In this review, we will be comparing RP-8000F II and Aria K2 936K2, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Klipsch and Focal.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Klipsch RP-8000F II and Focal Aria K2 936K2 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Klipsch RP-8000F II | Focal Aria K2 936K2 |
|---|
| Brand | Klipsch
United States · founded 1946 | Focal
France · founded 1979 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Tractrix Horn | 1" inverted dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8" Cerametallic cone | 3 x 6.5" K2 aramid fiber/fiberglass |
|---|
| Frequency response | 32-25k Hz | 39-28k 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 | 29.09kg / 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 | 45-3/16" x 11-9/16" x 14-11/16"
1148.0 x 294.0 x 374.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Klipsch RP-8000F II and Focal Aria K2 936K2 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 |
Focal Aria K2 936K2 |
| 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 Aria K2 936K2 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 IIFocal Aria K2 936K2
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 |
Focal Aria K2 936K2 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8-inch
|
3 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 Aria K2 936K2 features a 1" aluminum/magnesium with waveguide inverted dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 3 x 6.5" K2 aramid fiber/fiberglass Woofer.
Frequency Response
RP-8000F II has a frequency range of 32-25k Hz whereas Aria K2 936K2 has a frequency range of 39-28k 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 Aria K2 936K2's min frequency of 39Hz.
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 Aria K2 936K2 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 Aria K2 936K2's is at 92 dB. This 6 dB difference makes the Klipsch RP-8000F II a more sensitive speaker compared to Focal Aria K2 936K2, 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.
Aria K2 936K2 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 Aria K2 936K2.
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. Aria K2 936K2 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Klipsch RP-8000F II's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Focal Aria K2 936K2's Binding post 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 Focal Aria K2 936K2'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 Focal Aria K2 936K2 has external dimensions of 1148.0 x 294.0 x 374.0mm (45-3/16 x 11-9/16 x 14-11/16inch).
Klipsch RP-8000F II is 17mm narrower and 51mm shorter than Focal Aria K2 936K2 but it is also 73mm deeper.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Klipsch RP-8000F II and Focal Aria K2 936K2 in scale.
Comparison image of Klipsch RP-8000F II and Focal Aria K2 936K2 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 Focal Aria K2 936K2 is approximately 1099.6cm2 / 170.4inch2. The RP-8000F II requires 13% more surface area than the Aria K2 936K2 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 Focal Aria K2 936K2 weighs 29.09kg / 64lbs. This makes the Aria K2 936K2 4% heavier than the RP-8000F II.
Here is a comparison of how RP-8000F II and Aria K2 936K2'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 Focal Aria K2 936K2?
Here are the items that come with the Aria K2 936K2:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- Base
- 4 Spike feet (pre-installed in base)
- 4 Plastic feet
- 4 Screws
- Allen-key
- Hex-tool
- User Manual
 Sensitivity |
98 dB
vs
92 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
39 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Dolby Atmos Drivers |
Optional
vs
No
|
Dolby Atmos Compatibility |
 Height |
1097mm
vs
1148mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
1798USD
vs
6598USD
|
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 |
|
Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
 High Frequency Response |
28k Hz
vs
25k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
1099cm2
vs
1238cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-8000F II |
Focal Aria K2 936K2 |
| Brand |
Klipsch |
Focal |
| 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 |
| Impedance |
n/a |
2.8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
32-25k Hz |
39-28k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Cerametallic cone |
K2 aramid fiber/fiberglass |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Tractrix Horn |
inverted 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") |
1148.0mm (45.2") |
| Width |
277.0mm (10.9") |
294.0mm (11.6") |
| Depth |
447.0mm (17.6") |
374.0mm (14.7") |
| Weight |
28.00kg (61.6lbs) |
29.09kg (64lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
MDF/Glass/Leather |
| Available Colors |
Walnut, Black |
Grey |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Focal Aria K2 936K2 costs roughly 3.7x what Klipsch RP-8000F II 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 39Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | A | Klipsch RP-8000F II is more sensitive (98dB vs 92dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | B | Focal Aria K2 936K2 takes more power (300W 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. 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 $6,598, about 73% less; arguably a different class. |
A Klipsch RP-8000F II B Focal Aria K2 936K2
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 Focal Aria K2 936K2 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 39Hz 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 Focal Aria K2 936K2 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.