In this review, we will be comparing AE120 MII and R-820F, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Acoustic Energy and Klipsch. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of AE120 Mark II and Klipsch R-820F first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
What size room are the AE120 Mark II and Klipsch R-820F speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size and max power parameters:
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the AE120 Mark II and Klipsch R-820F compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that AE120 MII is a 3-way design whereas the R-820F is a 2-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
| Driver |
AE120 Mark II |
Klipsch R-820F |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.2-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.2-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
AE120 MII features a 1" fabric dome with waveguide Tweeter , a 5.2" Midrange and 2 x 5.2" paper cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 300Hz and 2.7kHz. On the other hand, the R-820F features a 1" Tweeter and 2 x 8" Copper-spun IMG Woofer .
Frequency Response
AE120 MII has a frequency range of 39Hz - 26kHz whereas R-820F has a frequency range of 35-21k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 35Hz, the R-820F can go slightly deeper then the AE120 MII's min frequency of 39Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
AE120 MII is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the R-820F which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. AE120 MII sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the R-820F's is rated at 97 dB. This 7 dB difference makes the Klipsch R-820F a more sensitive speaker compared to AE120 Mark II, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. While using an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
AE120 MII can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS from the amp the whereas R-820F has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the AE120 MII.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare AE120 Mark II's and Klipsch R-820F's external dimensions. AE120 Mark II has external dimensions of 950.0 x 165.0 x 250.0mm ( 37.4 x 6.5 x 9.8inch) whereas Klipsch R-820F has external dimensions of 1096.0 x 277.0 x 426.0mm ( 43-1/8 x 10-7/8 x 16-3/4inch) .
Klipsch R-820F is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 112mm wider, 146mm taller and 176mm deeper than AE120 Mark II.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the AE120 Mark II is approximately 412.5cm2 / 63.9inch2 and base area of the Klipsch R-820F is approximately 1180.0cm2 / 182.9inch2. The AE120 MII requires 65% less surface area than the R-820F which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The AE120 Mark II weighs 19.00kg / 41.8lbs and the Klipsch R-820F weighs 24.55kg / 54lbs. This makes the R-820F 29% heavier than the AE120 MII.
Here is a comparison of how AE120 MII and R-820F's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of Klipsch R-820F?
Here are the items that come with the R-820F:
Floorstanding loudspeakerGrille (installed)2 Feet4 ScrewsQuick Setup GuideImportant Safety InstructionsWarranty InformationLoudspeaker Feet note
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
150 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 High Frequency Response |
26k Hz
vs
21k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
950mm
vs
1096mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
412cm2 (165x250mm)
vs
1180cm2 (277x426mm)
|
Takes less floor space |
 Sensitivity |
97 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
5.2 inches
|
Larger woofer |
| Low Frequency Response |
35 Hz
vs
39 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Price per pair* |
1198USD
vs
1499USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Acoustic Energy AE120 Mark II |
Klipsch Reference R-820F |
| Brand |
Acoustic Energy |
Klipsch |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 200 watts |
up to 150 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
97 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
39Hz - 26kHz |
35-21k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.2" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
paper cone |
Copper-spun IMG |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
dome with waveguide |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.2" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
300Hz and 2.7kHz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
950.0mm (37.4") |
1096.0mm (43.1") |
| Width |
165.0mm (6.5") |
277.0mm (10.9") |
| Depth |
250.0mm (9.8") |
426.0mm (16.8") |
| Weight |
19.00kg (41.8lbs) |
24.55kg (54lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
HDF |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Walnut, Satin Black |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
n/a |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |