In this review, we will be comparing RP-8000F II and Demand D17, 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 Demand D17 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Klipsch RP-8000F II | Definitive Demand D17 |
|---|
| Brand | Klipsch
United States · founded 1946 | Definitive Technology
United States · founded 1990 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Tractrix Horn | 1" dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8" Cerametallic cone | 2 x 6.5" Carbon-fiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 32-25k Hz | 42-22k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 98 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 150 watts | 40-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 28.00kg / 61.6lbs | 29.10kg / 64lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 42-3/4" x 10-1/4" x 14-3/4"
1086.0 x 261.0 x 375.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Klipsch RP-8000F II and Definitive Demand D17 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 Demand D17 |
| 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.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that RP-8000F II is a 2-way design whereas the Demand D17 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 Demand D17
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 Demand D17 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8-inch
|
2 x 6.5-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 Demand D17 features a 1" aluminum dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Carbon-fiber Woofer.
Frequency Response
RP-8000F II has a frequency range of 32-25k Hz whereas Demand D17 has a frequency range of 42-22k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 32Hz, the RP-8000F II can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Demand D17'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
RP-8000F II and Demand D17 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 Demand D17's is at 87 dB. This 11 dB difference makes the Klipsch RP-8000F II a more sensitive speaker compared to Definitive Demand D17, 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.
Demand D17 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 Demand D17.
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
Both RP-8000F II and Demand D17 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Klipsch RP-8000F II's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Definitive Demand D17's 5-Way Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
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 Demand D17'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 Demand D17 has external dimensions of 1086.0 x 261.0 x 375.0mm (42-3/4 x 10-1/4 x 14-3/4inch).
Klipsch RP-8000F II is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 16mm wider, 11mm taller and 72mm deeper than Definitive Demand D17.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Klipsch RP-8000F II and Definitive Demand D17 in scale.
Comparison image of Klipsch RP-8000F II and Definitive Demand D17 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 Klipsch RP-8000F II is approximately 1238.2cm2 / 191.9inch2 and base area of the Definitive Demand D17 is approximately 978.8cm2 / 151.7inch2. The RP-8000F II requires 27% more surface area than the Demand D17 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 Demand D17 weighs 29.10kg / 64lbs. This makes the Demand D17 4% heavier than the RP-8000F II.
Here is a comparison of how RP-8000F II and Demand D17'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 Demand D17?
Here are the items that come with the Demand D17:
- Left floorstanindg loudspeaker
- Right floorstading loudspeaker
- 2 Grilles
- 4 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
- 2 Bases
- 8 Spike feet
- 8 Floor-glides
- 8 Lock-rings
- 8 Screws
- Cleaning cloth
- Owners Manual
 Sensitivity |
98 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
32 Hz
vs
42 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
25k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Dolby Atmos Drivers |
Optional
vs
No
|
Dolby Atmos Compatibility |
 Price per pair* |
1798USD
vs
2798USD
|
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 |
 Height |
1086mm
vs
1097mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
978cm2
vs
1238cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-8000F II |
Definitive Technology Demand D17 |
| Brand |
Klipsch |
Definitive Technology |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 150 watts |
40-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
98 dB |
87 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
32-25k Hz |
42-22k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Cerametallic cone |
Carbon-fiber |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Tractrix Horn |
dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
1630 Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1097.0mm (43.2") |
1086.0mm (42.8") |
| Width |
277.0mm (10.9") |
261.0mm (10.3") |
| Depth |
447.0mm (17.6") |
375.0mm (14.8") |
| Weight |
28.00kg (61.6lbs) |
29.10kg (64lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Passive Radiator |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
MDF/Aluminum |
| Available Colors |
Walnut, Black |
Gloss Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 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 | A | Klipsch RP-8000F II digs deeper - 32Hz against 42Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | A | Klipsch RP-8000F II is more sensitive (98dB vs 87dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | B | Definitive Demand D17 takes more power (300W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Definitive Demand D17 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 Demand D17: bi-amping. 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 $2,798, about 36% less. |
A Klipsch RP-8000F II B Definitive Demand D17
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 II is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take Definitive Demand D17 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. Match it to your room: we rate Klipsch RP-8000F II the better fit for a mid-size room, and Definitive Demand D17 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.