Design and build:

Comparing Polk L200 vs KEF LS50, the Polk L200 is larger in size. Polk L200 speakers have MDF cabinet. They are internally braced in order to remove any standing waves or resonances. It comes with an anti-diffractive grille that attaches to the speaker magnetically. It is available in only two colors.

Compared to Polk L200, the KEF LS50 Meta offers more color options including black, gray, white and royal blue. It has internal bracing and CLD design inside the speaker enclosure to eliminate any vibrations. It uses DMC in the design that is known to deliver accurate sound by bringing out tiny details. However, it does not come with any speaker grille. This might be an issue if you have pets in the house.  

Performance:

Comparing Polk L200 vs KEF LS50, the Polk L200 has a slightly larger woofer driver. While the audio quality is great in both speakers, it will vary from user to user. Polk L200 has 1” Pinaccle Ring Radiator and 6.5” Turbine Cone woofer. The speaker has crystal-clear highs, and it can deliver sound throughout a broader space in the room. With a well-tuned chamber, the speaker has minimized resonances. The 6.5” woofer along with well designed PowerPort makes the airflow smoother.

It also minimizes turbulence and port noise resulting in cleaner low ends. Once placed correctly, these speakers will deliver accurate imaging and a decently wide soundstage. With an impedance of 4 ohms, the speakers are power-hungry. With music and movies, the speakers sound engaging and entertaining.

KEF LS50 Meta speakers have the pattern of 12^th Uni-Q driver configuration. This is where instead of traditional driver position on top and bottom, the KEF places the tweeter in the middle of the midrange cone. It has 1” aluminum vented dome tweeter along with a 5.25” aluminum cone woofer. The tweeter works with Tangerine waveguide so that it can dissipate sound over a broad area. There is an internal vent that brings out the details and ensures the content remains as close as the original file.

The speaker has smooth mids and well-defined bass. It has bass port with CFD that works to eliminate any distortion delivering exceptional clarity. Foam ports are available in case you think the bass may sound boomy. Metamaterial Absorption Technology works to get rid off any distortion resulting in pure audio.

Use case and installation:

Unlike the KEF LS50 Meta, the Polk L200 has 2 pair of binding posts that allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connection. Bi-amping will need 2 amplifiers. It will work with 10-16 AWG wire. In the receiver, set the Polk L200 to small and the crossover to 50 to 80 Hz. It is expandable with floorstanding loudspeakers (L600 / L800), bookshelf loudspeakers (L100 / L200), center-channel loudspeaker (L400), height speaker module (L900) and a Polk subwoofer.

KEF LS50 Meta speakers can also be a part of home theater. You can purchase speakers from KEF or choose other brands like Klipsch, SVS or Polk. Both these speakers are suitable for music and movies.

Speaker placement:

Polk L200 can be used as front or surround speakers in a home theater. They can be placed on tabletops, shelves or stands. While placing them, create an equilateral triangle and toe-in the speakers. if you are adding a subwoofer, place it on the front wall.

For positioning the KEF LS50 Meta speaker, it is suggested to leave a gap of 8 to 20” from rear wall and 20 to 40” from side walls. Keep the speakers 6 to 15’ apart and angle them inwards within 0 to 15-degrees towards the user. You can buy a speaker stand that is 25 to 30” from the floor.

Compatible devices:

You can choose one from the following list to pair with the Polk L200 speaker: DENON PMA-1600NE, Parasound NewClassic 200, Cambridge Audio CXA81, Onkyo RZ70, Anthem MCA225 Gen2, etc.

For KEF LS50 Meta speaker, choose one from the following or look for a new matching amp: Benchmark LA4, Schiit Rag 2, Emotiva XPA-5 Gen 2, Cambridge Audio CXA81, NAD M10 V2, Yamaha WXA-50, Rotel A11 Tribute, etc.

Cost:

Comparing Polk L200 vs KEF LS50, the Polk L200 is costlier than the KEF LS50. Although in most cases, the Polk remains the affordable one.  

FAQ:

How to improve the sound for Polk L200 speakers?

The Polk L200 speakers are placement sensitive so you can try adjusting the distance and angle of toe-in to see the impact on sound quality. Users can also take advantage of the room calibration feature in the receiver. Lastly adding an additional speaker or subwoofer will have dramatic improvement in audio performance.