In this review, we will be comparing RTi A5 and R-620F, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Polk Audio and Klipsch.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk RTi A5 and Klipsch R-620F first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Polk RTi A5 | Klipsch R-620F |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" | 1.0" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Polymer composite | 2 x 6.5" Copper-spun IMG |
|---|
| Frequency response | 40-26k Hz | 38-21k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 96 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-250 watts | up to 100 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 18.18kg / 40lbs | 18.64kg / 41lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 39-5/8" x 10-9/16" x 15-7/8"
1007.0 x 269.0 x 404.0mm | 40-3/16" x 9-3/8" x 14-1/2"
1021.0 x 239.0 x 369.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Polk RTi A5 and Klipsch R-620F 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* |
Polk RTi A5 |
Klipsch R-620F |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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.
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through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both RTi A5 and R-620F are 2-way speakers.
Polk RTi A5Klipsch R-620F
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Polk RTi A5 |
Klipsch R-620F |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1.0-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
RTi A5 features a 1" Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Polymer composite Woofer. On the other hand, the R-620F features a 1.0" Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Copper-spun IMG Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2000Hz.
Frequency Response
RTi A5 has a frequency range of 40-26k Hz whereas R-620F has a frequency range of 38-21k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 38Hz, the R-620F can go slightly deeper then the RTi A5's min frequency of 40Hz.
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
RTi A5 and R-620F have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. RTi A5 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the R-620F's is at 96 dB. This 6 dB difference makes the Klipsch R-620F a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk RTi A5, 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.
RTi A5 can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas R-620F has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 150 watts less than the RTi A5.
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
RTi A5 features 5-way post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. R-620F has a Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Klipsch R-620F's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
RTi A5 has a front firing port whereas R-620F has a rear firing ports. Polk RTi A5's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Klipsch R-620F with its rear-firing port.
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 Polk RTi A5's and Klipsch R-620F's external dimensions. Polk RTi A5 has external dimensions of 1007.0 x 269.0 x 404.0mm (39-5/8 x 10-9/16 x 15-7/8inch) whereas Klipsch R-620F has external dimensions of 1021.0 x 239.0 x 369.0mm (40-3/16 x 9-3/8 x 14-1/2inch).
Klipsch R-620F is 30mm narrower and 35mm less deeper than Polk RTi A5 but it is also 14mm taller.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk RTi A5 and Klipsch R-620F in scale.
Comparison image of Polk RTi A5 and Klipsch R-620F 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 Polk RTi A5 is approximately 1086.8cm2 / 168.5inch2 and base area of the Klipsch R-620F is approximately 881.9cm2 / 136.7inch2. The RTi A5 requires 23% more surface area than the R-620F 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 Polk RTi A5 weighs 18.18kg / 40lbs and the Klipsch R-620F weighs 18.64kg / 41lbs. This makes the R-620F 3% heavier than the RTi A5.
Here is a comparison of how RTi A5 and R-620F'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 Polk RTi A5?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of RTi A5:
- Cherry floor-standing speaker
- Detachable black cloth grille
- 4 Screw-on spike feet
- Owners Manual
- Online registration sheet
- Polk Audio product brochure
What's in the Box of Klipsch R-620F?
Here are the items that come with the R-620F:
- 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
100 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 High Frequency Response |
26k Hz
vs
21k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Port Position |
Front
vs
Rear
|
Gives more flexibility placing close to walls |
 Height |
1007mm
vs
1021mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
798USD
vs
998USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Sensitivity |
96 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Low Frequency Response |
38 Hz
vs
40 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Base Surface Area |
881cm2
vs
1086cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
Polk Audio RTi A5 |
Klipsch Reference R-620F |
| Brand |
Polk Audio |
Klipsch |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-250 watts |
up to 100 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
96 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
40-26k Hz |
38-21k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polymer composite |
Copper-spun IMG |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Butyl Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1.0" |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
2000Hz |
| Firing Direction |
front |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1007.0mm (39.6") |
1021.0mm (40.2") |
| Width |
269.0mm (10.6") |
239.0mm (9.4") |
| Depth |
404.0mm (15.9") |
369.0mm (14.5") |
| Weight |
18.18kg (40lbs) |
18.64kg (41lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
Real wood veneer |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Cherry |
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 |
A generation apart: Klipsch R-620F is the newer design, against a 2008 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass |
evenly matched |
Much the same reach (40Hz vs 38Hz). |
| Amplifier needs |
B |
Klipsch R-620F is more sensitive (96dB vs 90dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom |
A |
Polk RTi A5 takes more power (250W vs 100W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size |
depends |
Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability |
A |
Polk RTi A5: bi-amping. |
| Price |
A |
Polk RTi A5 is cheaper - $798 against $998, about 20% less. |
A Polk RTi A5
B Klipsch R-620F
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?
Polk RTi A5 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. Match it to your room: we rate Polk RTi A5 the better fit for a large room and a very large room, and Klipsch R-620F for a small room and a mid-size room. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Klipsch R-620F is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
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.