In this review, we will be comparing Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim and R-820F, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from ELAC and Klipsch.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of ELAC Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim and Klipsch R-820F first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | ELAC Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim | Klipsch R-820F |
|---|
| Brand | ELAC
Germany · founded 1926 | Klipsch
United States · founded 1946 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" soft dome | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | 4" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 3 x 5.25" Aluminum | 2 x 8" Copper-spun IMG |
|---|
| Frequency response | 42-25k Hz | 35-21k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 85 dB | 97 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 40-140 watts | up to 150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | — | 24.55kg / 54lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 39-7/8" x 10-3/16" x 12-7/8"
1013.0 x 259.0 x 328.0mm | 43-1/8" x 10-7/8" x 16-3/4"
1096.0 x 277.0 x 426.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the ELAC Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim 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:
| Listening Environment* |
ELAC Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim |
Klipsch R-820F |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
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.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim 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.
ELAC Uni-Fi FS U5 SlimKlipsch R-820F
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
ELAC Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim |
Klipsch R-820F |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 5.25-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim features a 1" soft dome Tweeter, a 4" Midrange and 3 x 5.25" Aluminum Woofer. On the other hand, the R-820F features a 1" Tweeter and 2 x 8" Copper-spun IMG Woofer.
Frequency Response
Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim has a frequency range of 42-25k Hz whereas R-820F has a frequency range of 35-21k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 35Hz, the R-820F can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim's min frequency of 42Hz.
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
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
Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the R-820F 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 Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim sensitivity is rated at 85 dB and the R-820F's is rated at 97 dB. This 12 dB difference makes the Klipsch R-820F a more sensitive speaker compared to ELAC Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim, 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. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
R-820F can handle a max power of 150 watts RMS, whereas Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim has a max power handling value of 140 watts RMS, 10 watts less than the R-820F.
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.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim features Post type posts and R-820F has a Post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/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 ELAC Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim's and Klipsch R-820F's external dimensions. ELAC Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim has external dimensions of 1013.0 x 259.0 x 328.0mm (39-7/8 x 10-3/16 x 12-7/8inch) 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 18mm wider, 83mm taller and 98mm deeper than ELAC Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of ELAC Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim and Klipsch R-820F in scale.
Comparison image of ELAC Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim and Klipsch R-820F Size and External Dimensions
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 ELAC Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim is approximately 849.5cm2 / 131.7inch2 and base area of the Klipsch R-820F is approximately 1180.0cm2 / 182.9inch2. The Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim requires 28% less surface area than the R-820F which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of ELAC Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Uni-Fi FS U5 Slim:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 2 Stabilizer-bars
- 4 Spike-feet
- 4 Protective discs
- 4 Knobs
- 6 Machine screws
- 4 Hex-nuts
- Hex-key
- Operating Instructions
What's in the Box of Klipsch R-820F?
Here are the items that come with the R-820F:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille (installed)
- 2 Feet
- 4 Screws
- Quick Setup Guide
- Important Safety Instructions
- Warranty Information
- Loudspeaker Feet note