Reserve R200 vs Legend L200

papatom

Greetings! I'm currently setting up a dedicated 2 Channel setup. Long story short, I've been going back and forth, testing/evaluating equipment (integrated amps, speakers, etc.). Right now I've got a Hegel H190 on order and a Musical Fidelity Ms5i as well to test.

I've currently got the Reserve R200. I saw the Legend L200's go on sale for an incredible price and was wondering - is there much of a performance increase going to the L200's from the R200's? Just wondering, thank you!

dromunds

I’ll tell you in a few days. I currently have both but just started burning in the R200’s now.

jbreezy5

@papatom

check out the following review which has some comments/measurements:

https://www.bing.com/fd/ls/GLinkPing.aspx?IG=B96CAECE77A44EF78A8FF4558BB164C4&&ID=SERP,5162.1&SUIH=RNbL6TV4XK7-wlLLjVV4Hg&redir=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYXVkaW9zY2llbmNlcmV2aWV3LmNvbS9mb3J1bS9pbmRleC5waHA_dGhyZWFkcy9wb2xrLXJlc2VydmUtcjIwMC1zcGlub3JhbWEtYW5kLW1lYXN1cmVtZW50cy1hLXJlYWxseS1uaWNlLXN1cnByaXNlLjIzNTAyLw

Still hold out for @dromunds listening impressions for additional insight.

papatom

Thank you! I look forward to your impressions!

I'm still A/B'ing as well. I also ordered a pair of Polk Reserve R700 floorstanders. I know my future is with Polk, just whether it's the R200, L200 or the R700.

Aside from what I've mentioned above, if I were to save some money and go with an integrated amp under the $2500 range, which would you prefer? Say if I were to pair them with the R700 floorstanders?

Lietuvis91

Curious if anyone drew any conclusions on these two speakers. Price is certainly very different, but is there much value added in those L200s?

kevhed72

I cannot speak for the R200s, but the L200 definitely sound much better over time as they "break in".

Emlyn

There are cosmetic and performance differences between the Legend and Reserve speakers. A big part of the price difference is the cosmetic differences because wood veneer is more expensive than vinyl wrap. There are also cabinet construction differences and a different type of port. The R200s are also slightly smaller in weight and dimensions than the L200s with about a 3 lb weight difference (19.11 lbs vs 22 lbs). The low frequency response on the R200 is 3 db less than on the L200. That difference may not be noticeable to most people in a room.

Both speakers perform more similarly than the double the retail price difference would indicate. To me the choice comes down to which looks better in the long term. If someone is ok with the vinyl wrap look, which is well done, I'd say go for the R200s. If someone wants something more elegant looking with a slight performance improvement go for the L200s.

I will say if I had to have just one pair of speakers in a house I'd be perfectly happy with a pair of Reserve R600s. They really are a high value speaker line.

VR3

The crossovers are also entirely different

dromunds

I have both I’ve just been too busy recently to do an in-depth comparison but it’s coming

mhardy6647

The above comments all simply reinforce the (rather obvious, I thought) conclusion that the R200 isn't "just" an L200 clone in a vinyl-wrapped box. They're different loudspeakers aimed at the same ecological, but not socioeconomic, niche. To me, the question is which represents the better value -- or, perhaps, they're identical in value (e.g., sound quality/listener satisfaction per dollar spent).

There are sippets of data floating around in the places you'd expect but not a mano a mano speako a speako comparion under the same test conditions that one'd like to see.

L200 response (on axis and 30 degrees off axis?)

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/polk-reserve-r200-spinorama-and-measurements-a-really-nice-surprise.23502/page-6#post-905632

R200 (apples to kumquats comparison, different test conditions and instrumentation)


https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/polk-reserve-r200-spinorama-and-measurements-a-really-nice-surprise.23502/

Lietuvis91

If you can trust the different YouTubers discussing these speakers, then it seems that the legend series gives you a higher quality box and a more transparent presentation of your music. If neither is top priority, or if your sources are not of the best quality, then the reserve series is the better fit and a better value, as some observe that it’s more forgiving of poor quality sources and it’s just a good speaker. However, for the critical listeners out there that want more transparency into the music and/or the look really matters, then you pay up for the legends.

That’s what I gather from everything I’ve seen and read anyway… obviously nothing beats real first hand experience, so I guess I’ll have to find someplace I can demo both in the New Orleans area.

Emlyn

From my own experience the Reserve speakers have a bit more "lively" sound to them and the Legends are a bit more refined. As VR3 says, the differences are more than skin deep.

I would not say the Reserve line of speakers are more forgiving of poor quality sources. They're similar in that regard meaning both lines of speaker will do a good job of revealing cheap sources and garbage recordings. More forgiving lines for use with AV receivers would be the Signature or Monitor series.

smglbrth

VR3 wrote: »

The crossovers are also entirely different

Much of that probably has to do with "split" for the high/low frequencies in the L series as the Reserves only have one set of binding posts. I'm sure there's other differences as well 'cause I'm no expert, that's Treys arena!

mhardy6647

I know youse guyses don't like ASR but there is interesting information there now and again

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/polk-reserve-r200-spinorama-and-measurements-a-really-nice-surprise.23502/#post-786055
The redesigned (for lack of a better word) port on the R200 seems to correlate with a suppression of port resonances to the overall performance or the "R" vs. the "L". -- FWIW.

R200 port output in blue.


L200 port output in green.


The output of the port itself in each case is the big peak at 50 Hz on the relevant trace.
The resonances are those secondary peaks at ca. 600, 1200, and 2400 Hz for the R200 or ca. 500, 1000, and 1500 Hz for the L200 data (I'm guesstimating from the logarithmic x-axis). The resonance peaks are proportionately way lower than the main port peak in the R200 case compared to the L200 case. Audible? Maybe not, since both loudspeakers are rear ported.
Still, a pretty salient difference.

Clipdat

Well, what should we do with this information?

mhardy6647

Well, that's pretty much up to you... we're seeing substantial quantitative differences in favor of the "R" in the case of this parameter. The R is demonstrably superior to the L in terms of (titter-titter) port noise. OK, it's not really noise, but it is unwelcome acoustic output related to its port. It's not hard to argue that the port design on the "R" is better (at least in this respect) than that on the "L".

Lots of other quantitative differences, e.g., the R uses an XO frequency (3.5 kHz) that is "higher than optimal" for the size (and spacing) of the drivers, while the L uses a much more optimal (on paper) 2.7 kHz. The R200 also, if memory serves, has the drivers' axes a bit further apart than the L200 (which is, again, at least on paper, to the detriment of the R200). The frequency response curves (particularly in terms of directivity) for the R vs. L do appear to show the impact of these deltas.

The audible impact, if any? Only careful A-B listening will answer that for any given listener. I'd enjoy the opportunity, but, being cheap, I've only got the "R". If someone wants to bring over a pair of L200s... I'll buy the beer.
Heck, I'd drive to someone else's place with the Rs I have here -- as long as it's not too far, and it's not snowing or icy, and it's not rush hour.

My sense (and it's been since fall of 2019, IIRC, that I heard the L200s) is that the L200 will sound better to most folks than the R200, all else being equal. Someone in this thread referred to them as "more refined" and I have a similar acoustic memory of (EDIT) the L200s, too. On the other hand, I also found the L200 a little bit "emotionally" muted, for lack of a better word -- a tad bit polite, albeit extremely easy and rewarding to listen to. I haven't gotten that sense with the R200, but I've only heard them in my room, with my elderly and slightly inappropriate amplification choice (to date). My hunch is the L200 does better the R200, but I am not at all convinced that the sound quality delta is commensurate to with the price delta between the two.

Emlyn

I may be misremembering but I think the designer said in a Youtube video that if Polk had the new port design available when the Legend line was under development they may have used the new design instead of the old one.

mhardy6647

Emlyn wrote: »

I may be misremembering but I think the designer said in a Youtube video that if Polk had the new port design available when the Legend line was under development they may have used the new design instead of the old one.

I have a similar, and similarly vauge, memory, if that makes you feel any better

ALL212

Having slightly voided the warranty on my L100's (couldn't justify the extra cost of the L200's) and I do have R200's waiting in line to have their warranty voided as well...

I'm not disappointed in what I hear from either line. I'm disappointed in where Polk has the price points and what they used in the builds with the L series.

I guess I don't mind sand cast resistors, an electrolytic cap or two and iron core inductors in the R line.
Using exactly the same level of components (although it appears in the upper L series they appear to match values between the L & R) seems "cheap" to me. It doesn't cost that much more to put in better quality components in the L line. I don't know of cheaper resistors than sandcast (although they may exist).

MSRP L100's - $999
MSRP R100's - $649

MSRP L200's - $1499
MSRP R200's - $749

Same tweeter? Just different face plate?
Same Mid/woofer?
Same crossover components (same board layout within the series so same cost to the crossover board?)
Same input terminals

L's - better cabinet construction and very nice veneer
R's - better port.

I'm just not seeing the cost of the L's to be worth it.

For what I paid during the special and what I have I'm delighted.

stangman67

I’m kinda there too. Seems Polk created two very similar speakers at much different price points. It is a very curious strategy

VR3

The crossovers are completely different, fwiw

F1nut

ALL212 wrote: »

Having slightly voided the warranty on my L100's (couldn't justify the extra cost of the L200's) and I do have R200's waiting in line to have their warranty voided as well...

I'm not disappointed in what I hear from either line. I'm disappointed in where Polk has the price points and what they used in the builds with the L series.

I guess I don't mind sand cast resistors, an electrolytic cap or two and iron core inductors in the R line.
Using exactly the same level of components (although it appears in the upper L series they appear to match values between the L & R) seems "cheap" to me. It doesn't cost that much more to put in better quality components in the L line. I don't know of cheaper resistors than sandcast (although they may exist).

MSRP L100's - $999
MSRP R100's - $649

MSRP L200's - $1499
MSRP R200's - $749

Same tweeter? Just different face plate?
Same Mid/woofer?
Same crossover components (same board layout within the series so same cost to the crossover board?)
Same input terminals

L's - better cabinet construction and very nice veneer
R's - better port.

I'm just not seeing the cost of the L's to be worth it.

For what I paid during the special and what I have I'm delighted.

You will find sand cast resistors and electrolytic caps in speakers costing considerably more than the Polk Legend.

ALL212

And I would be just as, if not more so, disappointed in those and would voice such.

WLDock

ALL212 wrote: »

Having slightly voided the warranty on my L100's (couldn't justify the extra cost of the L200's) and I do have R200's waiting in line to have their warranty voided as well...

I'm not disappointed in what I hear from either line. I'm disappointed in where Polk has the price points and what they used in the builds with the L series.

I guess I don't mind sand cast resistors, an electrolytic cap or two and iron core inductors in the R line.
Using exactly the same level of components (although it appears in the upper L series they appear to match values between the L & R) seems "cheap" to me. It doesn't cost that much more to put in better quality components in the L line. I don't know of cheaper resistors than sandcast (although they may exist).

MSRP L100's - $999
MSRP R100's - $649

MSRP L200's - $1499
MSRP R200's - $749

Same tweeter? Just different face plate?
Same Mid/woofer?
Same crossover components (same board layout within the series so same cost to the crossover board?)
Same input terminals

L's - better cabinet construction and very nice veneer
R's - better port.

I'm just not seeing the cost of the L's to be worth it.

For what I paid during the special and what I have I'm delighted.

I'm sure that the Reserve is helping to recoup some R&D costs that the Legend didn't produce. Also, the LSiM struggled at the end it seems.

Sand cast at many different price levels! However, coils and caps can cost a bit more but still has little to do with the price difference. R&D, the number they think they can sell, and the profit they are after sets the price.

The $3000 LSiM705 / line


The $4500 PSB Synchrony One


The $7000 Revel F226BeBe


The $7800-$10,000 Legacy Audio Signature SE


The $24,999.99 KEF Blade 2 crossover

mhardy6647

Indeed.
There are corporate bean counters at all price points.

F1nut

The $2300.00 Buchardt S400 MkII. Loaded with goodies.

WLDock

F1nut wrote: »

The $2300.00 Buchardt S400 MkII. Loaded with goodies.

Now that's a nice looking crossover!

cap893

Go with the Legend series - if you don't you will always wonder if you should have upgraded. That is what I did. I originally bought the Reserve R100s - did not care for the physical appearance - upgraded to the Legend L100s and never looked back.

JayMX

F1nut wrote: »

The $2300.00 Buchardt S400 MkII. Loaded with goodies.

Not to derail the thread, but I did a pair of Monitor 7B’s (Peerless) for a friend with those same Jantzen Cross Caps earlier this year. I was very pleased with the sound. I’ll show my buddy that he’s been rollin’ with the high dollar Buchardt crowd and he didn’t even know it!


In other news, I absolutely love my R200’s. They legit give the stock 2.3TL’s a run for their money in some ways.

Gardenstater

$216 less in capacitors. Humblehomemadehifi rated 7.25 vs 8.5. Imaging is better with the small bookies?

WLDock

https://youtu.be/lTJxF2ktLLk?t=565