In this review, we will be comparing RP-8203F and Kendall, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Klipsch and KLH.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Klipsch RP-8203F and KLH Kendall first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Klipsch RP-8203F | KLH Kendall |
|---|
| Brand | Klipsch
United States · founded 1946 | KLH
United States · founded 1957 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Tractrix Horn | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 5.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8" Cerametallic | 2 x 6.5" Woven Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 35-25k Hz | 25-23k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 98 dB | 96 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 150 watts | up to 250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | — | 22.14kg / 48.7lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 43-1/8" x 10-13/16" x 18-1/4"
1095.0 x 275.0 x 463.0mm | 40-3/16" x 8-5/16" x 14-15/16"
1021.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm |
|---|
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-8203F is a 2-way design whereas the Kendall 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-8203FKLH Kendall
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-8203F |
KLH Kendall |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
RP-8203F features a 1" titanium Tractrix Horn Tweeter and 2 x 8" Cerametallic Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1630 Hz. On the other hand, the Kendall features a 1" anodized aluminum Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Woven Kevlar Woofer.
Frequency Response
RP-8203F has a frequency range of 35-25k Hz whereas Kendall has a frequency range of 25-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 25Hz, the Kendall can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the RP-8203F'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-8203F and Kendall have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. RP-8203F sensitivity is rated at 98 dB and the Kendall's is at 96 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Klipsch RP-8203F a more sensitive speaker compared to KLH Kendall, 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.
Kendall can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas RP-8203F has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Kendall.
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-8203F and Kendall features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
KLH Kendall'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-8203F's and KLH Kendall's external dimensions. Klipsch RP-8203F has external dimensions of 1095.0 x 275.0 x 463.0mm (43-1/8 x 10-13/16 x 18-1/4inch) whereas KLH Kendall has external dimensions of 1021.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm (40-3/16 x 8-5/16 x 14-15/16inch).
Klipsch RP-8203F is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 63mm wider, 74mm taller and 83mm deeper than KLH Kendall.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Klipsch RP-8203F needs about 58% more floor or shelf area. Klipsch RP-8203F is 83mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Klipsch RP-8203F is 74mm taller.
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-8203F is approximately 1273.3cm2 / 197.4inch2 and base area of the KLH Kendall is approximately 805.6cm2 / 124.9inch2. The RP-8203F requires 58% more surface area than the Kendall which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of KLH Kendall?
Here are the items that come with the Kendall:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- Foam port
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spike feet (with nuts)
- 4 Protective discs
- Manual