In this review, we will be comparing RP-8000F II and BP-9040, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Klipsch and Definitive Technology.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Klipsch RP-8000F II and Definitive BP-9040 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Klipsch RP-8000F II | Definitive BP-9040 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Tractrix Horn | 1" dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 3 x 4.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8" Cerametallic cone | 8" Polypropelene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 32-25k Hz | 22-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 98 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 150 watts | 50-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 28.00kg / 61.6lbs | 16.36kg / 36lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 43-3/16" x 10-7/8" x 17-9/16"
1097.0 x 277.0 x 447.0mm | 39-1/16" x 11-1/16" x 13-13/16"
993.0 x 281.0 x 351.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Klipsch RP-8000F II and Definitive BP-9040 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 |
Definitive BP-9040 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that RP-8000F II is a 2-way design whereas the BP-9040 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.
Klipsch RP-8000F IIDefinitive BP-9040
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Klipsch RP-8000F II |
Definitive BP-9040 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
3 x 4.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8-inch
|
1 x 8-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 BP-9040 features a 1" annealed aluminum dome Tweeter, a 4.5" Midrange and 1 x 8" Polypropelene Woofer.
Frequency Response
RP-8000F II has a frequency range of 32-25k Hz whereas BP-9040 has a frequency range of 22-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 22Hz, the BP-9040 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the RP-8000F II's min frequency of 32Hz.
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
RP-8000F II and BP-9040 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 BP-9040's is at 92 dB. This 6 dB difference makes the Klipsch RP-8000F II a more sensitive speaker compared to Definitive BP-9040, 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.
BP-9040 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas RP-8000F II has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 150 watts less than the BP-9040.
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 II features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. BP-9040 has a 5-Way post, RCA which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Klipsch RP-8000F II's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Definitive BP-9040's 5-Way post, RCA terminals
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 Klipsch RP-8000F II's and Definitive BP-9040'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 Definitive BP-9040 has external dimensions of 993.0 x 281.0 x 351.0mm (39-1/16 x 11-1/16 x 13-13/16inch).
Definitive BP-9040 is 104mm shorter and 96mm less deeper than Klipsch RP-8000F II but it is also 4mm wider.
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 Definitive BP-9040 is approximately 986.3cm2 / 152.9inch2. The RP-8000F II requires 26% more surface area than the BP-9040 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 Klipsch RP-8000F II weighs 28.00kg / 61.6lbs and the Definitive BP-9040 weighs 16.36kg / 36lbs. This makes the RP-8000F II 71% heavier than the BP-9040.
Here is a comparison of how RP-8000F II and BP-9040'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 Klipsch RP-8000F II?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of RP-8000F II:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Stabilizer feet (pre-installed)
- Grille
- 2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)
- Rubber cap (pre-installed)
- User Manual
- Important Safety Instructions
- Warranty Information
What's in the Box of Definitive BP-9040?
Here are the items that come with the BP-9040:
- Tower loudspeaker
- 6.5-feet AC power cord
- Top-plate (installed)
- Stabilizer base
- 4 Floor guides
- 4 Carpet spikes
- 4 Screws
- 4 Nuts
- Owners Manual
- What Obsession Sounds Like card
 Sensitivity |
98 dB
vs
92 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Price per pair* |
1798USD
vs
1998USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
150 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
|
Low Frequency Response |
22 Hz
vs
32 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
25k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
993mm
vs
1097mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
986cm2
vs
1238cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-8000F II |
Definitive Technology BP-9040 |
| Brand |
Klipsch |
Definitive Technology |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 150 watts |
50-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
98 dB |
92 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
32-25k Hz |
22-40k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Cerametallic cone |
Polypropelene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Tractrix Horn |
dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
4.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
1630 Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1097.0mm (43.2") |
993.0mm (39.1") |
| Width |
277.0mm (10.9") |
281.0mm (11.1") |
| Depth |
447.0mm (17.6") |
351.0mm (13.8") |
| Weight |
28.00kg (61.6lbs) |
16.36kg (36lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Passive Radiator |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
MDF/Aluminum/Cloth |
| Available Colors |
Walnut, Black |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
n/a |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
A generation apart: Klipsch RP-8000F II is the newer design, against a 2016 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 |
Definitive BP-9040 digs deeper - 22Hz against 32Hz. |
| Amplifier needs |
A |
Klipsch RP-8000F II is more sensitive (98dB vs 92dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom |
B |
Definitive BP-9040 takes more power (300W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size |
depends |
Definitive BP-9040 is easier to place; Klipsch RP-8000F II is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Cabinet |
depends |
Ported vs Passive Radiator. |
| Expandability |
A |
Klipsch RP-8000F II: bi-amping and Atmos drivers; Definitive BP-9040: Atmos drivers. Klipsch RP-8000F II sits in a wider range (10 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price |
A |
Klipsch RP-8000F II is cheaper - $1,798 against $1,998, about 10% less. |
A Klipsch RP-8000F II
B Definitive BP-9040
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. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 32Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Klipsch RP-8000F II much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Klipsch RP-8000F II the better fit for a mid-size room, and Definitive BP-9040 for a very large room.
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.