In this review, we will be comparing Kendall 2F and Prime Tower, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from KLH and SVS.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of KLH Kendall 2F and SVS Prime Tower first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | KLH Kendall 2F | SVS Prime Tower |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Hard-Dome | 1" dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.25" | 4.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Aluminum | 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 36-20k Hz | 30-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 250 watts | 20-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 26.82kg / 59lbs | 18.23kg / 40.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 41" x 12-3/4" x 19"
1042.0 x 324.0 x 483.0mm | 36-5/8" x 8" x 11-11/16"
931.0 x 204.0 x 297.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the KLH Kendall 2F and SVS Prime Tower 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 |
SVS Prime Tower |
| 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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through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both Kendall 2F and Prime Tower are 3-way speakers.
KLH Kendall 2FSVS Prime Tower
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 |
SVS Prime Tower |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.25-inch |
1 x 4.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 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 Prime Tower features a 1" aluminum dome Tweeter, a 4.5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 350Hz and 2100Hz.
Frequency Response
Kendall 2F has a frequency range of 36-20k Hz whereas Prime Tower has a frequency range of 30-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 30Hz, the Prime Tower can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Kendall 2F's min frequency of 36Hz.
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 Prime Tower 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 Prime Tower's is at 87 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the KLH Kendall 2F a more sensitive speaker compared to SVS Prime Tower, 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.
Both handle the same maximum of 250 watts RMS, though Kendall 2F is rated 250 watts and Prime Tower 20-250 watts.
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
Kendall 2F features 5-Way post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Prime Tower has a 5-Way post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
KLH Kendall 2F's 5-Way post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
SVS Prime Tower's 5-Way post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Kendall 2F and Prime Tower 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.
New
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 SVS Prime Tower'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 SVS Prime Tower has external dimensions of 931.0 x 204.0 x 297.0mm (36-5/8 x 8 x 11-11/16inch).
KLH Kendall 2F is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 120mm wider, 111mm taller and 186mm deeper than SVS Prime Tower.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of KLH Kendall 2F and SVS Prime Tower in scale.
Comparison image of KLH Kendall 2F and SVS Prime Tower 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 SVS Prime Tower is approximately 605.9cm2 / 93.9inch2. The Kendall 2F requires 158% more surface area than the Prime Tower 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 SVS Prime Tower weighs 18.23kg / 40.1lbs. This makes the Kendall 2F 47% heavier than the Prime Tower.
Here is a comparison of how Kendall 2F and Prime Tower'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 SVS Prime Tower?
Here are the items that come with the Prime Tower:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille (pre-installed)
- 4 Elastomer isolation feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Nuts
- 4 Protective discs
- Owners Manual
- SVS brochure
- Online Product Registration Card
 Sensitivity |
88 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Low Frequency Response |
30 Hz
vs
36 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
25k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
931mm
vs
1042mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
605cm2
vs
1564cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1400USD
vs
1999USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
KLH Kendall 2F |
SVS Prime Tower |
| Brand |
KLH |
SVS |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
250 watts |
20-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
87 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
36-20k Hz |
30-25k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aluminum |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Butyl Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Hard-Dome |
dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.25" |
4.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
800-2500 HZ |
350Hz and 2100Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1042.0mm (41") |
931.0mm (36.7") |
| Width |
324.0mm (12.8") |
204.0mm (8") |
| Depth |
483.0mm (19") |
297.0mm (11.7") |
| Weight |
26.82kg (59lbs) |
18.23kg (40.1lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood veneer |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black Oak,English Walnut |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
10 years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
10 years |
5 Years |
A generation apart: KLH Kendall 2F is the newer design, against a 2015 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass |
B |
SVS Prime Tower digs deeper - 30Hz against 36Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs |
evenly matched |
Similar sensitivity (88dB vs 87dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom |
evenly matched |
Similar power handling (250W vs 250W). |
| Size |
depends |
SVS Prime Tower is easier to place; KLH Kendall 2F is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability |
depends |
KLH Kendall 2F: bi-amping. SVS Prime Tower sits in a wider range (8 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price |
B |
SVS Prime Tower is cheaper - $1,400 against $1,999, about 30% less. |
A KLH Kendall 2F
B SVS Prime Tower
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?
SVS Prime Tower has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 36Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. In a large or open-plan room, KLH Kendall 2F has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, SVS Prime Tower is the easier speaker to get right.
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.