Polk Signature Elite ES20 Review (Bookshelf Speaker)

[VintageFlanker]

Any thoughts?

Yes. Either just sell or return your amp and buy better speakers. This system doesn't make any sense to me, I regret.

 

[ROOSKIE]

@ROOSKIE yes I am counting on Dirac to help with integration but choosing the crossover seems to be still up to the user. I am mainly just concerned with localization.

Yah, that is why I mentioned that 50 or even 40hrz is likley fine at a desk.
The only issue would be if Dirac boosted a deep room related null by 10db or something crazy. Even then it still will probably fly.

I hammered the speakers in my 12.5"x23" foot room and they handled a 40hrz LR4 pretty well.

Yes, ideally I would get a better pair of speakers for the NAD M10 V2 but since I already blew my budget on the 3k+ amp, I think these Polk ES20 is the best value money can buy in this price range, until I have funds to upgrade to better speakers in the future. Actually I am thinking if I can get away with the even cheaper ES15 or ES10? Any thoughts?

Yes. Either just sell or return your amp and buy better speakers. This system doesn't make any sense to me, I regret.

Yah, so I have not used the Polk set in the near feild - only the far-feild but I am not a huge fan.
Tastes run the gamut, that said while they are not bad speakers I would not exactly pick them myself.
This is based on the needs of listening in medium room and often playing louder than average SPL's and having the luxury of several sets to directly compare with that have a sound I prefered.

That said at a desk they may be just fine for me so take my comments with a few grains of salt for the obvious reasons.
Yes, the smaller versions would work well at a desk as well. You will be sitting so close that smaller speakers can swing it.

Great thing is they are inexpensive so you could use them now and then try an upgrade someday and see if it matters (like some other smaller speakers such as the LS50 metas or Revel M105's, I also like the JBL l52's for another physically smaller sized option). If doesn't keep the Polks and return the upgrade attemp.

 

[Jeromeof]

The ES20 go pretty low without a sub - with a sub you could go for the ES15 ( though that speaker hasn’t been measured here I imagine it’s similar but with less bass extension)

I have a pair of the es10 paired with a sub in a small desk setup but that is my simple setup with a aiyima d03 - it works very well for what it is and where it is but you have a much much more expensive amp and sub so I would not go as small as the es10.

The ES20 is a nice speaker ( a great bargain at €200 ) but possible even too big for a small desk / office setup.

 

[AudioScience Enthusiast]

Great thing is they are inexpensive so you could use them now and then try an upgrade someday and see if it matters (like some other smaller speakers such as the LS50 metas or Revel M105's, I also like the JBL l52's for another physically smaller sized option). If doesn't keep the Polks and return the upgrade attemp.

Yes, personally I like the LS50 Meta design over the more "traditional" JBL I52, especially the white LS50 Metas would match with my white SVS 3000 Micro

But LS50 Meta's are out of my price range right now given the "big" NAD M10 V2 purchase, so I will wait until the end of the year for sales. Like you said, there is always the option to "keep the Polks and return the upgrade attempt" too

 

[Cars-N-Cans]

Quick question!

My NAD M10 V2 with Dirac Live recommends 80Hz crossover, which my SVS 300 Micro sub could achieve for my small office / computer desk but I am not sure if these ES20 are good enough for 80Hz crossover?

Since I can’t find anything else in this price range, if I have to set crossover higher on these ES20, it would suck to have to suffer with localization, which I am sensitive to.

Any advice?

Having the larger floor standing '55s I can say the woofers have pretty good SPL capabilities, and would be fine with an 80Hz crossover, but given these are fairly deep speakers they are not ideal for desk use unless you have the space. Given they are a modular line this is basically the top of an ES55 that has been lopped off below the top woofer to make a bookshelf speaker, so its still just as deep and wide as the floor standing version.

Edit: I lied. Its actually deeper than its floor-standing counterpart, most likely due to the rear port.

 

[AudioScience Enthusiast]

Given these are fairly deep speakers they are not ideal for desk use unless you have the space.

Edit: I lied. Its actually deeper than its floor-standing counterpart, most likely due to the rear port.

Totally agree, the 13.8" depth is a bit daunting, even though I will use floor mounts on both sides of the desk. I think the 10.2" depth of the ES15 is more workable.

 

[AudioScience Enthusiast]

@Cars-N-Cans @ROOSKIE @Jeromeof thanks for all your quick feedback today, it gave me a lot to think about.

Sadly, I won't be going ahead with ES15/20, which by the way today is the last day of sale.

This is because I went home and listened to my Polk Reserves in the 5.1.4 setup, and found some Youtube comparisons between the Reserve and the Signature Elite series.

My conclusion is that the Reserves are such amazing speakers which have given me some unreal music listening experiences, so I definitely do not want a step-down in the office, even if it means I have to wait a bit longer.

Besides, currently I have the smaller R100 as rear surrounds, I have been wanting to upgrade them to the larger R200 for a long time. So moving the R100s to office once I upgrade the rear surrounds to R200 seems more like a logical choice. @VintageFlanker do you approve of this now?

The only curve ball would be the L50 Meta that I am intrigued by, they are actually the same size as the Polk Reserve R100, so placement is not an issue for both. But the Metas are double the price of the Reserves R200. Will I get double the performance?

Feedback is appreciated but I do understand this is Signature Elite thread so I can post this question in relevant threads later. The contenders now are L50 Metas and R100 Reserves.

 

[creamygarlicdip]

Could the boosted high frequencies on the s15/s20 be fixed by simply turning down the treble on a cheaper amp?

 

[Spkrdctr]

Could the boosted high frequencies on the s15/s20 be fixed by simply turning down the treble on a cheaper amp?

Probably. But I want to say your name is making me hungry!

 

[Jeromeof]

Could the boosted high frequencies on the s15/s20 be fixed by simply turning down the treble on a cheaper amp?

Yes, mostly I would say - my ES20 would normally be in my main office setup which is a big converted garage in my garden - for the winter I moved them back into the house and have them hooked up as a front pair on a Denon AVR with customised Audyssey curve and they sound pretty great - though I switch between them and some Q Acoustic speakers that I would normally have setup with the Denon. When the weather gets a bit warmer I am planning of buying a MiniDSP for the garage to both correct the boosted high but try and solve some bass issues in the space.

The other Polks from this line that I have setup (the ES10's) have the same tweeter so the same boosted highs but I have them nicely tamed (and blended with a sub) using some REW measurements I made and a little treble control on the cheap Aiyima Amp that I have setup for them. That setup is just my winter home office setup (in a spare bedroom in the house for warmth ) so I wasn't spending much money or time on it but it sounds very well, occasionally distractingly good - causing me to stop doing my day job just to listen.

 

[Progger]

I ordered based on positive reviews. Now it's time to buy an amplifier.
My budget: Speaker price. So $300-500
My style; Progressive Rock and all its subgenres.
Thanks...

 

[ZööZ]

I ordered based on positive reviews. Now it's time to buy an amplifier.
My budget: Speaker price. So $300-500
My style; Progressive Rock and all its subgenres.
Thanks...

listening distance? and do you need very (too) loud volumes?

 

[Progger]

listening distance? and do you need very (too) loud volumes?

Room 17 square meters, listening distance 3 meters.
I don't need an extremely loud volume. I live in an apartment.

 

[ZööZ]

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https://www.denon.com/en-us/product...DWcX82Lxz7dh1GDPrtSmbEWbjcYyCDKRoC6-kQAvD_BwE with audyssey multi eq xt and propably enough power for moderate volume (plus all the connectivity etc don't know if they are any use to you)

 

[Progger]

I'm investigating Audiophonics. Unfortunately Denon is very expensive in my country
I've heard of Fosi V3. I've read incredibly positive comments. However, I have doubts whether it can replace these larger amplifiers. For example, aren't the Audiophonics model you recommend and some of Yamaha's models (for example AS 301) better than Fosi?

 

[ZööZ]

I'm investigating Audiophonics. Unfortunately Denon is very expensive in my country
I've heard of Fosi V3. I've read incredibly positive comments. However, I have doubts whether it can replace these larger amplifiers. For example, aren't the Audiophonics model you recommend and some of Yamaha's models (for example AS 301) better than Fosi?

The Audiophonics is better on paper at least but also more expensive, not so sure about the yamaha, it should be good and with all the features that the audiophonics or fosi doesn't have. (haven't done any research on the yamaha you see)

ps. seems the PA7 plus is cheaper @ hifigo than the audiophonics is where I am from. https://hifigo.com/products/topping-pa7-pa7plus?variant=43904725418223

 

[Jeromeof]

The fosi is better on paper at least but also more expensive, not so sure about the yamaha, it should be good and with all the features that the audiophonics or fosi doesn't have. (haven't done any research on the yamaha you see)

ps. seems the PA7 plus is cheaper @ hifigo than the audiophonics is where I am from. https://hifigo.com/products/topping-pa7-pa7plus?variant=43904725418223

How is the Fosi more expensive?

I run my ES20 with my Fosi Audio V3 and it works great, gets very loud in my converted garage and sounds great IMO, it's a nice combination. I have this setup with a minidsp 2x4hd doing some room correction and overall this fairly inexpensive setup works great.

 

[ZööZ]

How is the Fosi more expensive?

I run my ES20 with my Fosi Audio V3 and it works great, gets very loud in my converted garage and sounds great IMO, it's a nice combination. I have this setup with a minidsp 2x4hd doing some room correction and overall this fairly inexpensive setup works great.

sorry I meant the Audiophonics

just curious, do you have a subwoofer also?

 

[Jeromeof]

sorry I meant the Audiophonics

just curious, do you have a subwoofer also?

I do and I had it connected using the MiniDSP - but I have been moving things around so currently I am using this setup system without a subwoofer

 

[ZööZ]

I'm investigating Audiophonics. Unfortunately Denon is very expensive in my country
I've heard of Fosi V3. I've read incredibly positive comments. However, I have doubts whether it can replace these larger amplifiers. For example, aren't the Audiophonics model you recommend and some of Yamaha's models (for example AS 301) better than Fosi?

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