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.
SVS Ultra Tower Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1.0" Dome Tweeter
- 6.5" Midrange
- 2 x 8.0" Polypropylene Woofer
- 28-32k Hz Frequency Response
- 88 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:20-300watts
- Weight:34.27kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1159.0" x 13-15/16" x 17-1/2"( 1159.0 x 355.0 x 445.0mm )
Klipsch RF-7 III Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1.75" dome Tweeter
- 2 x 10" Cerametallic Woofer
- 32-25k Hz Frequency Response
- 100 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:up to 250watts
- Weight:44.10kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1247.0" 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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the SVS Ultra Tower and Klipsch RF-7 III compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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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.
| 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.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. 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. While using an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
Ultra Tower can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS from the amp the whereas RF-7 III has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Ultra Tower.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
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
Size of a speaker can sometimes become 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 loudspeakerCloth grille2 Metal grillesFoam port plug4 Elastomer isolation feet (pre-installed)4 Spike feet4 Nuts4 Protective discs2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)Owners ManualSVS brochureOnline 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 loudspeakerPlinthGrille4 Spike feet4 Rubber feet2 Jumpers (pre-installed)4 Machine screwsOwners Manual