In this review, we will be comparing R-820F and S60, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Klipsch and Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Klipsch R-820F and Polk S60 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Klipsch R-820F | Polk S60 |
|---|
| Brand | Klipsch
United States · founded 1946 | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8" Copper-spun IMG | 3 x 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 35-21k Hz | 26-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 97 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 150 watts | 20-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 24.55kg / 54lbs | 23.60kg / 51.9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 43-1/8" x 10-7/8" x 16-3/4"
1096.0 x 277.0 x 426.0mm | 44-1/2" x 11-3/4" x 15-3/4"
1131.0 x 299.0 x 401.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Klipsch R-820F and Polk S60 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-820F |
Polk S60 |
| 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
Both R-820F and S60 are 2-way speakers.
Klipsch R-820FPolk S60
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-820F |
Polk S60 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8-inch
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
R-820F features a 1" Tweeter and 2 x 8" Copper-spun IMG Woofer. On the other hand, the S60 features a 1" Terylene Dome Tweeter and 3 x 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz.
Frequency Response
R-820F has a frequency range of 35-21k Hz whereas S60 has a frequency range of 26-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 26Hz, the S60 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the R-820F'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
R-820F and S60 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. R-820F sensitivity is rated at 97 dB and the S60's is at 90 dB. This 7 dB difference makes the Klipsch R-820F a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk S60, 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.
S60 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas R-820F has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 150 watts less than the S60.
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
S60 features 5-way post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. R-820F has a Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Polk S60's 5-way post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Polk S60 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 R-820F's and Polk S60's external dimensions. 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) whereas Polk S60 has external dimensions of 1131.0 x 299.0 x 401.0mm (44-1/2 x 11-3/4 x 15-3/4inch).
Klipsch R-820F is 22mm narrower and 35mm shorter than Polk S60 but it is also 25mm deeper.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Klipsch R-820F and Polk S60 in scale.
Comparison image of Klipsch R-820F and Polk S60 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-820F is approximately 1180.0cm2 / 182.9inch2 and base area of the Polk S60 is approximately 1199.0cm2 / 185.8inch2. The R-820F requires 2% less surface area than the S60 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-820F weighs 24.55kg / 54lbs and the Polk S60 weighs 23.60kg / 51.9lbs. This makes the R-820F 4% heavier than the S60.
Here is a comparison of how R-820F and S60'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-820F?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of R-820F:
- 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 Polk S60?
Here are the items that come with the S60:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille (attached)
- 4 Feet (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
- Online Product Registration
 Sensitivity |
97 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Height |
1096mm
vs
1131mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1180cm2
vs
1199cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
150 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
|
Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
26 Hz
vs
35 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
21k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Price per pair* |
898USD
vs
1198USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Klipsch Reference R-820F |
Polk Audio Signature S60 |
| Brand |
Klipsch |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 150 watts |
20-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
97 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
35-21k Hz |
26-40k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Copper-spun IMG |
Mica-reinforced polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Butyl rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
n/a |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
2500Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1096.0mm (43.1") |
1131.0mm (44.5") |
| Width |
277.0mm (10.9") |
299.0mm (11.8") |
| Depth |
426.0mm (16.8") |
401.0mm (15.8") |
| Weight |
24.55kg (54lbs) |
23.60kg (51.9lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
Meddite MDF |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Polk S60 digs deeper - 26Hz against 35Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | A | Klipsch R-820F is more sensitive (97dB vs 90dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | B | Polk S60 takes more power (300W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | B | Polk S60: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | Polk S60 is cheaper - $898 against $1,198, about 25% less. |
A Klipsch R-820F B Polk S60
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?
Polk S60 is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take Klipsch R-820F 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 35Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate Klipsch R-820F the better fit for a mid-size room, and Polk S60 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.