Speakers · Budget
Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20
Audio Science Review measured genuinely deep bass and smooth, wide horizontal dispersion, and recommended it outright at its price. That wide dispersion and easy load make it a good surround or small-room front pair.
- 2-way bookshelf, 6.5" woofer
- 1" Terylene dome tweeter
- 88 dB measured sensitivity
- Bass to ~35 Hz in-room (ASR)
Audio Science Review measured smooth on-axis response, even horizontal dispersion, and in-room bass into the mid 30s Hz, then recommended it outright. That kind of measured behavior at this price is rare, and the wide dispersion makes it forgiving as a surround where the seats are off axis. The 6.5 in woofer gives it more weight than the typical 5.25 in budget bookshelf.
Watch out: ASR noted a mild 600 Hz to 1 kHz resonance, so run room correction rather than leaving it flat.
Pros
- Measured and recommended by ASR
- Real bass for a bookshelf
- Wide, even dispersion for surround duty
Cons
- Not timbre-matched to the Reserve towers
- Rear port needs a little space from the wall
- Vinyl finish, not veneer
Specifications
| Type | 2-way bookshelf (sold per pair) |
|---|---|
| Drivers | 6.5 in polypropylene woofer, 1 in Terylene dome tweeter |
| Sensitivity | 88 dB (manufacturer) |
| Impedance | 8 ohm compatible |
| Frequency response | 46 Hz to 40 kHz (-3 dB) |
| Recommended power | 20 to 125 W |
| Finish | Black, walnut, or white vinyl |
Specs come from manufacturer documentation and published reviews; check the retailer listing for the current revision.