In this review, we will be comparing RP-8000F II and AE320, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Klipsch and Acoustic Energy.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Klipsch RP-8000F II and AE320 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Klipsch RP-8000F II Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Tractrix Horn Tweeter
- 2 x 8" Cerametallic cone Woofer
- 32-25k Hz Frequency Response
- 98 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:up to 150watts
- Weight:28.00kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1097.0" x 10-7/8" x 17-9/16"( 1097.0 x 277.0 x 447.0mm )
AE320 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1.1" dome with waveguide Tweeter
- 5.2" Midrange
- 2 x 5.2" ceramic aluminium sandwich Woofer
- 5.2" Midrange
- 35Hz - 30kHz Frequency Response
- 90 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:up to 200watts
- Weight:26.00kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1000.0" x 6.9" x 10.2"( 1000.0 x 175.0 x 260.0mm )
What size room are the Klipsch RP-8000F II and AE320 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* |
Klipsch RP-8000F II |
AE320 |
| 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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Klipsch RP-8000F II and AE320 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 RP-8000F II is a 2-way design whereas the AE320 is a 3-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 |
Klipsch RP-8000F II |
AE320 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1.1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5.2-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8-inch
|
2 x 5.2-inch
|
RP-8000F II features a 1" titanium Tractrix Horn Tweeter and 2 x 8" Cerametallic cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1630 Hz. On the other hand, the AE320 features a 1.1" aluminium dome with waveguide Tweeter , a 5.2" Midrange and 2 x 5.2" ceramic aluminium sandwich Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 380Hz and 3400Hz.
Frequency Response
RP-8000F II has a frequency range of 32-25k Hz whereas AE320 has a frequency range of 35Hz - 30kHz. With a minimum frequency of 32Hz, the RP-8000F II can go slightly deeper then the AE320's min frequency of 35Hz.
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
RP-8000F II and AE320 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. RP-8000F II sensitivity is rated at 98 dB and the AE320's is at 90 dB. This 8 dB difference makes the Klipsch RP-8000F II a more sensitive speaker compared to AE320, 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.
RP-8000F II can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS from the amp the whereas RP-8000F II has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS , 50 watts less than the AE320.
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.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both RP-8000F II and AE320 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.
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 Klipsch RP-8000F II's and AE320's external dimensions. Klipsch RP-8000F II has external dimensions of 1097.0 x 277.0 x 447.0mm ( 43-3/16 x 10-7/8 x 17-9/16inch) whereas AE320 has external dimensions of 1000.0 x 175.0 x 260.0mm ( 39.4 x 6.9 x 10.2inch) .
Klipsch RP-8000F II is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 102mm wider, 97mm taller and 187mm deeper than AE320.
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 Klipsch RP-8000F II is approximately 1238.2cm2 / 191.9inch2 and base area of the AE320 is approximately 455.0cm2 / 70.5inch2. The RP-8000F II requires 172% more surface area than the AE320 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.