In this review, we will be comparing XR100 and R-610F, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from McIntosh and Klipsch.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of McIntosh XR100 and Klipsch R-610F first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | McIntosh XR100 | Klipsch R-610F |
|---|
| Brand | McIntosh
United States · founded 1949 | Klipsch
United States · founded 1946 |
|---|
| Design | 4-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 2" dome (x2) | 1.0" |
|---|
| Super tweeter | 0.75" super tweeter | — |
|---|
| Midrange | 8 x 2.0" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 4 x 6.0" Polypropylene | 6.5" Copper-spun IMG |
|---|
| Frequency response | 30-45k Hz | 45-21k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 94 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 75-600 watts | up to 85 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 31.14kg / 68.5lbs | 16.36kg / 36lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 49-13/16" x 11-5/8" x 17"
1266.0 x 296.0 x 432.0mm | 37-1/16" x 9-3/8" x 14-1/2"
942.0 x 239.0 x 369.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the McIntosh XR100 and Klipsch R-610F 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* |
McIntosh XR100 |
Klipsch R-610F |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
Bad |
(* 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 XR100 is a 4-way design whereas the R-610F 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.
McIntosh XR100Klipsch R-610F
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 |
Klipsch R-610F |
|
Driver Setup
|
4-way
|
2-way
|
|
Super Tweeter
|
0.75-inch |
- |
|
Tweeter
|
2-inch
|
1.0-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
8 x 2.0-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
4 x 6.0-inch
|
1 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 R-610F features a 1.0" Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Copper-spun IMG Woofer.
Frequency Response
XR100 has a frequency range of 30-45k Hz whereas R-610F has a frequency range of 45-21k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 30Hz, the XR100 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the R-610F's min frequency of 45Hz.
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 R-610F have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. XR100 sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the R-610F's is at 94 dB. This 7 dB difference makes the Klipsch R-610F 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 R-610F has a max power handling value of 85 watts RMS, 515 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
XR100 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. R-610F has a Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
McIntosh XR100's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Klipsch R-610F's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both XR100 and R-610F 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 McIntosh XR100's and Klipsch R-610F'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 Klipsch R-610F has external dimensions of 942.0 x 239.0 x 369.0mm (37-1/16 x 9-3/8 x 14-1/2inch).
McIntosh XR100 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 57mm wider, 324mm taller and 63mm deeper than Klipsch R-610F.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of McIntosh XR100 and Klipsch R-610F in scale.
Comparison image of McIntosh XR100 and Klipsch R-610F 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 Klipsch R-610F is approximately 881.9cm2 / 136.7inch2. The XR100 requires 45% more surface area than the R-610F 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 Klipsch R-610F weighs 16.36kg / 36lbs. This makes the XR100 90% heavier than the R-610F.
Here is a comparison of how XR100 and R-610F'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 Klipsch R-610F?
Here are the items that come with the R-610F:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille (installed)
- 2 Feet
- 4 Screws
- Quick Setup Guide
- Important Safety Instructions
- Warranty Information
- Loudspeaker Feet note
 Max Input Power |
600 watts
vs
85 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
4-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Number of Woofers |
4
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
30 Hz
vs
45 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
45k Hz
vs
21k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Sensitivity |
94 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
|
Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
6.0 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Height |
942mm
vs
1266mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
881cm2
vs
1278cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
778USD
vs
11000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
McIntosh XR100 |
Klipsch Reference R-610F |
| Brand |
McIntosh |
Klipsch |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
75-600 watts |
up to 85 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
94 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
30-45k Hz |
45-21k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
4 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
6.0" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polypropylene |
Copper-spun IMG |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
2" |
1.0" |
| Tweeter Type |
dome (x2) |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
2.0" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
300Hz, 2000kHZ and 8000kHZ |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1266.0mm (49.8") |
942.0mm (37.1") |
| Width |
296.0mm (11.7") |
239.0mm (9.4") |
| Depth |
432.0mm (17") |
369.0mm (14.5") |
| Weight |
31.14kg (68.5lbs) |
16.36kg (36lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
Real wood veneer |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Red Walnut, Black, Pear Maple |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - McIntosh XR100 costs roughly 14.1x what Klipsch R-610F 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 | A | McIntosh XR100 digs deeper - 30Hz against 45Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Klipsch R-610F is more sensitive (94dB vs 87dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | A | McIntosh XR100 takes more power (600W vs 85W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Klipsch R-610F is easier to place; McIntosh XR100 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | A | McIntosh XR100: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | Klipsch R-610F is cheaper - $778 against $11,000, about 93% less; arguably a different class. |
A McIntosh XR100 B Klipsch R-610F
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?
The usual trade-off: McIntosh XR100 measures better, Klipsch R-610F costs about about 14.1x the price% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 45Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Klipsch R-610F much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate McIntosh XR100 the better fit for a large room and a very large room, and Klipsch R-610F for a small room and a mid-size 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.