Klipsch RP-8000F review: Justify its $850 unit price?
The two-way bass-reflex floor standing speaker Klipsch RP-8000F for $830 unit price (RRP) comes from the recently revised Reference Premiere speaker series. Klipsch now also attaches importance to small details such as the narrow copper-colored edges around the likewise copper-colored Ceramically cones. Lets find out in this Klipsch RP-8000F review, it justify the price or not.
Full of pride, the inventors of the Klipsch horn present the further developed speakers of the “Reference Premiere” line and send us the robust floor standing speakers Klipsch RP-8000F for a detailed test.
Visually, the RP-8000F looks like a “typical classic male speaker,” but in contrast to the previous model series. They replace the successful models RP-280F: What’s new and whether the purchase is worthwhile, you will learn on these pages.
View on AmazonKlipsch RP-8000F
It was in 1946 that Paul Wilbur Klipsch presented his legendary Klipsch horn to the public. The RP-8000F sent for testing has hardly anything in common with the vast, folded horn system of that time. Of course, a direct comparison is not possible because the two speakers are conceptually different.
A horn system is only used in the high-frequency range. The speakers are still big but much better to set up than the corner horn from back then. Let’s concentrate on the virtues and characteristics of the test speakers.
They have grown tall and slim, cleverly concealing the generous volume with a deep construction. That and the successful combination of black foiled cabinets and copper-colored membranes make the impressive speakers (W x H x D: 27.7 x 110 x 44.6 cm) appear quite light on their feet.
Given enough space in the home, the Klipsch RP-8000F also looks good in modern living rooms and are real eye-catchers. We also had to look twice at the price tag of the Klipsch flagships: At just under $830 per unit, the large speakers are an extremely attractive offer.
Design and Finishing
The speaker is robustly finished and is available exclusively in black (Klipsch Ebony). We would wish for a bit less sharp corners at the back. In front, a baffle with rounded corners hangs in front of the actual cabinet.
The RP-8000F is equipped with two 20.32 cm drivers for mid-range and bass reproduction and a 2.54 cm tweeter with horn attachment. From a haptic perspective, the RP-8000F convinced us; Klipsch does not exaggerate with the “Furniture Grade Materials and Finishes”. The RP-8000F appears as pleasant as a nice piece of furniture in terms of surface quality.
Unattractive indentations for the speaker driver protection grille are also a thing of the past for Klipsch; the grilles, which are carefully covered with acoustic fabric, adhere magnetically. At the back, bi-wiring terminals are, of course, found for connecting the speaker cables.
Here we turn to the technical features in the brief overview. The RP-8000F plays from 32 Hz to 25 kHz (+/- 3dB), the efficiency is 98 dB (2.83V/1m). The cabinet is made of MDF boards.
The RP-8000F features 150 watts of continuous power handling and 600 watts of short-time power handling. It is 8-ohm compatible and equipped with an elaborate 2.54 cm Titanium LTS tweeter with ventilation.
A “Hybrid Cross-Section Tractrix Horn” acts as the horn front end. The other tweeter is also responsible for the RP-8000F playing up to 25 kHz instead of 21 kHz. As bass drivers, there are two 20.32 cm drivers with Ceramically cones.
At the rear, the special “Tractrix Port” is found as a bass reflex port, which produces virtually no disturbing flow noise. The RP-8000F is 1095 mm high, 277 mm wide, and 446 mm deep. The weight: 27.2 kg per speaker.
Klipsch RP-8000F Review: Sound Rating
We start with a complex piece: “Nessun Dorma,” the legendary aria from Giacomo Puccini’s opera “Turandot,” in our case presented by star tenor Jonas Kaufmann, has to be presented appropriately. As we know from the past, the presentation of classical music is not necessarily a Klipsch domain.
The US speakers became known more as experts for the “rough.” But the RP-8000F doesn’t show any weakness. For a floor standing speaker that costs around $830 per unit, it pleases us with a well-staggered voice reproduction that detaches itself neatly from the drivers. The choir vocals are also appealingly integrated. The RP-8000F shows clear improvements in terms of fine dynamics.
In Till Brönner’s “The Good Life,” the RP-8000F elaborates the trumpet with surprising sensitivity. With smaller intermediate notes, one notices that the Klipsch engineers put some effort into the acoustic tuning. Older Klipsch speaker models often lacked precise contours, but the RP-8000F manages to incorporate an audible increase in sound culture and acoustic detail.
The RP-8000F also succeeds really well with “Against All Odds” by Phil Collins. Here we are convinced by the large musical stage that directly takes in the listener. One has the feeling of diving deep into the musical events, and Phil’s voice detaches itself perfectly from the drivers.
Compared to earlier Klipsch speakers, the RP-8000F is audibly more mature, with more feeling. The sovereign interpretation remains almost completely intact up to high levels. Then a slightly harsh note mixes into the vocal presentation.
High-end sound for little money
The hard, powerful bass on the Global Deejays’ version of the Technotronic classic “Get Up” is excellently reproduced by the RP-8000F. With force, the floor standing speaker hurls the sound components far into the listening room, even with listening room sizes of around 30 square meters.
The RP-8000 lacks the aggressiveness that made loud listening with older Klipsch models somewhat exhausting. It remains homogeneous and calm, especially at enormous volumes. It is first-class how precisely the speaker still stays in its acoustic track: No signs of overload, no shrill undertone.
“In My Mind” by Dynoro and Gigi d’Agostino also suits the RP-8000F. The speaker drivers accurately release the vocals, and the bass range is both spatially dense and powerful. The rhythm is always captured true to the pulse. The resolution of the RP-8000F is really good and 100% appropriate for the price range.
“Land Of Confusion” in Disturbed’s version shows emphasis and intended aggressiveness: The RP-8000F advances here with audible emphasis. Clear and powerful, only at very high volumes, somewhat cutting and metallic, one can also be very satisfied with the offered performance here. However, we can’t push the levels that high on this track. Very high volumes worked even better with “In My Mind” or with “Get Up.”
Overall, the RP-8000F pleases us with excellent acoustic properties:
- Klipsch-typical high efficiency.
- Enormous, above the level of many competitors level stability
- Significantly improved and now really good resolution over the entire frequency range
- Dense three-dimensionality, compared to earlier Klipsch speakers with audible improvement in the high-frequency range
- Well-defined vocal contours for male and female voices
- Voices are convincingly detached from the drivers
- Homogeneous overall sound image with seamless transitions between the individual parts of the frequency spectrum
- Impulse fidelity impeccable
- Bass convincing in terms of volume, structure, and depth
Competitor comparison
KEF Q750: Comparable in price, the KEF Style is visually cornered to elegance and acoustically to subtlety. The Klipsch naturally offers more in the bass range, and it is also more level. In return, the KEF Style 6 flirts with an excellent resolution in the high-frequency range due to the very impulsive ribbon tweeter.
Q Acoustics 3050i: For a Klipsch RP-800F, there is practically a pair of Q Acoustics 3050i. For $950 pair price, a maximum of processing quality and sound quality is here. With more bass pressure and level stability as well as an even denser three-dimensionality, the RP-8000F makes it clear that the extra price is definitely justified.
Definitive Technology BP-9040 (Currently price under $1,000): With high-tech membranes (coaxial drivers for high and mid-range, flat membrane drivers for the bass range), the Definitive Technology wants to make a splash.
Thanks to the closed, from the group run times absolutely coherent sound image and the rich bass, this also succeeds, without question. Very refined, very readable – nothing is missing here. The RP-8000F offers a little less homogeneity but even more dynamics and power in the bass range.
Klipsch RP-8000F review: Conclusion
The Klipsch RP-8000F offers a solid build quality and very dynamic but at the same time pleasant acoustics at a fair price. The high efficiency and the excellent level of stability are typical for the US speakers.
However, the RP-8000F is also capable of considerable sensitivity, and a fantastic resolving power is new. All in all, a well-balanced, convincing floor standing speaker for all those who appreciate a classic “box look.”
View on AmazonDynamic, spatially dense, and level stable: The Klipsch RP-8000F presents itself as balanced and powerful. Hope this Klipsch RP 8000F review will help you decide to buy or not to buy this floor standing speaker.
