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.
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 )
Polk R700 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter
- 6.5" Midrange
- 2 x 8" Polypropylene Woofer
- 6.5" Midrange
- 38-38k Hz Frequency Response
- 88 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:50-300watts
- Weight:35.90kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1143.8" 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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the KLH Kendall 2F and Polk R700 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
Both Kendall 2F and R700 are 3-way speakers.
| 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.
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 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. 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 300 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Kendall 2F has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS , 50 watts less than the R700.
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 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
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 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.
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