Polk Audio’s Signature Elite series ES20 speakers offer tons of power and performance that make it easy to add to a multi-channel system or as a stand-alone to make the switch from a soundbar or television speakers simple. Today, we review the Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 and describe the features and functions that make this a great choice either to expand or to begin building out a comprehensive sound system for home entertainment with great frequency response from smaller speaker sizes (>>> Find on Amazon).
Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 Review of Specification:
| Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Power (Watts) | up to 150W |
| Frequency range | 39Hz - 40kHz |
| Subwoofer | No |
| Weight | 17 pounds |
| Dimensions (inches) | 8 x 14 x 16 |
| Price | Find on Amazon B&HPhotoVideo |
This set of bookshelf speakers begins with a pair of 6.5-inch woofers that handle deep bass and mid-range frequencies. The bookshelf speakers also include tweeters that are designed to provide high-frequency audio to give you the vocals and highs to make your music, television, or movies more enjoyable to listen to at home.
Woofer Technologies
The Polk Signature Elite ES20 speakers provide high-resolution playback using a variety of technologies to give you the most balanced and complete sound stage possible. The Polk Signature Elite ES20 starts with a high-quality woofer, tweeter, and Power Ports to generate optimal audio quality. Other technologies include Polk Audio’s Dynamic Balance Acoustic Array and precision crossovers to get the most from these diminutive speakers.
Excellent frequency response from a 6.5-inch woofer requires the woofer cone to be both rigid and lightweight. The Polk Signature Elite ES20 speakers take advantage of a mica-reinforced polypropylene woofer that can handle lots of power while continuing to provide high-resolution audio even from underpowered sources. The mica reinforced polypropylene woofer coating gives these a unique color while also introducing UV protection.
The Power Port design of the Polk Signature Elite ES20 helps to improve overall audio stage development by enhancing the resonating of low frequencies. This allows the speakers to generate deep bass response and low distortion without the need to overdrive the frequency response of the tweeters. Power Ports are specifically-tuned to provide the perfect sweet spot for the size of the speaker within the enclosures while avoiding sonic interference between the woofers and tweeters.
Crossovers allow the proper frequencies to be channeled from the audio source to the appropriate speaker. This allows the tweeters to only handle the frequency response in the high range, while ensuring that the woofer isn’t trying to do too much on the high end, giving up bass and inducing distortion you can hear.
Dynamic Balance Acoustic Array is a proprietary tech used by Polk Signature Elite Series to produce the most realistic Hi-Fi sound from the speakers even when operating at low power input values. The Polk Signature Elite ES20 is a great choice for stereo speakers for a turntable run through a preamp.
Tweeter Technologies
The Polk Signature Elite ES20 utilize a one-inch Terylene-dome tweeter which provide an excellent balance between extremely rigid domes and soft domes to generate smooth music. It is the unique Polk design of the tweeter that truly provides the range of audio frequencies and the realistic recreation of the original audio to produce high-fidelity music.
Pros
- Excellent sound quality that is much bigger than the footprint of the speakers
- Ideal for adding surround sound and elevation to your existing system
Cons
- Too big for most bookshelves
- May produce too much bass for some systems
Using Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 as Primary Speakers
One of the excellent things about this set of speakers is the ability to use them as a stand-alone in conjunction with an AV receiver or by connecting them to a power amplifier routed to your television. Placing these Polk speakers on a bookshelf or short table enables the speakers to cast a broad soundstage that fills the room while maintaining a small footprint.
While the Polk Signature Elite ES20 bookshelf speakers function perfectly for a two-channel system, the larger-than-average size makes them a good speaker for use on speaker stands to function as miniature tower speakers.
Using Polk Audio ES20 for Height, Surround, and Elevation
In conjunction with other passive speakers like tower and surround setups, you can mount these speakers either at the ceiling firing down from behind or on separate speaker platforms to aid in the enhancement of surround sound systems. The rear speaker port makes the Polk Signature Elite ES20 a poor choice for wall-mounting. The Polk bookshelf speaker set is ideal for front left/ right channels taking advantage of Dolby Atmos and DTS:X platforms for accurate surround sound, while also providing access to vintage audiophile quality. This Polk XT15 review might be useful too.
Options for the Perfect System
The Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 speakers can be used either as 4-ohm or 8-ohm speakers to get the most out of the power you have available when using an AV receiver. This lets you get the most from the power you have available and ensures alignment with the amplifier.
In addition to flexible power handling, the Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 speakers are also available in either a black finish, white finish, or woodgrain, and include a magnetic grille for each speaker. This makes them versatile for either blending into the surroundings, particularly handy when using these as an elevation speaker, or to add a striking look to your speaker selection. Black and woodgrain finish is more popular and lets you match the finish of your speaker to the other equipment you are using.
Conclusion
If you are looking for a way to add extra oomph and detail to your stereo system or need to enhance a 5.1 system, the Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 speaker set is perfect. The downside to them is that they are on the large side for a bookshelf speaker and may be too large for some. They benefit from amplification but work well even when running a fairly low amount of power to them. We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend these to anyone and think they make a perfect compliment when on stands (>>> Check the current price on Bhphotovideo).