In this review, we will be comparing Model Five and RP-8000F, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from KLH and Klipsch.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of KLH Model Five and Klipsch RP-8000F first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | KLH Model Five | Klipsch RP-8000F |
|---|
| Brand | KLH
United States · founded 1957 | Klipsch
United States · founded 1946 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Hard-Dome | 1" Tractrix Horn |
|---|
| Midrange | 4" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 10" Pulp-Paper | 2 x 8" Cerametallic |
|---|
| Frequency response | 42-20k Hz | 32-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90.5 dB | 98 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-200 watts | up to 150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 20.00kg / 44lbs | 27.27kg / 60lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 34-1/4" x 13-3/4" x 13"
870.0 x 350.0 x 330.0mm | 43-1/4" x 10-7/8" x 17-1/2"
1099.0 x 277.0 x 445.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the KLH Model Five and Klipsch RP-8000F 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 Model Five |
Klipsch RP-8000F |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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 Model Five is a 3-way design whereas the RP-8000F 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 Model FiveKlipsch RP-8000F
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 Model Five |
Klipsch RP-8000F |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 10-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
Model Five features a 1" aluminum Hard-Dome Tweeter, a 4" Midrange and 1 x 10" Pulp-Paper Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 380Hz and 2850Hz. On the other hand, the RP-8000F features a 1" Tractrix Horn Tweeter and 2 x 8" Cerametallic Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1750 Hz.
Frequency Response
Model Five has a frequency range of 42-20k Hz whereas RP-8000F has a frequency range of 32-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 32Hz, the RP-8000F can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Model Five's min frequency of 42Hz.
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
Model Five is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the RP-8000F which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Model Five sensitivity is rated at 90.5 dB and the RP-8000F's is rated at 98 dB. This 7 dB difference makes the Klipsch RP-8000F a more sensitive speaker compared to KLH Model Five, 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.
Model Five can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas RP-8000F has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Model Five.
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
RP-8000F features Post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Model Five has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
KLH Model Five's Binding post terminals
Klipsch RP-8000F's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Klipsch RP-8000F 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 Model Five's and Klipsch RP-8000F's external dimensions. KLH Model Five has external dimensions of 870.0 x 350.0 x 330.0mm (34-1/4 x 13-3/4 x 13inch) whereas Klipsch RP-8000F has external dimensions of 1099.0 x 277.0 x 445.0mm (43-1/4 x 10-7/8 x 17-1/2inch).
KLH Model Five is 229mm shorter and 115mm less deeper than Klipsch RP-8000F but it is also 73mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of KLH Model Five and Klipsch RP-8000F in scale.
Comparison image of KLH Model Five and Klipsch RP-8000F 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 Model Five is approximately 1155.0cm2 / 179.0inch2 and base area of the Klipsch RP-8000F is approximately 1232.7cm2 / 191.1inch2. The Model Five requires 6% less surface area than the RP-8000F which gives it a small advantage 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 Model Five weighs 20.00kg / 44lbs and the Klipsch RP-8000F weighs 27.27kg / 60lbs. This makes the RP-8000F 36% heavier than the Model Five.
Here is a comparison of how Model Five and RP-8000F'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 Model Five?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Model Five:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Riser base
- Grille
- Owners Manual
What's in the Box of Klipsch RP-8000F?
Here are the items that come with the RP-8000F:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Stabilizer feet (installed)
- Grille (installed)
- 2 Terminal jumpers (installed)
- User Manual
- Important Safety Instructions
- Warranty Information
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
150 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Woofer Size |
10 inches
vs
8 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Height |
870mm
vs
1099mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1155cm2
vs
1232cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Sensitivity |
98 dB
vs
91 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
32 Hz
vs
42 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
25k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Price per pair* |
1658USD
vs
2500USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
KLH Model Five |
Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-8000F |
| Brand |
KLH |
Klipsch |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-200 watts |
up to 150 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90.5 dB |
98 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.5 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
42-20k Hz |
32-25k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
10" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Pulp-Paper |
Cerametallic |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Hard-Dome |
Tractrix Horn |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
4" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
380Hz and 2850Hz |
1750 Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
870.0mm (34.3") |
1099.0mm (43.3") |
| Width |
350.0mm (13.8") |
277.0mm (10.9") |
| Depth |
330.0mm (13") |
445.0mm (17.5") |
| Weight |
20.00kg (44lbs) |
27.27kg (60lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Acoustic Suspension |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood Veneer |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
English Walnut, West African Mahogany |
Walnut, Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
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 | B | Klipsch RP-8000F digs deeper - 32Hz against 42Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Klipsch RP-8000F is more sensitive (98dB vs 91dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | Klipsch RP-8000F is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | A | KLH Model Five takes more power (200W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | KLH Model Five is easier to place; Klipsch RP-8000F is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Cabinet | depends | Sealed vs Ported. Sealed is tighter and happier near a wall; ported digs lower but wants space behind it. |
| Expandability | B | Klipsch RP-8000F: bi-amping. Klipsch RP-8000F sits in a wider range (17 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | Klipsch RP-8000F is cheaper - $1,658 against $2,500, about 34% less. |
A KLH Model Five B Klipsch RP-8000F
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system 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?
Klipsch RP-8000F is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take KLH Model Five if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 42Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Klipsch RP-8000F is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
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.