In this review, we will be comparing R7 Meta and RP-8060FA II, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from KEF and Klipsch.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of KEF R7 Meta and Klipsch RP-8060FA II first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
KEF R7 Meta Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 12th Generation Uni-Q Driver
- 1" Vented dome Tweeter
- 5" Midrange
- 2 x 6.5" Hybrid Aluminum Woofer
- 48-28k Hz Frequency Response
- 88 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:15-250watts
- Weight:29.36kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1112.0" x 12-1/4" x 15-1/8"( 1112.0 x 312.0 x 385.0mm )
Klipsch RP-8060FA II Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Tractrix Horn Tweeter
- 2 x 8" Cerametallic Woofer
- 35-25k Hz Frequency Response
- 98 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:up to 150watts
- Weight:34.40kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1099.0" x 10-7/8" x 20-13/16"( 1099.0 x 277.0 x 528.0mm )
What size room are the KEF R7 Meta and Klipsch RP-8060FA II 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* |
KEF R7 Meta |
Klipsch RP-8060FA II |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the KEF R7 Meta and Klipsch RP-8060FA II 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 R7 Meta is a 3-way design whereas the RP-8060FA II 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 |
KEF R7 Meta |
Klipsch RP-8060FA II |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
R7 Meta features a 1" Aluminum with MAT absorber Vented dome Tweeter , a 5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Hybrid Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 400Hz and 2400Hz. On the other hand, the RP-8060FA II features a 1" titanium Tractrix Horn Tweeter and 2 x 8" Cerametallic Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1630 Hz.
Frequency Response
R7 Meta has a frequency range of 48-28k Hz whereas RP-8060FA II has a frequency range of 35-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 35Hz, the RP-8060FA II can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the R7 Meta's min frequency of 48Hz.
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
R7 Meta is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the RP-8060FA II 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 R7 Meta can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. R7 Meta sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the RP-8060FA II's is rated at 98 dB. This 10 dB difference makes the Klipsch RP-8060FA II a more sensitive speaker compared to KEF R7 Meta, 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.
R7 Meta can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS from the amp the whereas RP-8060FA II has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the R7 Meta.
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.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both R7 Meta and RP-8060FA II features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
KEF R7 Meta's Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Klipsch RP-8060FA II's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both R7 Meta and RP-8060FA II 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
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 KEF R7 Meta's and Klipsch RP-8060FA II's external dimensions. KEF R7 Meta has external dimensions of 1112.0 x 312.0 x 385.0mm ( 43-3/4-inch x 12-1/4-inch x 15-1/8-inch) whereas Klipsch RP-8060FA II has external dimensions of 1099.0 x 277.0 x 528.0mm ( 43-1/8 x 10-7/8 x 20-13/16inch) .
Klipsch RP-8060FA II is 35mm narrower and 13mm shorter than KEF R7 Meta but it is also 143mm deeper.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of KEF R7 Meta and Klipsch RP-8060FA II in scale.
Comparison image of KEF R7 Meta and Klipsch RP-8060FA II 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 KEF R7 Meta is approximately 1201.2cm2 / 186.2inch2 and base area of the Klipsch RP-8060FA II is approximately 1462.6cm2 / 226.7inch2. The R7 Meta requires 18% less surface area than the RP-8060FA II which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.