In this review, we will be comparing AURA 3 and RP-8060FA II, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Wharfedale and Klipsch.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale AURA 3 and Klipsch RP-8060FA II first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Wharfedale AURA 3 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1.0625 x 3.5" AMT (Ribbon) Tweeter
- 4" Midrange
- 2 x 5" Glass Fiber Matrix Woofer
- 39-22k Hz Frequency Response
- 88 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 6ohms
- Power Range:up to 150watts
- Weight:23.05kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1036.0" x 13-3/8" x 13-13/16"( 1036.0 x 340.0 x 351.0mm )
Klipsch RP-8060FA II Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Tractrix Horn Tweeter
- 2 x 8" Cerametallic Woofer
- 35-25k Hz Frequency Response
- 98 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:up to 150watts
- Weight:34.40kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1099.0" x 10-7/8" x 20-13/16"( 1099.0 x 277.0 x 528.0mm )
What size room are the Wharfedale AURA 3 and Klipsch RP-8060FA II 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* |
Wharfedale AURA 3 |
Klipsch RP-8060FA II |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Wharfedale AURA 3 and Klipsch RP-8060FA II 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 AURA 3 is a 3-way design whereas the RP-8060FA II 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 |
Wharfedale AURA 3 |
Klipsch RP-8060FA II |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.0625 x 3.5-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
AURA 3 features a 1.0625 x 3.5" AMT (Ribbon) Tweeter , a 4" Midrange and 2 x 5" Glass Fiber Matrix Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 460Hz, 3.3kHz. On the other hand, the RP-8060FA II features a 1" titanium Tractrix Horn Tweeter and 2 x 8" Cerametallic Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1630 Hz.
Frequency Response
AURA 3 has a frequency range of 39-22k Hz whereas RP-8060FA II has a frequency range of 35-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 35Hz, the RP-8060FA II can go slightly deeper then the AURA 3's min frequency of 39Hz.
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
AURA 3 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the RP-8060FA II which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. AURA 3 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the RP-8060FA II's is rated at 98 dB. This 10 dB difference makes the Klipsch RP-8060FA II a more sensitive speaker compared to Wharfedale AURA 3, 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.
AURA 3 and RP-8060FA II has the same power range of up to 150 watts.
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 AURA 3 and RP-8060FA II features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Wharfedale AURA 3's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Klipsch RP-8060FA II's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
AURA 3 has a bottom firing port whereas RP-8060FA II has a rear firing ports. Wharfedale AURA 3's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Klipsch RP-8060FA II with its rear-firing port.
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 Wharfedale AURA 3's and Klipsch RP-8060FA II's external dimensions. Wharfedale AURA 3 has external dimensions of 1036.0 x 340.0 x 351.0mm ( 40-3/4inch x 13-3/8inch x 13-13/16inch ) whereas Klipsch RP-8060FA II has external dimensions of 1099.0 x 277.0 x 528.0mm ( 43-1/8 x 10-7/8 x 20-13/16inch) .
Wharfedale AURA 3 is 63mm shorter and 177mm less deeper than Klipsch RP-8060FA II but it is also 63mm wider.
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 Wharfedale AURA 3 is approximately 1193.4cm2 / 185.0inch2 and base area of the Klipsch RP-8060FA II is approximately 1462.6cm2 / 226.7inch2. The AURA 3 requires 18% less surface area than the RP-8060FA II which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.