If you have been nursing the idea of replicating the experience of an orchestra in your homestead or simply “pissing off your neighbors” — in Paul Klipsch’s words — then, Polk and Klipsch, the two giants of the audio world are the best fit.
Confused about which to buy of the two? Our team has done a Polk vs Klipsch comparison to guide your choice.
Klipsch or Polk?
- Highly durable
- 3-dimensional sound production
- THX certification
- Supports various audio formats
- Compatible with voice assistants
- Stereo Dimensional Array (SDA)
- Beautiful, premium exteriors
- Supports 3D audio formats
Features Comparison:
Klipsch Versus Polk
Klipsch and Polk Company History
Klipsch is a brand birthed by its owner, Paul W. Klipsch, a vibrant and ingenious engineer. His innovation made him one of the first U.S. manufacturers of loudspeakers.
Paul Klipsch’s motive was to manufacture speakers with high efficiency, less distortion, and 3-dimensional sound production. His tagline is: “Pissing off the Neighbours since 1946.”
On the other hand, the Polk brand emerged as an initiative of Matthew Polk and his college friends. Like Klipsch, Polk also aimed to imitate a live musical performance and incorporate this in its brands.
Build and Design
Both audio system superpowers have a vintage and old school look on the outside but a “new school” capacity on the inside. They are similar with other top-notch bookshelf speakers from different brands.
Polk has a set of unmatched latest tech features such as its SDA [1] and voice assistant-based controls. It even produces top-rated in-ceiling speakers in the market, as well. However, Klipsch does not have much of these tech features as Polk.
They are both made with beautiful wood finishes.
Winner: Polk
Klipsch and Polk Sound Quality
Comparing Klipsch vs Polk, our experts discovered that Klipsch produced an overall natural sound than Polk. Due to its silk-made dome tweeters, Polk produces smooth and softer music, Klipsch is on the frontline of brands with accurate and natural sound quality. You can even pair with the best available Kicker brand subwoofer, if you plan to set it up for your car audio system.
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Winner: Klipsch
Sound Formats
Unlike some other brands wherein you can hardly distinguish between a loud and prolonged cough and a dialogue, Polk and Klipsch produce a zero-distortion sound format with ultra-clear vocals.
Klipsch supports a wide range of audio formats. It supports mp3, m4a, aac, flac, wav, and aiff.
Polk supports 3D audio formats such as the Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, DTS Virtual: X and Auro-3D among others. It fixes in-walls and in-ceilings to give you the complete surround sounds that contribute to your 3D audio. The brand’s high-performing bookshelf speakers below 200 support Dolby technology, as well.
Product Lines
Polk can overwhelm you with a wide range of amazing products to suit your preferences. However, Klipsch has a limited range of options.
While our team continued in their Polk vs Klipsch analysis, they were impressed with the wide range of coverage of the Klipsch, especially with Klipsch Reference 1R-15M monitor and R-28F floor-standing speakers.
Polk’s bookshelf monitor (Polk T15) was also impressive. Though there was a full bass, the Polks sounded as though the orchestra was quite far away.
For a list of both brands’ heavy impact and powerful speakers, you can also check our list of high rated floorstanding speakers priced below 1000 here.
Winner: Klipsch
System Building
Klipsch and Polk speakers are timber-matched and built with patented acoustic innovation and resonance control. The shade can compare to Logitech Z407 having a matte graphite gray to near black color finish.
Price of Klipsch and Polk products
Polk and Klipsch are a clear definition of budget. In terms of affordability, They can compare with other models of known brands like JBL Flip 4 and UE Boom 2. One of their initiators’ motives is to make them affordable without reducing their quality in the least. However, Klipsch can be a lot more expensive than the Polks.
If both brands happen to have virtually the same features and prices, here is what you will do. To relieve yourself of the mental stress of making the right choice, just get an album you are familiar with.
Then, audition the album on both speakers and listen attentively to their outputs. There will obviously be some differences. And that’s all — you choose the one whose output appeals more to your hearing.
If you are considering other brands, you can check our review of the best Episode speakers here. Read next!
Winner: Polk
FAQ
Is Klipsch better than Polk?
Klipsch is better than Polk. It produces quality sounds and gives high performance.
We also have the best Klipsch sounbards here. Read next!
Overall Winner: Klipsch
After rigorous scrutiny of Klipsch vs Polk, our experts eventually gave the medal to Klipsch.
Klipsch is renowned for its natural and top-notch sound quality. It is also the best pick if you are searching for a brand with an assurance of unrelenting quality and performance.
Setting up your home theater audio system? Check out the best center channel speakers under 500 for a surround sound experience here.
