In this review, we will be comparing Motion F20 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 Motion F20 and Klipsch RP-8000F II first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
MartinLogan Motion F20 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1.0 x 1.4" Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter
- 5.5" Midrange
- 2 x 5.5" Aluminum Woofer
- 35-25k Hz Frequency Response
- 92 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:20-300watts
- Weight:27.20kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1127.0" x 11-3/4" x 14-1/4"( 1127 x 298 x 362mm )
Klipsch RP-8000F II Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Tractrix Horn Tweeter
- 2 x 8" Cerametallic cone Woofer
- 32-25k Hz Frequency Response
- 98 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:up to 150watts
- Weight:28.00kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1097.0" x 10-7/8" x 17-9/16"( 1097.0 x 277.0 x 447.0mm )
What size room are the MartinLogan Motion F20 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 Motion F20 |
Klipsch RP-8000F II |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the MartinLogan Motion F20 and Klipsch RP-8000F II compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Motion F20 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.
| Driver |
MartinLogan Motion F20 |
Klipsch RP-8000F II |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.0 x 1.4-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.5-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
Motion F20 features a 1.0 x 1.4" Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter , a 5.5" Midrange and 2 x 5.5" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 230Hz and 2600Hz. 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
Motion F20 has a frequency range of 35-25k 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 slightly deeper then the Motion F20's min frequency of 35Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Motion F20 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 Motion F20 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Motion F20 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 Motion F20, 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. While using
an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the
max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
Motion F20 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS from the amp the whereas RP-8000F II has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 150 watts less than the Motion F20.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Motion F20 and RP-8000F II features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
MartinLogan Motion F20's Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Klipsch RP-8000F II's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Motion F20 has a bottom firing port whereas RP-8000F II has a rear firing ports. MartinLogan Motion F20's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Klipsch RP-8000F II with its rear-firing port.
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become 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 Motion F20's and Klipsch RP-8000F II's external dimensions. MartinLogan Motion F20 has external dimensions of 1127 x 298 x 362mm ( 44-3/4inch x 11-3/4inch x 14-1/4inch ) 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 21mm narrower and 30mm shorter than MartinLogan Motion F20 but it is also 85mm deeper.
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 Motion F20 is approximately 1078.8cm2 / 167.2inch2 and base area of the Klipsch RP-8000F II is approximately 1238.2cm2 / 191.9inch2. The Motion F20 requires 13% less surface area than the RP-8000F II which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.