In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Fluance. Fluance XL8S is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the XL8F is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Fluance XL8S and Fluance XL8F first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Fluance XL8S | Fluance XL8F |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-Dome | 1" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 2 x 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 5.25" Glass fibre | 8" Polymer treated |
|---|
| Frequency response | 50-20k Hz | 35-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 85 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 40-80 watts | 80-160 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 5.15kg / 11.3lbs | 21.64kg / 47.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 11-7/16" x 8-1/8" x 9"
290.0 x 206.0 x 229.0mm | 45-7/8" x 9-1/4" x 13"
1165.0 x 235.0 x 330.0mm |
|---|
XL8S and XL8F are members of Fluance's Reference series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
What size room are the Fluance XL8S and Fluance XL8F 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* |
Fluance XL8S |
Fluance XL8F |
| Near-field |
Good |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Good |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
No way |
Average |
(* 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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that XL8S is a 2-way design whereas the XL8F is a 3-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.
Fluance XL8SFluance XL8F
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Fluance XL8S |
Fluance XL8F |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
2 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5.25-inch
|
1 x 8-inch
|
XL8S features a 1" Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Glass fibre Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 3100Hz. On the other hand, the XL8F features a 1" Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 1 x 8" Polymer treated Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 100Hz and 3000Hz.
Frequency Response
XL8S has a frequency range of 50-20k Hz whereas XL8F has a frequency range of 35-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 35Hz, the XL8F can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the XL8S's min frequency of 50Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf 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
XL8S and XL8F have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. XL8S sensitivity is rated at 85 dB and the XL8F's is at 87 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Fluance XL8F a more sensitive speaker compared to Fluance XL8S, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf 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.
XL8F can handle a max power of 160 watts RMS, whereas XL8S has a max power handling value of 80 watts RMS, 80 watts less than the XL8F.
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
XL8S features Binding post type posts and XL8F has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both XL8S and XL8F have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
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 Fluance XL8S's and Fluance XL8F's external dimensions. Fluance XL8S has external dimensions of 290.0 x 206.0 x 229.0mm (11-7/16 x 8-1/8 x 9inch) whereas Fluance XL8F has external dimensions of 1165.0 x 235.0 x 330.0mm (45-7/8 x 9-1/4 x 13inch).
Fluance XL8F is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 29mm wider, 875mm taller and 101mm deeper than Fluance XL8S.
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 Fluance XL8S is approximately 471.7cm2 / 73.1inch2 and base area of the Fluance XL8F is approximately 775.5cm2 / 120.2inch2. The XL8S requires 39% less surface area than the XL8F which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.