In this review, we will be comparing Novus N5T 5.25" Floorstanding Tower and RP-280F, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Aperion and Klipsch.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Aperion Novus N5T 5.25" Floorstanding Tower and Klipsch RP-280F first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Aperion Novus N5T 5.25" Floorstanding Tower | Klipsch RP-280F |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" | 1" Tractrix Horn |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.25" | 2 x 8" Cerametallic |
|---|
| Frequency response | 36-30k Hz | 32-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 98 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-150 Watts watts | up to 150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 12.25kg / 27lbs | 28.41kg / 62.5lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 37" x 7" x 8.7"
939.8 x 177.8 x 221.0mm | 43-1/16" x 10-9/16" x 17-3/8"
1094.0 x 269.0 x 442.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Aperion Novus N5T 5.25" Floorstanding Tower and Klipsch RP-280F 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:
| Listening Environment* |
Aperion Novus N5T 5.25" Floorstanding Tower |
Klipsch RP-280F |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Poor |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
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Drivers
Both Novus N5T 5.25" Floorstanding Tower and RP-280F are 2-way speakers.
Aperion Novus N5T 5.25" Floorstanding TowerKlipsch RP-280F
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Aperion Novus N5T 5.25" Floorstanding Tower |
Klipsch RP-280F |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
Novus N5T 5.25" Floorstanding Tower features a 1" Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Woofer. On the other hand, the RP-280F features a 1" Tractrix Horn Tweeter and 2 x 8" Cerametallic Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1750 Hz.
Frequency Response
Novus N5T 5.25" Floorstanding Tower has a frequency range of 36-30k Hz whereas RP-280F has a frequency range of 32-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 32Hz, the RP-280F can go slightly deeper then the Novus N5T 5.25" Floorstanding Tower's min frequency of 36Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Novus N5T 5.25" Floorstanding Tower
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Novus N5T 5.25" Floorstanding Tower is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the RP-280F which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Novus N5T 5.25" Floorstanding Tower can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Novus N5T 5.25" Floorstanding Tower sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the RP-280F's is rated at 98 dB. This 10 dB difference makes the Klipsch RP-280F a more sensitive speaker compared to Aperion Novus N5T 5.25" Floorstanding Tower, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Novus N5T 5.25" Floorstanding Tower
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Novus N5T 5.25" Floorstanding Tower can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas RP-280F has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 150 watts less than the Novus N5T 5.25" Floorstanding Tower.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier — change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Aperion Novus N5T 5.25" Floorstanding Tower
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
RP-280F features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Novus N5T 5.25" Floorstanding Tower has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Klipsch RP-280F's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Aperion Novus N5T 5.25" Floorstanding Tower's and Klipsch RP-280F's external dimensions. Aperion Novus N5T 5.25" Floorstanding Tower has external dimensions of 939.8 x 177.8 x 221.0mm (37 x 7 x 8.7inch) whereas Klipsch RP-280F has external dimensions of 1094.0 x 269.0 x 442.0mm (43-1/16 x 10-9/16 x 17-3/8inch).
Klipsch RP-280F is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 91.2mm wider, 154.2mm taller and 221mm deeper than Aperion Novus N5T 5.25" Floorstanding Tower.
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 Aperion Novus N5T 5.25" Floorstanding Tower is approximately 392.9cm2 / 60.9inch2 and base area of the Klipsch RP-280F is approximately 1189.0cm2 / 184.3inch2. The Novus N5T 5.25" Floorstanding Tower requires 67% less surface area than the RP-280F 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 Aperion Novus N5T 5.25" Floorstanding Tower weighs 12.25kg / 27lbs and the Klipsch RP-280F weighs 28.41kg / 62.5lbs. This makes the RP-280F 132% heavier than the Novus N5T 5.25" Floorstanding Tower.
Here is a comparison of how Novus N5T 5.25" Floorstanding Tower and RP-280F's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
Aperion Novus N5T 5.25" Floorstanding Tower
What's in the Box of Klipsch RP-280F?
Here are the items that come with the RP-280F:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker (Ebony)
- Speaker base
- Detachable magnetic grille
- Four 1-inch #6 Wood screws
- 4 Spike feet
- 6 Rubber feet
- User Manual
- Warranty Information
- Important Safety Instructions
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
150 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 High Frequency Response |
30k Hz
vs
25k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
939mm
vs
1094mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
392cm2
vs
1189cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1049USD
vs
1198USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Sensitivity |
98 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
5.25 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
32 Hz
vs
36 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
| General |
Aperion Novus N5T 5.25" Floorstanding Tower |
Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-280F |
| Brand |
Aperion |
Klipsch |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-150 Watts watts |
up to 150 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
98 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
36-30k Hz |
32-25k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.25" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
|
Cerametallic |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
n/a |
Tractrix Horn |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
1750 Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
939.8mm (37") |
1094.0mm (43.1") |
| Width |
177.8mm (7") |
269.0mm (10.6") |
| Depth |
221.0mm (8.7") |
442.0mm (17.4") |
| Weight |
12.25kg (27lbs) |
28.41kg (62.5lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Walnut, Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
n/a |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
A generation apart: Aperion Novus N5T 5.25" Floorstanding Tower is the newer design, against a 2015 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass |
B |
Klipsch RP-280F digs deeper - 32Hz against 36Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs |
B |
Klipsch RP-280F is more sensitive (98dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match |
B |
Klipsch RP-280F is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom |
A |
Aperion Novus N5T 5.25" Floorstanding Tower takes more power (300W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size |
depends |
Aperion Novus N5T 5.25" Floorstanding Tower is easier to place; Klipsch RP-280F is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability |
B |
Klipsch RP-280F: bi-amping. |
| Price |
A |
Aperion Novus N5T 5.25" Floorstanding Tower is cheaper - $1,049 against $1,198, about 12% less. |
A Aperion Novus N5T 5.25" Floorstanding Tower
B Klipsch RP-280F
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement or how you will use them.
Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
Klipsch RP-280F leads across most of the measured areas for a fairly modest premium, which makes it the easier pick if the budget stretches. Aperion Novus N5T 5.25" Floorstanding Tower is the one to take if it does not. Match it to your room: we rate Aperion Novus N5T 5.25" Floorstanding Tower the better fit for a small room, and Klipsch RP-280F for a large room. In a large or open-plan room, Klipsch RP-280F has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Aperion Novus N5T 5.25" Floorstanding Tower is the easier speaker to get right.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.