In this review, we will be comparing R-610F and R-820F, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Klipsch.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Klipsch R-610F and Klipsch R-820F first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Klipsch R-610F | Klipsch R-820F |
|---|
| Brand | Klipsch
United States · founded 1946 | Klipsch
United States · founded 1946 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.0" | 1" |
|---|
| Woofer | 6.5" Copper-spun IMG | 2 x 8" Copper-spun IMG |
|---|
| Frequency response | 45-21k Hz | 35-21k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 94 dB | 97 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 85 watts | up to 150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 16.36kg / 36lbs | 24.55kg / 54lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 37-1/16" x 9-3/8" x 14-1/2"
942.0 x 239.0 x 369.0mm | 43-1/8" x 10-7/8" x 16-3/4"
1096.0 x 277.0 x 426.0mm |
|---|
R-610F and R-820F are members of Klipsch's Reference (R) Floor-standing series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Klipsch Reference (R) Floor-standing Series
History
What size room are the Klipsch R-610F and Klipsch R-820F 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 R-610F |
Klipsch R-820F |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Bad |
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
Both R-610F and R-820F are 2-way speakers.
Klipsch R-610FKlipsch R-820F
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Klipsch R-610F |
Klipsch R-820F |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.0-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
R-610F features a 1.0" Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Copper-spun IMG Woofer. On the other hand, the R-820F features a 1" Tweeter and 2 x 8" Copper-spun IMG Woofer.
Frequency Response
R-610F has a frequency range of 45-21k Hz whereas R-820F has a frequency range of 35-21k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 35Hz, the R-820F can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the R-610F's min frequency of 45Hz.
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
R-610F and R-820F have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. R-610F sensitivity is rated at 94 dB and the R-820F's is at 97 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Klipsch R-820F a more sensitive speaker compared to Klipsch R-610F, 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.
R-820F can handle a max power of 150 watts RMS, whereas R-610F has a max power handling value of 85 watts RMS, 65 watts less than the R-820F.
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
R-610F features Post type posts and R-820F has a Post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Klipsch R-610F's 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 R-610F's and Klipsch R-820F's external dimensions. Klipsch R-610F has external dimensions of 942.0 x 239.0 x 369.0mm (37-1/16 x 9-3/8 x 14-1/2inch) whereas Klipsch R-820F has external dimensions of 1096.0 x 277.0 x 426.0mm (43-1/8 x 10-7/8 x 16-3/4inch).
Klipsch R-820F is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 38mm wider, 154mm taller and 57mm deeper than Klipsch R-610F.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Klipsch R-610F and Klipsch R-820F in scale.
Comparison image of Klipsch R-610F and Klipsch R-820F 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 R-610F is approximately 881.9cm2 / 136.7inch2 and base area of the Klipsch R-820F is approximately 1180.0cm2 / 182.9inch2. The R-610F requires 25% less surface area than the R-820F 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 R-610F weighs 16.36kg / 36lbs and the Klipsch R-820F weighs 24.55kg / 54lbs. This makes the R-820F 50% heavier than the R-610F.
Here is a comparison of how R-610F and R-820F'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 R-610F?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of R-610F:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille (installed)
- 2 Feet
- 4 Screws
- Quick Setup Guide
- Important Safety Instructions
- Warranty Information
- Loudspeaker Feet note
What's in the Box of Klipsch R-820F?
Here are the items that come with the R-820F:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille (installed)
- 2 Feet
- 4 Screws
- Quick Setup Guide
- Important Safety Instructions
- Warranty Information
- Loudspeaker Feet note
 Height |
942mm
vs
1096mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
881cm2
vs
1180cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
778USD
vs
1198USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
150 watts
vs
85 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
97 dB
vs
94 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
35 Hz
vs
45 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
| General |
Klipsch Reference R-610F |
Klipsch Reference R-820F |
| Brand |
Klipsch |
Klipsch |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 85 watts |
up to 150 watts |
| Sensitivity |
94 dB |
97 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
45-21k Hz |
35-21k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Copper-spun IMG |
Copper-spun IMG |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.0" |
1" |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
942.0mm (37.1") |
1096.0mm (43.1") |
| Width |
239.0mm (9.4") |
277.0mm (10.9") |
| Depth |
369.0mm (14.5") |
426.0mm (16.8") |
| Weight |
16.36kg (36lbs) |
24.55kg (54lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
Siblings in Klipsch's Reference (R) Floor-standing series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Klipsch R-820F digs deeper - 35Hz against 45Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Klipsch R-820F is more sensitive (97dB vs 94dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | B | Klipsch R-820F takes more power (150W vs 85W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Klipsch R-610F is easier to place; Klipsch R-820F is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Price | A | Klipsch R-610F is cheaper - $778 against $1,198, about 35% less. |
A Klipsch R-610F B Klipsch R-820F
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 R-820F measures better, Klipsch R-610F costs about about 54% 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 a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 45Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Klipsch R-610F much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Klipsch R-610F the better fit for a small room, and Klipsch R-820F for a 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.