Напольная акустика — Polk Audio Reserve R500

The Reserve R500 is the compact tower in Polk Audio's Reserve series, a passive two-way floorstander with a slim cabinet. Polk says the Reserve line takes technologies from its Legend series and brings them to a wider audience. The list price is USD 699 for each speaker, with a choice of black, white and brown. Hi-Res Audio and IMAX Enhanced certification apply, and Polk rates the R500 as compatible with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.

Key specs that matter

Above two 5.25 inch Turbine Cone woofers sits a 1 inch Pinnacle Ring Radiator tweeter, with the crossover between tweeter and woofers placed at 2,500 Hz. Polk quotes an overall frequency range of 35 Hz to 50 kHz, while the -3 dB limits are 49 Hz and 36 kHz. Sensitivity is 87 dB at 2.83 V and 1 m. The minimum impedance falls to 3.9 ohm, and the maker lists compatibility with 8, 6 and 4 ohm amplifier outputs. Recommended amplifier power runs from 25 to 200 W. The cabinet measures 257 x 1044 x 348 mm (width, height, depth), and one speaker weighs 17.7 kg, while the packed weight is 22.5 kg.

Engineering and use context

Port tuning relies on the patented X-Port, which places closed-pipe resonators called Eigentone filters inside the port assembly. Polk tunes these filters to absorb unwanted port and cabinet resonances, and on this model the port opening is on the back panel. The woofers use a turbine-shaped cone profile that Polk says raises rigidity without adding mass, so the cone moves with more accuracy and speed. The Pinnacle Ring Radiator has a pointed shape meant to guide high-frequency dispersion and widen the listening area. Inside, the enclosure is cross-braced against interior resonances, and the outer corners are rounded to limit diffraction. The tower is listed as compatible with the Reserve R900 height module. Amplifier cables connect to one set of nickel-plated 5-way binding posts, and spike and pad feet come in the box. The speaker is not designed for wall mounting.

Pairing

With its low minimum impedance, the R500 suits amplifiers and AV receivers that are specified for such loads. For a height layer, the Reserve R900 height module is sold separately, and Polk lists it for use with Dolby Atmos, DTS, DTS:X, IMAX Enhanced and Auro-3D formats.

Alternatives

The Polk Reserve R600 is the bigger floorstander in the Reserve range, with two 6.5 inch Turbine Cone woofers, a floor-firing Power Port with X-Port, a 43 Hz lower -3 dB limit and a sensitivity of 87.5 dB.