dB (2.83V/1m, measured by Audio Science Review) |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal, 2.6 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 4 ohms nominal (4.2 ohms minimum, measured by Audio Science Review) |
| Dimensions | 49"H x 12"W x 18"D (1245.0 x 305.0 x 457.0 mm) | 40.4"H x 9.3"W x 12.5"D (1026.2 x 235.0 x 317.5 mm) |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear (dual) | passive radiator |
| Frequency Response | 24Hz - 40kHz (±3dB, Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Crossovers | 140Hz & 1.8kHz | - |
| Recommended Power | 20-300W | - |
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- SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle vs Infinity Reference 253
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The Two Speakers In Full
SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle: $4,999.98 SVS
Pros: A large curved-baffle tower built for time alignment: a 1” dome tweeter flanked by two 5.25” midranges above two 8” mid-bass drivers, plus a matching pair of 8” drivers and dual ports on the back. Impulse-response testing shows a single clean arrival rather than the staggered tweeter-then-woofer arrival typical of conventional flat-baffle designs, confirming genuinely effective time alignment. Excellent build quality throughout. Very wide, consistent horizontal radiation around ±70-80° gives a large, enveloping soundstage. Capable of very high output with very low harmonic distortion - the reviewer says this measured the lowest harmonic distortion of any speaker he has tested to date, at both 86dB and 96dB output, with distortion staying under 1% down to 40Hz.
Cons: Not a fully linear speaker: a dip in the upper midrange followed closely by a peak (roughly 2-3kHz) gives vocals and other midrange content a shouty, forward quality that toe-out alone doesn’t resolve, pointing to a genuine on-axis response issue rather than just room reflections. A wide, high-Q bass bump around 70-80Hz makes the speaker sound boomy unless pulled at least 3 feet from the rear wall or tamed with EQ (a -3dB cut with a Q of 1 around 70Hz worked well in testing). Minimum impedance dips to about 2.6 ohms around 80Hz, a genuinely demanding load - the reviewer could not drive these to satisfying output with budget-oriented amplifiers and receivers, and recommends a robust stereo amp or monoblocks instead. At around 100 lbs and roughly 4 feet tall with the tweeter about 32.5” off the ground, seating position matters: straying beyond about 10° of the tweeter axis loses real detail in the upper midrange, and the crossover region shows lobing that shifts from about 10° to 50° between 2-4kHz. Multitone distortion and dynamic compression both increase in that same upper-midrange/tweeter region at higher output, consistent with the on-axis dip-then-peak character.
Full SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 27Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 40Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Crossovers | 140Hz & 1.8kHz |
| Dimensions | 49"H x 12"W x 18"D (1245.0 x 305.0 x 457.0 mm) |
| Drivers | 1" dome tweeter, two 5.25" midranges, four 8" mid-bass drivers (2 front, 2 rear) |
| Frequency Response | 24Hz - 40kHz (±3dB, Manufacturer specified) |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal, 2.6 ohms minimum (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Recommended Power | 20-300W |
| Sensitivity | 88.1dB (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 100.1 lbs / 45.4 kg (100 lb) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear (dual) |
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- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
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- SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle vs Dynaudio Emit 30
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Polk T50: $249.00 Amazon
Pros: Pretty deep bass for the price. Distortion at 86dB SPL/1m is reasonably controlled outside a narrow spike around 250Hz. The reviewer notes performance is “not too bad for a budget speaker” once the two main tonal issues are addressed with EQ.
Cons: 5dB peak at 1khz, 4dB bright top end from 11khz on up. Just okay vertical off axis. Impedance and phase show several resonances between 200Hz-1kHz, with a minimum impedance of 4.2 ohms. Distortion rises substantially at 96dB SPL/1m across the midrange, with repeated peaks between 100Hz-2kHz.
Full Polk T50 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 38Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 47Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Dimensions | 40.4"H x 9.3"W x 12.5"D (1026.2 x 235.0 x 317.5 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 6.5" bi-laminate paper cone woofers, 1x 1" Terylene dome tweeter + 2x 8" passive bass radiators |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal (4.2 ohms minimum, measured by Audio Science Review) |
| Sensitivity | 86.3dB (2.83V/1m, measured by Audio Science Review) |
| Weight | 75.4 lbs / 34.2 kg |
| Woofer Cabinet | passive radiator |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons