In this review, we will be comparing RP-8000F II and Motion 40i, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Klipsch and MartinLogan.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Klipsch RP-8000F II and MartinLogan 40i first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Klipsch RP-8000F II | MartinLogan 40i |
|---|
| Brand | Klipsch
United States · founded 1946 | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Tractrix Horn | 1.0 x 1.4" Folded Motion |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 5.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8" Cerametallic cone | 2 x 6.5" Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 32-25k Hz | 40-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 98 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 150 watts | 20-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 28.00kg / 61.6lbs | 20.40kg / 44.9lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 41-1/2" x 7-9/16" x 13-1/16"
1055.0 x 193.0 x 332.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Klipsch RP-8000F II and MartinLogan 40i 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 |
MartinLogan 40i |
| 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 Motion 40i 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 IIMartinLogan 40i
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 |
MartinLogan 40i |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1.0 x 1.4-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5.5-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 Motion 40i features a 1.0 x 1.4" Folded Motion Tweeter, a 5.5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 500Hz and 2600Hz.
Frequency Response
RP-8000F II has a frequency range of 32-25k Hz whereas Motion 40i has a frequency range of 40-25k 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 Motion 40i's min frequency of 40Hz.
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 Motion 40i 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 Motion 40i can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. RP-8000F II sensitivity is rated at 98 dB and the Motion 40i's is rated at 92 dB. This 6 dB difference makes the Klipsch RP-8000F II a more sensitive speaker compared to MartinLogan 40i, 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.
Motion 40i 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 Motion 40i.
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 Motion 40i 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
MartinLogan 40i's Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both RP-8000F II and Motion 40i 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.
MartinLogan 40i Port
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 MartinLogan 40i'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 MartinLogan 40i has external dimensions of 1055.0 x 193.0 x 332.0mm (41-1/2 x 7-9/16 x 13-1/16inch).
Klipsch RP-8000F II is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 84mm wider, 42mm taller and 115mm deeper than MartinLogan 40i.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Klipsch RP-8000F II and MartinLogan 40i in scale.
Comparison image of Klipsch RP-8000F II and MartinLogan 40i 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 MartinLogan 40i is approximately 640.8cm2 / 99.3inch2. The RP-8000F II requires 93% more surface area than the Motion 40i 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 MartinLogan 40i weighs 20.40kg / 44.9lbs. This makes the RP-8000F II 37% heavier than the Motion 40i.
Here is a comparison of how RP-8000F II and Motion 40i'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 MartinLogan 40i?
Here are the items that come with the Motion 40i:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- 2 Grilles
- 4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet (w/ nuts attached)
- Users Manual
- Warranty/Registration Information
 Sensitivity |
98 dB
vs
92 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
32 Hz
vs
40 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Dolby Atmos Drivers |
Optional
vs
No
|
Dolby Atmos Compatibility |
 Price per pair* |
1798USD
vs
2600USD
|
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 |
1055mm
vs
1097mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
640cm2
vs
1238cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-8000F II |
MartinLogan Motion 40i |
| Brand |
Klipsch |
MartinLogan |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 150 watts |
20-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
98 dB |
92 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
32-25k Hz |
40-25k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Cerametallic cone |
Aluminum |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1.0 x 1.4" |
| Tweeter Type |
Tractrix Horn |
Folded Motion |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
5.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
1630 Hz |
500Hz and 2600Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
| Suggested Break-in Period |
n/a |
Allow 72 hours of break-in at 90 dB |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1097.0mm (43.2") |
1055.0mm (41.5") |
| Width |
277.0mm (10.9") |
193.0mm (7.6") |
| Depth |
447.0mm (17.6") |
332.0mm (13.1") |
| Weight |
28.00kg (61.6lbs) |
20.40kg (44.9lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
Walnut, Black |
Gloss Black, Matt White, Red Walnut |
| 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 |
A generation apart: Klipsch RP-8000F II is the newer design, against a 2018 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Klipsch RP-8000F II digs deeper - 32Hz against 40Hz. 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. |
| 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 | MartinLogan 40i takes more power (300W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | MartinLogan 40i is easier to place; Klipsch RP-8000F II is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Klipsch RP-8000F II: bi-amping and Atmos drivers; MartinLogan 40i: bi-amping. MartinLogan 40i sits in a wider range (18 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | A | Klipsch RP-8000F II is cheaper - $1,798 against $2,600, about 31% less. |
A Klipsch RP-8000F II B MartinLogan 40i
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 MartinLogan 40i 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 40Hz 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 MartinLogan 40i 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.