In this review, we will be comparing Kendall 2F and R-820F, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from KLH and Klipsch.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of KLH Kendall 2F and Klipsch R-820F first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
KLH Kendall 2F Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter
- 5.25" Midrange
- 2 x 6.5" Aluminum Woofer
- 36-20k Hz Frequency Response
- 88 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:250watts
- Weight:26.82kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1042.0" x 12-3/4" x 19"( 1042.0 x 324.0 x 483.0mm )
Klipsch R-820F Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Tweeter
- 2 x 8" Copper-spun IMG Woofer
- 35-21k Hz Frequency Response
- 97 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:up to 150watts
- Weight:24.55kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1096.0" x 10-7/8" x 16-3/4"( 1096.0 x 277.0 x 426.0mm )
What size room are the KLH Kendall 2F 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* |
KLH Kendall 2F |
Klipsch R-820F |
| 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 KLH Kendall 2F and Klipsch R-820F 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 Kendall 2F 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.
| Driver |
KLH Kendall 2F |
Klipsch R-820F |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.25-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 8-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 R-820F features a 1" Tweeter and 2 x 8" Copper-spun IMG Woofer .
Frequency Response
Kendall 2F has a frequency range of 36-20k Hz whereas R-820F has a frequency range of 35-21k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 35Hz, the R-820F can go slightly deeper then the Kendall 2F's min frequency of 36Hz.
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
Kendall 2F and R-820F 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 R-820F's is at 97 dB. This 9 dB difference makes the Klipsch R-820F a more sensitive speaker compared to KLH Kendall 2F, 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.
Kendall 2F can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS from the amp the whereas R-820F has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Kendall 2F.
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
Kendall 2F features 5-Way post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. R-820F has a Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
KLH Kendall 2F's 5-Way post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
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 KLH Kendall 2F's and Klipsch R-820F'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 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 47mm narrower and 57mm less deeper than KLH Kendall 2F but it is also 54mm taller.
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 Klipsch R-820F is approximately 1180.0cm2 / 182.9inch2. The Kendall 2F requires 33% more surface area than the R-820F which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.