In this review, we will be comparing 800F and R-820F, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Paradigm and Klipsch.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Paradigm 800F and Klipsch R-820F first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Paradigm 800F | Klipsch R-820F |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | 6.5" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Carbon-Infused Polypropylene | 2 x 8" Copper-spun IMG |
|---|
| Frequency response | 43-25k Hz | 35-21k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92 dB | 97 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 15-250 watts | up to 150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 24.27kg / 53.4lbs | 24.55kg / 54lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 42-1/8" x 9-1/4" x 13-7/8"
1070.0 x 235.0 x 353.0mm | 43-1/8" x 10-7/8" x 16-3/4"
1096.0 x 277.0 x 426.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Paradigm 800F and Klipsch R-820F 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* |
Paradigm 800F |
Klipsch R-820F |
| 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.)
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 800F is a 3-way design whereas the R-820F 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.
Paradigm 800FKlipsch R-820F
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Paradigm 800F |
Klipsch R-820F |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
800F features a 1" Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Carbon-Infused Polypropylene Woofer. On the other hand, the R-820F features a 1" Tweeter and 2 x 8" Copper-spun IMG Woofer.
Frequency Response
800F has a frequency range of 43-25k Hz whereas R-820F has a frequency range of 35-21k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 35Hz, the R-820F can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the 800F's min frequency of 43Hz.
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
800F and R-820F have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. 800F sensitivity is rated at 92 dB and the R-820F's is at 97 dB. This 5 dB difference makes the Klipsch R-820F a more sensitive speaker compared to Paradigm 800F, 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.
800F can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas R-820F has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the 800F.
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
800F features Posts posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. R-820F has a Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Paradigm 800F's Posts 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 Paradigm 800F's and Klipsch R-820F's external dimensions. Paradigm 800F has external dimensions of 1070.0 x 235.0 x 353.0mm (42-1/8 x 9-1/4 x 13-7/8inch) whereas Klipsch R-820F has external dimensions of 1096.0 x 277.0 x 426.0mm (43-1/8 x 10-7/8 x 16-3/4inch).
Klipsch R-820F is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 42mm wider, 26mm taller and 73mm deeper than Paradigm 800F.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Paradigm 800F and Klipsch R-820F in scale.
Comparison image of Paradigm 800F and Klipsch R-820F 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 Paradigm 800F is approximately 829.6cm2 / 128.6inch2 and base area of the Klipsch R-820F is approximately 1180.0cm2 / 182.9inch2. The 800F requires 30% less surface area than the R-820F 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 Paradigm 800F weighs 24.27kg / 53.4lbs and the Klipsch R-820F weighs 24.55kg / 54lbs. This makes the R-820F 1% heavier than the 800F.
Here is a comparison of how 800F and R-820F'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 Paradigm 800F?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of 800F:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
Grille
4 Rubber feet
4 Spike feet
4 Hex-nuts
2 Binding-post jumpers (pre-installed)
Owner's Manual
Online Registration Card
Unboxing Instructions
What's in the Box of Klipsch R-820F?
Here are the items that come with the R-820F:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille (installed)
- 2 Feet
- 4 Screws
- Quick Setup Guide
- Important Safety Instructions
- Warranty Information
- Loudspeaker Feet note
 Max Input Power |
250 watts
vs
150 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 High Frequency Response |
25k Hz
vs
21k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
1070mm
vs
1096mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
829cm2
vs
1180cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Sensitivity |
97 dB
vs
92 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
35 Hz
vs
43 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Price per pair* |
1198USD
vs
2200USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Paradigm Premier 800F |
Klipsch Reference R-820F |
| Brand |
Paradigm |
Klipsch |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
15-250 watts |
up to 150 watts |
| Sensitivity |
92 dB |
97 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
43-25k Hz |
35-21k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Carbon-Infused Polypropylene |
Copper-spun IMG |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6.5" |
No |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1070.0mm (42.1") |
1096.0mm (43.1") |
| Width |
235.0mm (9.3") |
277.0mm (10.9") |
| Depth |
353.0mm (13.9") |
426.0mm (16.8") |
| Weight |
24.27kg (53.4lbs) |
24.55kg (54lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Lacquer |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Gloss Black |
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 - Paradigm 800F costs roughly 1.8x what Klipsch R-820F 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 |
Klipsch R-820F digs deeper - 35Hz against 43Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs |
B |
Klipsch R-820F is more sensitive (97dB vs 92dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom |
A |
Paradigm 800F takes more power (250W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size |
depends |
Paradigm 800F is easier to place; Klipsch R-820F is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability |
A |
Paradigm 800F: bi-amping. Paradigm 800F sits in a wider range (12 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price |
B |
Klipsch R-820F is cheaper - $1,198 against $2,200, about 46% less; arguably a different class. |
A Paradigm 800F
B Klipsch R-820F
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?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 43Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate Paradigm 800F the better fit for a very large room, and Klipsch R-820F for 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.