Polk ES50 Tower Speaker and ES35 Center Channel Speaker Review

Polk Audio has been on the audio scene for… well, basically forever for me, having been founded in 1972. They are well known, have a solid line of entry-level to mid-range models, and are one of my favorite speaker brands alongside B&W. Polk’s new Signature Elite Series are very attractively priced but do they deliver quality sound? Read on to find out!

I was upgrading a client’s system and they wanted some new speakers that were fresh and vibrant. We wanted big audio, but not such big cabinets. This is where the ES50 towers and the very compact ES35 center come in. Space was also limited for the center channel so the ES35 wasn’t just an option, it was pretty much the only solution aside from a soundbar.

Introduction

BRAND NAME AND PROTECT TYPE SPECIFICATIONS

ES50 (Floor Standing Speakers)

Weight:

32 lbs. (14.5 kg)

Driver Complement:

(1) 1″ (2.54 cm) Terylene High-Res Dome Tweeter,
(2) 5.25″ (13.34 cm) Dynamic Balance Mica Reinforced Polypropylene Drivers

Impedance:

4 & 8-ohm outputs

Crossover Frequency:

2,500 Hz

Total Frequency Response:

42 Hz – 40,000 Hz

Inputs:

Dual gold-plated 5-way binding posts
Recommended Amplifier Power Per Channel – 20 watts – 150 watts

ES35 (Center Channel)

Weight:

14 lbs. (6.4 kg)

Front Array Driver Complement:

(1) 1″ (2.54 cm) Terylene High-Res Dome Tweeter (6) 3″ (7.62 cm) Dynamic Balance Mica Reinforced Polypropylene Drivers

Crossover Frequency:

2,500 Hz

Total Frequency Response:

70 Hz – 40,000 Hz

Inputs:

Dual gold-plated 5-way binding posts
Recommended Amplifier Power Per Channel – 20 watts – 150 watts

Listening Setup

Yamaha TSR-7850 7.2-channel AV Receiver

Audio-Technica LP-120XUSB Turntable

Music Choices:

(All Vinyl)
Jimmy Hendrix – Live At Monterey
The Chainsmokers – Collage

MSRP:

Polk ES50 $349.00 each.
Polk ES35 $399.00 each.

Website:

https://www.polkaudio.com/en-us

Company:

Polk Audio

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Setup

Polk ES50 Tower Speaker and ES35 Center Channel Speaker Side

I bought the ES50s and ES35 from Amazon and they arrived in the factory boxes with only two inches of foam around the tops and bottoms and the drivers protected only by the grill, nothing else. Yikes! I was surprised they didn’t have any damage. The center channel was packed better and was double-boxed, so it had far better protection. They were easy to position, and they sounded great on and off-center. I had to place one near a corner while the other was only up against the wall. The five-way binding posts are great, simply because they are just a simple and reliable design. Hook up was a breeze; now how do they sound?

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In Use

Boom, they sound great. That’s it, review over. Just kidding. The highs and mids were on point, but the bass, oh the bass was the biggest and happiest surprise. It was so present that I suggested removing the sub from the setup entirely. Polk uses a component called a Power Port on the ES50 and ES35. They describe it thusly: “Power Port is a Polk-patented design that smoothly transitions the airflow from the speaker’s port into the listening area to eliminate turbulence and distortion for louder, deeper, more musical bass and a more open and transparent midrange.” Honestly, from a $300 speaker, you might not expect much, but I was quite surprised at the level of bass these speakers were able to provide in a large room.

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It’s often hard to go wrong with Polk speakers for more general listening and mixed-use A/V rooms. While their pricing suggests that it’s “just another speaker,” the ES50 and ES35 pack a good amount of tech, design, and sound into a great and affordable set of speakers. It’s hard for me to find any faults because of the low price point. You could tell me they cost $1,500 and I would believe it. I’ve got nothing else to say after tuning these into the room and listening for a while. They just sounded great with no downsides. That’s a rare statement, to say the least.

Conclusions