In this review, we will be comparing RP-8000F II and Airmotiv T2+, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Klipsch and Emotiva.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Klipsch RP-8000F II and Emotiva Airmotiv T2+ first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Klipsch RP-8000F II | Emotiva Airmotiv T2+ |
|---|
| Brand | Klipsch
United States · founded 1946 | Emotiva
United States · founded 2003 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Tractrix Horn | 25×32 mm" folded ribbon |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 5.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8" Cerametallic cone | 2 x 8" woven fiber cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 32-25k Hz | 35 Hz – 28 kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 98 dB | 91 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 150 watts | Up to 200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 28.00kg / 61.6lbs | 25.90kg / 57lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 42-11/16" x 12-3/16" x 17-1/4"
1085.0 x 310.0 x 439.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Klipsch RP-8000F II and Emotiva Airmotiv T2+ 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 |
Emotiva Airmotiv T2+ |
| 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 RP-8000F II is a 2-way design whereas the Airmotiv T2+ 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 IIEmotiva Airmotiv T2+
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 |
Emotiva Airmotiv T2+ |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
25×32 mm-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8-inch
|
2 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 Airmotiv T2+ features a 25×32 mm" folded ribbon Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 2 x 8" woven fiber cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 350 Hz and 3200Hz.
Frequency Response
RP-8000F II has a frequency range of 32-25k Hz whereas Airmotiv T2+ has a frequency range of 35 Hz – 28 kHz. With a minimum frequency of 32Hz, the RP-8000F II can go slightly deeper then the Airmotiv T2+'s min frequency of 35Hz.
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 is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the Airmotiv T2+ which has a nominal impedance of 4 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Airmotiv T2+ can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. RP-8000F II sensitivity is rated at 98 dB and the Airmotiv T2+'s is rated at 91 dB. This 7 dB difference makes the Klipsch RP-8000F II a more sensitive speaker compared to Emotiva Airmotiv T2+, 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.
Airmotiv T2+ can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas RP-8000F II has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Airmotiv T2+.
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 Airmotiv T2+ 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
Emotiva Airmotiv T2+'s Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both RP-8000F II and Airmotiv T2+ 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
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 Emotiva Airmotiv T2+'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 Emotiva Airmotiv T2+ has external dimensions of 1085.0 x 310.0 x 439.0mm (42-11/16 x 12-3/16 x 17-1/4inch).
Emotiva Airmotiv T2+ is 12mm shorter and 8mm less deeper than Klipsch RP-8000F II but it is also 33mm 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 Emotiva Airmotiv T2+ is approximately 1360.9cm2 / 210.9inch2. The RP-8000F II requires 9% less surface area than the Airmotiv T2+ 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 Klipsch RP-8000F II weighs 28.00kg / 61.6lbs and the Emotiva Airmotiv T2+ weighs 25.90kg / 57lbs. This makes the RP-8000F II 8% heavier than the Airmotiv T2+.
Here is a comparison of how RP-8000F II and Airmotiv T2+'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
 Sensitivity |
98 dB
vs
91 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Low Frequency Response |
32 Hz
vs
35 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Dolby Atmos Drivers |
Optional
vs
No
|
Dolby Atmos Compatibility |
 Base Surface Area |
1238cm2
vs
1360cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 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 |
 High Frequency Response |
28k Hz
vs
25k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
1085mm
vs
1097mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
1099USD
vs
1798USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-8000F II |
Emotiva Airmotiv T2+ |
| Brand |
Klipsch |
Emotiva |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 150 watts |
Up to 200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
98 dB |
91 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
32-25k Hz |
35 Hz – 28 kHz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Cerametallic cone |
woven fiber cone |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
n/a |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
25×32 mm" |
| Tweeter Type |
Tractrix Horn |
folded ribbon |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
5.25" |
| Crossover Frequency |
1630 Hz |
350 Hz and 3200Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1097.0mm (43.2") |
1085.0mm (42.7") |
| Width |
277.0mm (10.9") |
310.0mm (12.2") |
| Depth |
447.0mm (17.6") |
439.0mm (17.3") |
| Weight |
28.00kg (61.6lbs) |
25.90kg (57lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
HDF |
| Available Colors |
Walnut, Black |
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 |
These sit in different price classes - Klipsch RP-8000F II costs roughly 1.6x what Emotiva Airmotiv T2+ does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Klipsch RP-8000F II digs deeper - 32Hz against 35Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | A | Klipsch RP-8000F II is more sensitive (98dB vs 91dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | A | Klipsch RP-8000F II is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | B | Emotiva Airmotiv T2+ takes more power (200W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | A | Klipsch RP-8000F II: bi-amping and Atmos drivers; Emotiva Airmotiv T2+: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | Emotiva Airmotiv T2+ is cheaper - $1,099 against $1,798, about 39% less; arguably a different class. |
A Klipsch RP-8000F II B Emotiva Airmotiv T2+
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?
The usual trade-off: Klipsch RP-8000F II measures better, Emotiva Airmotiv T2+ costs about about 64% more% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Klipsch RP-8000F II is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $699 saved by taking the cheaper pair would buy a subwoofer or a better amplifier, and either usually does more for the sound than the difference between these two.
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.