We can figure all that stuff out by creating a graph called a spinorama. I capture the speaker’s response at 70 (not a typo) horizontal and vertical angles and combine all that information into one graph. Behold: The mid's are more forward on the Elacs, and basically i think highs, mids, lows are all more balanced or in line on the Elacs. The speakers also come with USB for easy connection, and there is also an integrated Chromecast for even easier streaming of your favorite music and other audio. Additionally, you can use an optical input for TV and game consoles, or you can connect the speakers to your home network via Ethernet. This makes it easy to integrate the speakers into your existing multi-room setup. R600: Although Ketil Bjørnstad's piano is a bit light, it is well balanced by the other instruments. Not least Arild Andersen's bass.

This spinorama also tells us that the R200 appears to be mostly free of major resonances that color the sound; this would show up as a bump that stands out in each of the top curves, and can contribute to a speaker sounding boomy or having a grating sound at specific frequencies. Knowing for sure would require an anechoic chamber or advanced tools I don’t have access to, but within the resolution of my system, the R200 performs admirably.There’s a little bunching around 3-5kHz for the sidewall reflections, which may be why I found vocals to sound a tad forward, but you can see the total horizontal reflections balance out nicely to a linear response in the dotted yellow line. They also have a solid bass extension for their size, and their soundstage is pretty great too. It’s not too narrow, not too wide— vocals snap to the center but the speaker throws out a sizeable soundstage without sounding too diffuse. Dynamics are excellent for a bookshelf speaker too, and the R200 can handle volumes louder than I’m comfortable with without a hitch. Will ifi ZEN DAC v2 (or Zen DAC AIR) / topping E30 be better than the inbuilt DACS on these amplifiers? R200: Fine sound balance with no signs of aggression. Great perspective, but not quite on par with the best.

See the white and green lines above? Those represent the frequency response of the ‘direct’ sound — before reflections — with the green line being the ‘on-axis’ response and the white being the ‘listening window.’ The Polk Reserve cabinets use precisely engineered braces and internal enclosures to minimise standing waves and eliminate unwanted resonances that may colour the sound of your music. Laser Doppler Vibrometer designed point to point bracing, combined with new Cabinet Resonance Control, eliminates any unwanted panel resonance within the cabinet. Magnet, acoustically transparent grilles are provided for a clean and attractive aesthetic to these speakers. Polk Reserve R200 Bookshelf Speakers features

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Another way of discussing this is that where the Reserve R200 appears as a distinctly neutral construction throughout the frequency range, it is tempting to define the R600 as a bass-rich speaker, and at the same time with a touch of v-characteristics. This can of course be a disadvantage for some, and then it may be natural for them to try an R500 instead. But for me, this provided an almost addictive experience. We are talking about a rather extreme fun factor, which gave extra effect to some music with hefty bass. An important part of this is that the bass is reproduced with very high precision - no woolly or spongy bass there, which would have turned this property into something negative. That said, it does mean that the R200’s sound might vary a little more from room to room than speakers with better-controlled verticals. Whhile hear the presence bump as forward vocals, you might hear a recession where the response dips. Polk might’ve been able to improve the vertical response by using a larger waveguide that would allow for a smoother transition between the woofer and tweeter, but that might’ve had the sometimes negative effect of narrowing the soundstage too. While the vertical response is a notable flaw, it’s unlikely to be a major issue in most setups. Polk R200 has external dimensions of (Height x Width x Depth) 14-1/8 x 7-9/16 x 13-15/16inch (359.0 x 193.0 x 355.0mm ). This is why most A-class brands (like SVS, Bang & Olufsen, etc) often come up with room correction features, adjusted either manually or automatically. The EQ adapts itself to the placement (room, corner, center, etc) for a better (deeper and more accurate) sound. Which is great. R600: The impressions from the bookshelf model are retained, but of course with even a little more bass.

Compression tests show that the speaker can handle a dynamic range of about 20 dB at lower volumes, but at higher volumes, there is compression and distortion, particularly in the low frequencies. Using a crossover at around 80 Hz or 100 Hz can help mitigate these issues. The bass sport is also one of the most important elements in the Reserve series. And here we have to distinguish between the floor models and the stand speakers + the largest center speaker. In the latter models, there is an X-port that takes care of the bass tuning, and has an incorporated Eigentone Filter EFT, which are closed tube absorbers that are tuned to reduce traditional speaker distortion. R200, a two-way construction for 7,799 for the couple. They have a 6 ½ ”Turbine Cone for midrange and bass. This is the tripod speaker we chose for the testThe Polk Audio Reserve Series R200 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers offer an enjoyable listening experience, making them a great choice for music enthusiasts and home theater enthusiasts alike. They are capable of handling loud volumes easily, so they are a great choice for more demanding users. For powerful, distortion-free low frequencies, the Reserve R200 uses the new Power Port 2.0, designed to smooth the flow of air that exits the cabinet. With X-Port technology, the Reserve R200 features specially tuned pipes to direct unwanted resonances and vibrations away from the drivers for clean, loud bass. Speaker Cables without Connectors: If you are not sure about the lenght or need longer than standard cables with plugs, choose this option.

I recently bought some Kef q150s. I'm playing them through a niles SI 2100 amp with a Sonos Connect plugged into it. I use the max stream setting in Spotify to stream to the connect. The reserve series was launched at the end of March 2021, but before we delve into this series, which is the second best in Polk Audio's hierarchy, we will take a look at the flagship series that was launched just over two years ago. POLK AUDIO LEGEND The Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter’s unique waveguide delivers broad, high-frequency dispersion. It offers sound reproduction beyond 40kHz, as well as extremely fast and ultra-accurate transients, resulting in sonic clarity throughout the room. The R600 is otherwise equipped with 2 6½-inches set up in a 2½-way configuration, where one Turbine Cone element plays deeper than the other.

In the bookshelf models and the smaller floorstander of the Reserve range, Polk has applied the same principle to this torpedo-clutching new X-Port; this uses a set of closed-pipe absorbers tuned to the internal frequency of the cabinet, acting as an eigentone filter (the port itself is labelled ETF) to maintain the bass output while aiming to reduce traditional speaker distortions, clarifying the upper bass and midrange. Listening This tweeter comes directly from Polk’s flagship Legend series, and its ring radiator design means no central dome to enter break-up modes, so here achieving lower distortion within the listening range and indeed beyond, as the Pinnacle is ‘hi-res certified’. On top of the cone of the waveguide we build a ‘hollow pole’ with an opening that is halfway into the port, and tuning of this pipe is done to multiples of tuning of the port frequency,” says Polk. The effect is significant, notably reducing a large 14dB resonance peak occurring at 700Hz.