In this review, we will be comparing RP-8000F II and Ultra Tower, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Klipsch and SVS.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Klipsch RP-8000F II and SVS Ultra Tower first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Klipsch RP-8000F II | SVS Ultra Tower |
|---|
| Brand | Klipsch
United States · founded 1946 | SVS
United States · founded 1998 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Tractrix Horn | 1.0" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 2 x 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8" Cerametallic cone | 2 x 8.0" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 32-25k Hz | 28-32k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 98 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 150 watts | 20-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 28.00kg / 61.6lbs | 34.27kg / 75.4lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 45-5/8" x 13-15/16" x 17-1/2"
1159.0 x 355.0 x 445.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Klipsch RP-8000F II and SVS Ultra Tower 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 |
SVS Ultra Tower |
| 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 Ultra Tower 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 IISVS Ultra Tower
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 |
SVS Ultra Tower |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1.0-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
2 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8-inch
|
2 x 8.0-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 Ultra Tower features a 1.0" aluminum Dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8.0" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 160HZ and 2000Hz.
Frequency Response
RP-8000F II has a frequency range of 32-25k Hz whereas Ultra Tower has a frequency range of 28-32k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the Ultra Tower can go slightly deeper then 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 Ultra Tower 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 Ultra Tower's is at 88 dB. This 10 dB difference makes the Klipsch RP-8000F II a more sensitive speaker compared to SVS Ultra Tower, 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.
Ultra Tower 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 Ultra Tower.
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 Ultra Tower 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
SVS Ultra Tower's Binding 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 SVS Ultra Tower'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 SVS Ultra Tower has external dimensions of 1159.0 x 355.0 x 445.0mm (45-5/8 x 13-15/16 x 17-1/2inch).
Klipsch RP-8000F II is 78mm narrower and 62mm shorter than SVS Ultra Tower but it is also 2mm deeper.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Klipsch RP-8000F II and SVS Ultra Tower in scale.
Comparison image of Klipsch RP-8000F II and SVS Ultra Tower 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 SVS Ultra Tower is approximately 1579.8cm2 / 244.9inch2. The RP-8000F II requires 22% less surface area than the Ultra Tower 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 SVS Ultra Tower weighs 34.27kg / 75.4lbs. This makes the Ultra Tower 22% heavier than the RP-8000F II.
Here is a comparison of how RP-8000F II and Ultra Tower'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 SVS Ultra Tower?
Here are the items that come with the Ultra Tower:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Cloth grille
- 2 Metal grilles
- Foam port plug
- 4 Elastomer isolation feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Nuts
- 4 Protective discs
- 2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
- SVS brochure
- Online Product Registration Card
 Sensitivity |
98 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Dolby Atmos Drivers |
Optional
vs
No
|
Dolby Atmos Compatibility |
 Height |
1097mm
vs
1159mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1238cm2
vs
1579cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 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 |
 Low Frequency Response |
28 Hz
vs
32 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
32k Hz
vs
25k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
| General |
Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-8000F II |
SVS Ultra Tower |
| Brand |
Klipsch |
SVS |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 150 watts |
20-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
98 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
32-25k Hz |
28-32k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
8.0" |
| Woofer Composition |
Cerametallic cone |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1.0" |
| Tweeter Type |
Tractrix Horn |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
1630 Hz |
160HZ and 2000Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1097.0mm (43.2") |
1159.0mm (45.6") |
| Width |
277.0mm (10.9") |
355.0mm (14") |
| Depth |
447.0mm (17.6") |
445.0mm (17.5") |
| Weight |
28.00kg (61.6lbs) |
34.27kg (75.4lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
MDF/Oak veneer |
| Available Colors |
Walnut, Black |
Black Oak,Piano Gloss Black,Piano Gloss White |
| 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 2013 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 | SVS Ultra Tower digs deeper - 28Hz against 32Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | A | Klipsch RP-8000F II is more sensitive (98dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | B | SVS Ultra Tower takes more power (300W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Klipsch RP-8000F II is easier to place; SVS Ultra Tower is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | A | Klipsch RP-8000F II: bi-amping and Atmos drivers; SVS Ultra Tower: 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 $2,600, about 31% less. |
A Klipsch RP-8000F II B SVS Ultra Tower
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?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. Match it to your room: we rate Klipsch RP-8000F II the better fit for a mid-size room, and SVS Ultra Tower for a very large room. 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.
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.