Klipsch RP-8060FA II Review
Klipsch is one of the go-to names for audiophiles but for Cinema sound they are the go-to name. Used in thousands of movie theaters around the world their cinema speakers are famous for providing an immersive listening experience. Today we are going to review the Klipsch RP-8060FA II a floor-standing speaker that sounds amazing for music but really comes alive in a home theater setup
Specifications
At first glance the Klipsch RP-8060FA II looks like a normal set of floor-standing speakers but when you get closer things start to look a little unusual. The speaker has what Klipsch call a intergrated Tactrix Horn Tweeter. This allows the tweeter to fire sound directly forward as well as upward to bounce off the ceiling and down to the viewer.
This system integrates as part of the Dolby Atoms design that positions sound around a room creating a life-like listening experience similar to that in a theater.
On top and embedded in the housing behind a grill sits an upward firing 6.5-inch woofer providing vertical sound height and on the fronts sit two stacked 8-inch front-firing woofers to provide direct impact. The back has a rear-firing bass port that bounces lower frequencies off surrounding walls claiming to increase impact and synergy throughout this very competent system.
Full technical specifications:
Frequency Response: 32-25kHz +/- 3dB
Sensitivity: 98dB @ 2.83V / 1m
Power(Continuous/Peak): 150W / 600W
Impedance: 8 Ohms
Crossover: 1750Hz
Highs: 1” Titanium LTS Vented Tweeter with Hybrid Cross-Section Tractrix® Horn
Lows Dual 8” Cerametallic Cone Woofers
Materials: MDF with lacquer finishes (Walnut, Ebony, Piano Black)
Dimensions: H-43.12” (109.5 cm) / W-10.90” (27.7 cm) / D 19.80” (50.3 cm)
Weight: 32kg (Tested)
Design and Build
If it wasn’t for the unique upward firing horn design it would be hard to differentiate the RP-8060FA from many other high-end floor standing speakers on the market, especially others from Klipsch.
They are tall and fairly deep loudspeaker that looks imposing in even large rooms so maybe overwhelming aesthetically in smaller environments.
Having a choice of three colors is nice and you can color match your room. There are 2 wood look options (Walnut and Ebony) and one high gloss piano black colorway which we had on the test unit for this review. Having seen all three I must say I do prefer the gloss option but I also wish they would have created one option with a lighter colorway, The room I installed this in was all light pastels and none of the Klipsch designs truly blend in.
Build quality is at the level we like to describe as consumer premium. Really it won’t compete with more expensive handmade options. It is mass manufactured but finished to a very surgical standard. Everything is where it should be, with no rough cuts or finish blemishes. High quality and well made and from what I have heard from the installers we work with they have great quality control with their units.
The grills are magnetic which is a big plus making them easy to remove without fumbling with clips. When the grills are removed they are more of a statement piece as the front cones are finished in that iconic Klipsch bronze color.
Sound
I wouldn’t recommend them as speakers doing solely music listening. For such duties, I think there are many better options for the money. However, with pure music, the sound is detailed full, and impactful. They do a great job of throwing music around the room although imaging becomes somewhat unrealistic.
When using them for movies and tv shows that’s when they really come into their own. It’s what they were designed for. The test unit for this review was set up with additional wall speakers and a sub from the Klipsch Premiere range and this was just mind-blowing. I watch two movies back to back first “Skyfall” with the full system then “No Time To Die” using only the RP-8060FA II. Here are my thoughts.
The full system is as good as I have heard for the price. The sound seemed to be coming at me from every direction the rumble from the sub was mind-blowing during action scenes. It was about as close as I have ever heard to a full theater experience inside a living room. The only caveat was that it took a lot of tinkering with the setup to make the sound optimal. In my opinion, if you have the money to spend and want an amazing cinema experience in your home the full setup is the way to go.
However, for those people that are space or budget limited and looking to only buy the RP-8060FA here is my advice. Do it. As a stand-alone speaker, this blows normal HiFi speakers out of the water for watching movies. The positioning of the sound including the effect of having the sound thrown up to the ceiling and back down onto the sofa is really enjoyable.
The 8-inch drivers and the bass port portray thumping deep bass and they go extremely loud without distortion. Strangely though it doesn’t drown out voices and imaging comes alive when separating actors’ vocals from background noise and music. It’s such an immersive speaker on its own that it’s worth buying.
The full system takes a lot of tinkering to get optimal sound but the floor-standing speakers used independently were a breeze with only three considerations having to be made. First, the distance from the wall impacts the bass presentation. Secondly, the distance between the speakers creates separation, and thirdly the position of your couch needs to be optimized to benefit from the bounce effect of the top drivers.
Once you dial this in by spending 10 mins shuffling things about you are in for a treat.
As mentioned Hifi speakers sound a bit better for pure audio but Hifi speakers sound like trash in comparison to the home cinema when compared a unit like this. If you are buying mainly as an immersive movie and tv listening device with a little bit of music then these do great.
Negatives
Large size is imposing in small rooms
No light color option
Optimized for movies and not music
Positives
Creates a cinema sound experience in your home
Excellent value when used alone
Can be used in conjunction with other speakers in the Premier line
Final Thoughts
They are big and bulky speakers but do bring elements of Cinema audio into your house. Outstanding as a full system with the other premiere speakers but used alone they are still capable of throwing the sound around. A well-priced and well-made speaker that has some really clever innovations inside. One to wow the family and guests.
Official website of Klipsch RP-8060FA II: www.klipsch.com
