In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by KLH. KLH Kendall 2F is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the Kendall 2B is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of KLH Kendall 2F and KLH Kendall 2B first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | KLH Kendall 2F | KLH Kendall 2B |
|---|
| Brand | KLH
United States · founded 1957 | KLH
United States · founded 1957 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Hard-Dome | 1" Hard-Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.25" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Aluminum | 6.5" Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 36-20k Hz | 55-20k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 86 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 250 watts | 200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 26.82kg / 59lbs | 5.91kg / 13lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 41" x 12-3/4" x 19"
1042.0 x 324.0 x 483.0mm | 13-1/4" x 7-3/4" x 8-1/2"
337.0 x 197.0 x 216.0mm |
|---|
Kendall 2F and Kendall 2B are members of KLH's Kendall 2 series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
What size room are the KLH Kendall 2F and KLH Kendall 2B 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* |
KLH Kendall 2F |
KLH Kendall 2B |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Average |
| 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.)
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 Kendall 2F is a 3-way design whereas the Kendall 2B 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.
KLH Kendall 2FKLH Kendall 2B
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
KLH Kendall 2F |
KLH Kendall 2B |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.25-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
Kendall 2F features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 800-2500 HZ. On the other hand, the Kendall 2B features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500 HZ.
Frequency Response
Kendall 2F has a frequency range of 36-20k Hz whereas Kendall 2B has a frequency range of 55-20k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 36Hz, the Kendall 2F can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Kendall 2B's min frequency of 55Hz.
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
Kendall 2F and Kendall 2B have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Kendall 2F sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the Kendall 2B's is at 86 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the KLH Kendall 2F a more sensitive speaker compared to KLH Kendall 2B, 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.
Kendall 2F can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas Kendall 2B has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Kendall 2F.
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
Both Kendall 2F and Kendall 2B features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
KLH Kendall 2F's 5-Way post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
KLH Kendall 2B's 5-way post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Kendall 2F and Kendall 2B 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 KLH Kendall 2F's and KLH Kendall 2B's external dimensions. KLH Kendall 2F has external dimensions of 1042.0 x 324.0 x 483.0mm (41inch x 12-3/4inch x 19inch) whereas KLH Kendall 2B has external dimensions of 337.0 x 197.0 x 216.0mm (13-1/4inch x 7-3/4inch x 8-1/2inch).
KLH Kendall 2F is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 127mm wider, 705mm taller and 267mm deeper than KLH Kendall 2B.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of KLH Kendall 2F and KLH Kendall 2B in scale.
Comparison image of KLH Kendall 2F and KLH Kendall 2B 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 KLH Kendall 2F is approximately 1564.9cm2 / 242.6inch2 and base area of the KLH Kendall 2B is approximately 425.5cm2 / 66.0inch2. The Kendall 2F requires 268% more surface area than the Kendall 2B which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of KLH Kendall 2F?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Kendall 2F:
- 2F Loudspeaker and Grille
- Owners Manual
- Binding Post Wrench
- Outrigg Feet and Hardware Including Metal Spikes and Rubber Feet
What's in the Box of KLH Kendall 2B?
Here are the items that come with the Kendall 2B:
- 2 x 2B Loudspeaker and Grille
- Owners Manual
- Binding Post Wrench
- Rubber Adhesive Feet