In this review, we will be comparing Kendall 2F and R700, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from KLH and Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of KLH Kendall 2F and Polk R700 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | KLH Kendall 2F | Polk R700 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Hard-Dome | 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.25" | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Aluminum | 2 x 8" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 36-20k Hz | 38-38k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 250 watts | 50-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 26.82kg / 59lbs | 35.90kg / 79lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 41" x 12-3/4" x 19"
1042.0 x 324.0 x 483.0mm | 45" x 12.6" x 16.9"
1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3mm |
|---|
What size room are the KLH Kendall 2F and Polk R700 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 |
Polk R700 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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
Both Kendall 2F and R700 are 3-way speakers.
KLH Kendall 2FPolk R700
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 |
Polk R700 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.25-inch |
1 x 6.5-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 R700 features a 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 350Hz and 2700Hz.
Frequency Response
Kendall 2F has a frequency range of 36-20k Hz whereas R700 has a frequency range of 38-38k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 36Hz, the Kendall 2F can go slightly deeper then the R700's min frequency of 38Hz.
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 R700 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 88 dB.
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.
R700 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas Kendall 2F has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the R700.
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 R700 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
Polk R700's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Kendall 2F has a rear firing port whereas R700 has a bottom firing ports. Polk R700's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to KLH Kendall 2F with its rear-firing port.
Polk R700 Port
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 Polk R700'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 Polk R700 has external dimensions of 1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3mm (45 x 12.6 x 16.9inch).
Polk R700 is 3.3mm narrower and 54.7mm less deeper than KLH Kendall 2F but it is also 101.8mm taller.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of KLH Kendall 2F and Polk R700 in scale.
Comparison image of KLH Kendall 2F and Polk R700 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 Polk R700 is approximately 1373.6cm2 / 212.9inch2. The Kendall 2F requires 14% more surface area than the R700 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The KLH Kendall 2F weighs 26.82kg / 59lbs and the Polk R700 weighs 35.90kg / 79lbs. This makes the R700 34% heavier than the Kendall 2F.
Here is a comparison of how Kendall 2F and R700's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
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 Polk R700?
Here are the items that come with the R700:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- 4 Outrigger feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet (pre-installed)
- Grille
- Hex-key
- Owner's Manual
- Online Registration
 Low Frequency Response |
36 Hz
vs
38 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
1042mm
vs
1143mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
1999USD
vs
2198USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
250 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
|
Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 High Frequency Response |
38k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
1373cm2
vs
1564cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
KLH Kendall 2F |
Polk Audio Reserve R700 |
| Brand |
KLH |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
250 watts |
50-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
3.6 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
36-20k Hz |
38-38k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aluminum |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Butyl Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Hard-Dome |
Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.25" |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
800-2500 HZ |
350Hz and 2700Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1042.0mm (41") |
1143.8mm (45") |
| Width |
324.0mm (12.8") |
320.7mm (12.6") |
| Depth |
483.0mm (19") |
428.3mm (16.9") |
| Weight |
26.82kg (59lbs) |
35.90kg (79lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood veneer |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black Oak,English Walnut |
Black, Walnut, White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
10 years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
10 years |
5 Years |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass |
evenly matched |
Much the same reach (36Hz vs 38Hz). |
| Amplifier needs |
evenly matched |
Similar sensitivity (88dB vs 88dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom |
evenly matched |
Similar power handling (250W vs 300W). |
| Size |
depends |
Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability |
depends |
KLH Kendall 2F: bi-amping; Polk R700: bi-amping. Polk R700 sits in a wider range (10 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price |
evenly matched |
Much the same money ($1,999 vs $2,198 a pair). |
A KLH Kendall 2F
B Polk R700
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement or how you will use them.
Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.