In this review, we will be comparing Ultra Tower and RF-7 III, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from SVS and Klipsch.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of SVS Ultra Tower and Klipsch RF-7 III first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | SVS Ultra Tower | Klipsch RF-7 III |
|---|
| Brand | SVS
United States · founded 1998 | Klipsch
United States · founded 1946 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.0" Dome | 1.75" dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 2 x 6.5" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8.0" Polypropylene | 2 x 10" Cerametallic |
|---|
| Frequency response | 28-32k Hz | 32-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 100 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-300 watts | up to 250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 34.27kg / 75.4lbs | 44.10kg / 97lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 45-5/8" x 13-15/16" x 17-1/2"
1159.0 x 355.0 x 445.0mm | 49-1/16" x 13-15/16" x 17-15/16"
1247.0 x 355.0 x 456.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the SVS Ultra Tower and Klipsch RF-7 III 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* |
SVS Ultra Tower |
Klipsch RF-7 III |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Average |
(* 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 Ultra Tower is a 3-way design whereas the RF-7 III 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.
SVS Ultra TowerKlipsch RF-7 III
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
SVS Ultra Tower |
Klipsch RF-7 III |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.0-inch
|
1.75-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
2 x 6.5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8.0-inch
|
2 x 10-inch
|
Ultra Tower features a 1.0" aluminum Dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8.0" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 160HZ and 2000Hz. On the other hand, the RF-7 III features a 1.75" titanium dome Tweeter and 2 x 10" Cerametallic Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1300Hz.
Frequency Response
Ultra Tower has a frequency range of 28-32k Hz whereas RF-7 III has a frequency range of 32-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the Ultra Tower can go slightly deeper then the RF-7 III's min frequency of 32Hz.
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
Ultra Tower and RF-7 III have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Ultra Tower sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the RF-7 III's is at 100 dB. This 12 dB difference makes the Klipsch RF-7 III a more sensitive speaker compared to SVS Ultra Tower, 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.
Ultra Tower can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas RF-7 III has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Ultra Tower.
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 Ultra Tower and RF-7 III features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
SVS Ultra Tower's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Klipsch RF-7 III'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 SVS Ultra Tower's and Klipsch RF-7 III's external dimensions. SVS Ultra Tower has external dimensions of 1159.0 x 355.0 x 445.0mm (45-5/8 x 13-15/16 x 17-1/2inch) whereas Klipsch RF-7 III has external dimensions of 1247.0 x 355.0 x 456.0mm (49-1/16 x 13-15/16 x 17-15/16inch).
Below you can see the front view size comparison of SVS Ultra Tower and Klipsch RF-7 III in scale.
Comparison image of SVS Ultra Tower and Klipsch RF-7 III 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 SVS Ultra Tower is approximately 1579.8cm2 / 244.9inch2 and base area of the Klipsch RF-7 III is approximately 1618.8cm2 / 250.9inch2. The Ultra Tower requires 2% less surface area than the RF-7 III 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 SVS Ultra Tower weighs 34.27kg / 75.4lbs and the Klipsch RF-7 III weighs 44.10kg / 97lbs. This makes the RF-7 III 29% heavier than the Ultra Tower.
Here is a comparison of how Ultra Tower and RF-7 III'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 SVS Ultra Tower?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Ultra Tower:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Cloth grille
- 2 Metal grilles
- Foam port plug
- 4 Elastomer isolation feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Nuts
- 4 Protective discs
- 2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
- SVS brochure
- Online Product Registration Card
What's in the Box of Klipsch RF-7 III?
Here are the items that come with the RF-7 III:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Plinth
- Grille
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Rubber feet
- 2 Jumpers (pre-installed)
- 4 Machine screws
- Owners Manual
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
250 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Low Frequency Response |
28 Hz
vs
32 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
32k Hz
vs
25k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
1159mm
vs
1247mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1579cm2
vs
1618cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
2600USD
vs
4398USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Sensitivity |
100 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
|
Woofer Size |
10 inches
vs
8.0 inches
|
Larger woofer |
| General |
SVS Ultra Tower |
Klipsch Reference RF-7 III |
| Brand |
SVS |
Klipsch |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-300 watts |
up to 250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
100 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
28-32k Hz |
32-25k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
8.0" |
10" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polypropylene |
Cerametallic |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.0" |
1.75" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6.5" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
160HZ and 2000Hz |
1300Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1159.0mm (45.6") |
1247.0mm (49.1") |
| Width |
355.0mm (14") |
355.0mm (14") |
| Depth |
445.0mm (17.5") |
456.0mm (18") |
| Weight |
34.27kg (75.4lbs) |
44.10kg (97lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Oak veneer |
MDF/Wood veneer |
| Available Colors |
Black Oak,Piano Gloss Black,Piano Gloss White |
Black ash, Cherry, Walnut |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Klipsch RF-7 III costs roughly 1.7x what SVS Ultra Tower 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 | SVS Ultra Tower digs deeper - 28Hz against 32Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Klipsch RF-7 III is more sensitive (100dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (300W vs 250W). |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | depends | SVS Ultra Tower: bi-amping; Klipsch RF-7 III: bi-amping. |
| Price | A | SVS Ultra Tower is cheaper - $2,600 against $4,398, about 41% less; arguably a different class. |
A SVS Ultra Tower B Klipsch RF-7 III
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?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Klipsch RF-7 III is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $1,798 saved by taking the cheaper pair would buy a subwoofer or a better amplifier, and either usually does more for the sound than the difference between these two.
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.