In this review, we will be comparing Foundation F1 and RP-8000F II, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from MartinLogan and Klipsch.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan Foundation F1 and Klipsch RP-8000F II first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | MartinLogan Foundation F1 | Klipsch RP-8000F II |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Folded Motion Ribbon | 1" Tractrix Horn |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.5" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 3 x 5.5" Aluminum | 2 x 8" Cerametallic cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 41-23k Hz | 32-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92 dB | 98 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 200 watts | up to 150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 21.14kg / 46.5lbs | 28.00kg / 61.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 41-7/16" x 8-3/8" x 14-7/16"
1053.0 x 213.0 x 367.0mm | 43-3/16" x 10-7/8" x 17-9/16"
1097.0 x 277.0 x 447.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the MartinLogan Foundation F1 and Klipsch RP-8000F II 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* |
MartinLogan Foundation F1 |
Klipsch RP-8000F II |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Foundation F1 is a 3-way design whereas the RP-8000F II is a 2-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.
MartinLogan Foundation F1Klipsch RP-8000F II
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
MartinLogan Foundation F1 |
Klipsch RP-8000F II |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 5.5-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
Foundation F1 features a 1" Gen2 Obsidian Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter, a 5.5" Midrange and 3 x 5.5" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 240 Hz - 3700 Hz. On the other hand, the RP-8000F II features a 1" titanium Tractrix Horn Tweeter and 2 x 8" Cerametallic cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1630 Hz.
Frequency Response
Foundation F1 has a frequency range of 41-23k Hz whereas RP-8000F II has a frequency range of 32-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 32Hz, the RP-8000F II can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Foundation F1's min frequency of 41Hz.
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
Foundation F1 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the RP-8000F II which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Foundation F1 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Foundation F1 sensitivity is rated at 92 dB and the RP-8000F II's is rated at 98 dB. This 6 dB difference makes the Klipsch RP-8000F II a more sensitive speaker compared to MartinLogan Foundation F1, 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.
Foundation F1 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas RP-8000F II has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Foundation F1.
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.
MartinLogan Foundation F1
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
RP-8000F II features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Foundation F1 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
MartinLogan Foundation F1's Binding post terminals
Klipsch RP-8000F II's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Foundation F1 and RP-8000F II 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.
New
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 MartinLogan Foundation F1's and Klipsch RP-8000F II's external dimensions. MartinLogan Foundation F1 has external dimensions of 1053.0 x 213.0 x 367.0mm (41-7/16inch x 8-3/8inch x 14-7/16inch) whereas 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).
Klipsch RP-8000F II is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 64mm wider, 44mm taller and 80mm deeper than MartinLogan Foundation F1.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of MartinLogan Foundation F1 and Klipsch RP-8000F II in scale.
Comparison image of MartinLogan Foundation F1 and Klipsch RP-8000F II 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 MartinLogan Foundation F1 is approximately 781.7cm2 / 121.2inch2 and base area of the Klipsch RP-8000F II is approximately 1238.2cm2 / 191.9inch2. The Foundation F1 requires 37% less surface area than the RP-8000F II 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 MartinLogan Foundation F1 weighs 21.14kg / 46.5lbs and the Klipsch RP-8000F II weighs 28.00kg / 61.6lbs. This makes the RP-8000F II 32% heavier than the Foundation F1.
Here is a comparison of how Foundation F1 and RP-8000F II's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
MartinLogan Foundation F1
What's in the Box of Klipsch RP-8000F II?
Here are the items that come with the 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
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
150 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
 Height |
1053mm
vs
1097mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
781cm2
vs
1238cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1499USD
vs
1798USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Sensitivity |
98 dB
vs
92 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
5.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
32 Hz
vs
41 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
25k Hz
vs
23k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Dolby Atmos Drivers |
Optional
vs
No
|
Dolby Atmos Compatibility |
| General |
MartinLogan Foundation F1 |
Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-8000F II |
| Brand |
MartinLogan |
Klipsch |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 200 watts |
up to 150 watts |
| Sensitivity |
92 dB |
98 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
41-23k Hz |
32-25k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.5" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aluminum |
Cerametallic cone |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Folded Motion Ribbon |
Tractrix Horn |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.5" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
240 Hz - 3700 Hz |
1630 Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1053.0mm (41.5") |
1097.0mm (43.2") |
| Width |
213.0mm (8.4") |
277.0mm (10.9") |
| Depth |
367.0mm (14.4") |
447.0mm (17.6") |
| Weight |
21.14kg (46.5lbs) |
28.00kg (61.6lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Walnut,Black,Satin White |
Walnut, 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 |
Klipsch RP-8000F II digs deeper - 32Hz against 41Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs |
B |
Klipsch RP-8000F II is more sensitive (98dB vs 92dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match |
B |
Klipsch RP-8000F II is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom |
A |
MartinLogan Foundation F1 takes more power (200W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size |
depends |
MartinLogan Foundation F1 is easier to place; Klipsch RP-8000F II is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability |
B |
Klipsch RP-8000F II: bi-amping and Atmos drivers. Klipsch RP-8000F II sits in a wider range (10 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price |
A |
MartinLogan Foundation F1 is cheaper - $1,499 against $1,798, about 17% less. |
A MartinLogan Foundation F1
B Klipsch RP-8000F II
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement 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 RP-8000F II leads across most of the measured areas for a fairly modest premium, which makes it the easier pick if the budget stretches. MartinLogan Foundation F1 is the one to take if it does not. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 41Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper MartinLogan Foundation F1 much easier to justify. In a large or open-plan room, Klipsch RP-8000F II has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, MartinLogan Foundation F1 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.