Polk Audio Reserve R200 Bookshelf Speakers - White - Pair

The Larger Reserve Bookshelf, With a 6.5-Inch Woofer

The Reserve R200 is the bigger of Polk Audio's two Reserve bookshelf speakers. It pairs the 1-inch Pinnacle ring radiator tweeter from Polk's flagship Legend series with a 6.5-inch Turbine Cone woofer, in a cabinet just over 14 inches tall. The speakers are sold as a pair.

Polk launched the Reserve series in 2021 as the step below Legend, and gave every model the same tweeter and cone design. The R200 is the Reserve speaker for listeners who want real bass from a standmount without moving up to a floorstander.

The Drivers

The tweeter has a pointed center plug and a waveguide that Polk says widens the sweet spot. The woofer uses a molded foam-core cone with a turbine pattern for stiffness without added mass, and it crosses over to the tweeter at 3,000 Hz. Grilles are magnetic.

The Numbers, and What They Ask of You

Polk quotes an overall response of 39 Hz to 50 kHz, with the minus 3 dB limits at 51 Hz and 38 kHz. Sensitivity is 86 dB at 2.83 volts. The minimum impedance is 3.8 ohms, and the recommended amplifier power is 30 to 200 watts per channel.

The impedance dip means the R200 wants an amplifier or receiver that is rated for 4-ohm speakers. Polk lists it as compatible with 8, 6 and 4 ohm outputs. Sound+Image found the speakers relish being turned up and driven with quality power.

Size, Port and Finish

Each cabinet measures 7.5 inches wide, 14.1 tall and 13.9 deep including the feet, and weighs 19.1 pounds. The rear X-Port uses closed-pipe absorbers tuned to the cabinet to cancel port resonance. Audio Advisor stocks black, white and brown. The Reserve series carries Polk's five-year warranty.

What Reviewers Are Saying

What Hi-Fi? published Sound+Image's review in September 2021: "The R200 proved truthful at both low levels and high, able to deliver a solid bass and a remarkable clarity of midrange" that the reviewers credited partly to the X-Port.

The reviewers did not learn the price until the end. "We'd have put them at least double the actual price," they wrote, and called the R200 a bargain.

The Absolute Sound named the R200 a 2021 Stand-Mount Loudspeaker of the Year. Reviewer Neil Gader wrote: "the R200 cuts right to the heart of the music by outputting tunes and tones with equal measures of accuracy, dynamism, and immediacy."

Who Is This Bookshelf Speaker Best For?

• You want standmount bass without a subwoofer — a 6.5-inch woofer and 39 Hz overall response are as deep as the Reserve bookshelves go
• You want a forward, lively presentation — The Absolute Sound described a monitor-style sound with warmth in the midrange
• You are building a Reserve home theater — the R200 matches the R400 center and R900 height modules for a consistent voice
• You have a medium or large room — Sound+Image found the R200 rewards being turned up and driven with quality power
• You need a smaller cabinet — the Reserve R100 is 1.3 inches shorter and 7 pounds lighter, with the same tweeter

How Do They Connect to Your System?

Speaker cable runs from your amplifier or receiver to the dual binding posts on each speaker, red to red and black to black. These are passive speakers, so nothing plugs into the wall. Polk recommends 30 to 200 watts per channel.

Place them on stands with the tweeter near ear height. Sound+Image found the imaging best from a seat dead center between the speakers, and heard uniform response across a wide sweet spot. Leave room behind the cabinet for the rear port.

Pairs Well With

What completes the system. These are the categories most R200 owners shop next.

• Polk Reserve R400 center channel — the largest Reserve center, with the same drivers
• Polk Reserve R900 height module — sits on top of a Reserve speaker for Dolby Atmos height channels
• Integrated amplifiers — choose one rated for 4-ohm speakers with 50 watts or more
• Subwoofers — for film, or for the last half octave below 51 Hz

Frequently Asked Questions

Are the R200 sold as a pair?

Yes. The price is for two speakers with magnetic grilles. Audio Advisor stocks black, white and brown. Check the title of this listing for the finish you are ordering.

How much power do they need?

Polk recommends 30 to 200 watts per channel. Because the impedance dips to 3.8 ohms, choose an amplifier or receiver rated for 4-ohm speakers.

Do I need a subwoofer?

Not for most music. Polk quotes 39 Hz overall and 51 Hz at minus 3 dB, and Sound+Image heard solid bass. For film or deep electronic bass, add a subwoofer.

What is the X-Port?

A rear port with closed-pipe absorbers tuned to the cabinet's internal resonance. Polk says it keeps the bass output of a port while cancelling the resonances a plain port adds.

How is the R200 different from the R100?

The R200 has a 6.5-inch woofer instead of 5.25, reaches 39 Hz instead of 44, handles 200 watts instead of 150, and weighs 19.1 pounds each instead of 12.2.

Will they work with a receiver?

Yes. Any receiver rated for 4-ohm speakers with 30 watts or more per channel will drive them. The R200 also makes a strong front pair in a Reserve home theater.

See It in Action

Andrew Robinson reviews the Reserve R200:

Erin's Audio Corner measures and discusses the Reserve R200:

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Learn More

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