In this review, we will be comparing RF-7 III and R7, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Klipsch and KEF.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Klipsch RF-7 III and KEF R7 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Klipsch RF-7 III | KEF R7 |
|---|
| Brand | Klipsch
United States · founded 1946 | KEF
United Kingdom · founded 1961 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Uni-Q driver | — | 12th Generation Uni-Q |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.75" dome | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 10" Cerametallic | 2 x 6.5" Hybrid Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 32-25k Hz | 48-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 100 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 250 watts | 15-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 44.10kg / 97lbs | 31.40kg / 69.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 49-1/16" x 13-15/16" x 17-15/16"
1247.0 x 355.0 x 456.0mm | 43-13/16" x 8" x 15-5/16"
1113.0 x 200.0 x 389.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Klipsch RF-7 III and KEF R7 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 RF-7 III |
KEF R7 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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 RF-7 III is a 2-way design whereas the R7 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 RF-7 IIIKEF R7
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 RF-7 III |
KEF R7 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.75-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 10-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
RF-7 III features a 1.75" titanium dome Tweeter and 2 x 10" Cerametallic Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1300Hz. On the other hand, the R7 features a 1" aluminum Dome Tweeter, a 5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Hybrid Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 400Hz and 2900Hz.
Frequency Response
RF-7 III has a frequency range of 32-25k Hz whereas R7 has a frequency range of 48-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 32Hz, the RF-7 III can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the R7's min frequency of 48Hz.
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
RF-7 III and R7 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. RF-7 III sensitivity is rated at 100 dB and the R7's is at 88 dB. This 12 dB difference makes the Klipsch RF-7 III a more sensitive speaker compared to KEF R7, 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.
Both handle the same maximum of 250 watts RMS, though RF-7 III is rated up to 250 watts and R7 15-250 watts.
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 RF-7 III and R7 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Klipsch RF-7 III's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
KEF R7's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both RF-7 III and R7 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.
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 RF-7 III's and KEF R7's external dimensions. Klipsch RF-7 III has external dimensions of 1247.0 x 355.0 x 456.0mm (49-1/16 x 13-15/16 x 17-15/16inch) whereas KEF R7 has external dimensions of 1113.0 x 200.0 x 389.0mm (43-13/16 x 8 x 15-5/16inch).
Klipsch RF-7 III is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 155mm wider, 134mm taller and 67mm deeper than KEF R7.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Klipsch RF-7 III and KEF R7 in scale.
Comparison image of Klipsch RF-7 III and KEF R7 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 RF-7 III is approximately 1618.8cm2 / 250.9inch2 and base area of the KEF R7 is approximately 778.0cm2 / 120.6inch2. The RF-7 III requires 108% more surface area than the R7 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 RF-7 III weighs 44.10kg / 97lbs and the KEF R7 weighs 31.40kg / 69.1lbs. This makes the RF-7 III 40% heavier than the R7.
Here is a comparison of how RF-7 III and R7'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 RF-7 III?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of RF-7 III:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Plinth
- Grille
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Rubber feet
- 2 Jumpers (pre-installed)
- 4 Machine screws
- Owners Manual
What's in the Box of KEF R7?
Here are the items that come with the R7:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 2 Foam port plugs
- 4 Outrigger feet
- 4 Spikes
- 4 Protective discs
- 4 Screws
- 4 Washers
- Wrench
- Hex-key
- User Manual
- Warranty Information
 Sensitivity |
100 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
10 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
32 Hz
vs
48 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Price per pair* |
4398USD
vs
4500USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 High Frequency Response |
28k Hz
vs
25k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
1113mm
vs
1247mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
778cm2
vs
1618cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
Klipsch Reference RF-7 III |
KEF R7 |
| Brand |
Klipsch |
KEF |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 250 watts |
15-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
100 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
3.2 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
32-25k Hz |
48-28k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
10" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Cerametallic |
Hybrid Aluminum |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.75" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
dome |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
1300Hz |
400Hz and 2900Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1247.0mm (49.1") |
1113.0mm (43.8") |
| Width |
355.0mm (14") |
200.0mm (7.9") |
| Depth |
456.0mm (18") |
389.0mm (15.3") |
| Weight |
44.10kg (97lbs) |
31.40kg (69.1lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood veneer |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
Black ash, Cherry, Walnut |
Black Gloss, White Gloss, 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 |
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 | A | Klipsch RF-7 III digs deeper - 32Hz against 48Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | A | Klipsch RF-7 III is more sensitive (100dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (250W vs 250W). |
| Size | depends | KEF R7 is easier to place; Klipsch RF-7 III is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Klipsch RF-7 III: bi-amping; KEF R7: bi-amping. |
| Price | evenly matched | Much the same money ($4,398 vs $4,500 a pair). |
A Klipsch RF-7 III B KEF R7
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 RF-7 III has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 48Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. In a large or open-plan room, Klipsch RF-7 III has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, KEF R7 is the easier speaker to get right.
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.