In this review, we will be comparing XR100 and Kendall, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from McIntosh and KLH.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of McIntosh XR100 and KLH Kendall first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | McIntosh XR100 | KLH Kendall |
|---|
| Brand | McIntosh
United States · founded 1949 | KLH
United States · founded 1957 |
|---|
| Design | 4-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 2" dome (x2) | 1" |
|---|
| Super tweeter | 0.75" super tweeter | — |
|---|
| Midrange | 8 x 2.0" | 5.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | 4 x 6.0" Polypropylene | 2 x 6.5" Woven Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 30-45k Hz | 25-23k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 96 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 75-600 watts | up to 250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 31.14kg / 68.5lbs | 22.14kg / 48.7lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 49-13/16" x 11-5/8" x 17"
1266.0 x 296.0 x 432.0mm | 40-3/16" x 8-5/16" x 14-15/16"
1021.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm |
|---|
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 XR100 is a 4-way design whereas the Kendall 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.
McIntosh XR100KLH Kendall
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
McIntosh XR100 |
KLH Kendall |
|
Driver Setup
|
4-way
|
3-way
|
|
Super Tweeter
|
0.75-inch |
- |
|
Tweeter
|
2-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
8 x 2.0-inch |
1 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
4 x 6.0-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
XR100 features a 2" titanium tweeter with neodymium-iron-boron alloy magnet dome (x2) Tweeter, a 0.75" Supertweeter , a 2.0" Midrange and 4 x 6.0" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 300Hz, 2000kHZ and 8000kHZ. On the other hand, the Kendall features a 1" anodized aluminum Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Woven Kevlar Woofer.
Frequency Response
XR100 has a frequency range of 30-45k Hz whereas Kendall has a frequency range of 25-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 25Hz, the Kendall can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the XR100's min frequency of 30Hz.
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
XR100 and Kendall have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. XR100 sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the Kendall's is at 96 dB. This 9 dB difference makes the KLH Kendall a more sensitive speaker compared to McIntosh XR100, 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.
XR100 can handle a max power of 600 watts RMS, whereas Kendall has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS, 350 watts less than the XR100.
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 XR100 and Kendall features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
McIntosh XR100's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
KLH Kendall's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
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 McIntosh XR100's and KLH Kendall's external dimensions. McIntosh XR100 has external dimensions of 1266.0 x 296.0 x 432.0mm (49-13/16 x 11-5/8 x 17inch) whereas KLH Kendall has external dimensions of 1021.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm (40-3/16 x 8-5/16 x 14-15/16inch).
McIntosh XR100 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 84mm wider, 245mm taller and 52mm deeper than KLH Kendall.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of McIntosh XR100 and KLH Kendall in scale.
Comparison image of McIntosh XR100 and KLH Kendall 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 McIntosh XR100 is approximately 1278.7cm2 / 198.2inch2 and base area of the KLH Kendall is approximately 805.6cm2 / 124.9inch2. The XR100 requires 59% more surface area than the Kendall 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 McIntosh XR100 weighs 31.14kg / 68.5lbs and the KLH Kendall weighs 22.14kg / 48.7lbs. This makes the XR100 41% heavier than the Kendall.
Here is a comparison of how XR100 and Kendall'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 McIntosh XR100?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of XR100:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Feet
- 4 Glides
- 4 Tiptoes
- 4 Screws
- Owners Manual
What's in the Box of KLH Kendall?
Here are the items that come with the Kendall:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- Foam port
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spike feet (with nuts)
- 4 Protective discs
- Manual
 Max Input Power |
600 watts
vs
250 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
4-way
vs
3-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Number of Woofers |
4
vs
2
|
More woofers |
 High Frequency Response |
45k Hz
vs
23k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Sensitivity |
96 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
|
Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
6.0 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
25 Hz
vs
30 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
1021mm
vs
1266mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
805cm2
vs
1278cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1500USD
vs
11000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
McIntosh XR100 |
KLH Kendall |
| Brand |
McIntosh |
KLH |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
75-600 watts |
up to 250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
96 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
30-45k Hz |
25-23k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
4 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.0" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polypropylene |
Woven Kevlar |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Butyl Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
2" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
dome (x2) |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
2.0" |
5.25" |
| Crossover Frequency |
300Hz, 2000kHZ and 8000kHZ |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1266.0mm (49.8") |
1021.0mm (40.2") |
| Width |
296.0mm (11.7") |
212.0mm (8.3") |
| Depth |
432.0mm (17") |
380.0mm (15") |
| Weight |
31.14kg (68.5lbs) |
22.14kg (48.7lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
Real wood veneer |
MDF/Wood Veneer |
| Available Colors |
Red Walnut, Black, Pear Maple |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
10 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
10 Years |
These sit in different price classes - McIntosh XR100 costs roughly 7.3x what KLH Kendall does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | KLH Kendall digs deeper - 25Hz against 30Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | KLH Kendall is more sensitive (96dB vs 87dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | A | McIntosh XR100 takes more power (600W vs 250W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | KLH Kendall is easier to place; McIntosh XR100 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | McIntosh XR100: bi-amping; KLH Kendall: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | KLH Kendall is cheaper - $1,500 against $11,000, about 86% less; arguably a different class. |
A McIntosh XR100 B KLH Kendall
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?
KLH Kendall 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 30Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. In a large or open-plan room, McIntosh XR100 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, KLH Kendall 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.