If you are making yourself a home theatre from scratch or simply planning to switch your old audio gear for a new one, subwoofer speakers are among the most important components.
Having the right speakers that bring life to your music is essential for you to get the right feels and enjoy whatever you are playing or watching.
Whether you are watching a movie, playing a game, or strumming a song, a good pair of speakers is essential to elevate the home experience.
A subwoofer is a great way to do that since, apart from offering good sound, they also look pretty classy and give your space a modern look.
Some of the most popular subwoofer speakers include those by Klipsch and Focal, so it all comes down to Klipsch vs. Focal home theatre speakers.
There are several models you can pick from, such as the Klipsch PRO RP, Focal 100 series, JBL L1000 Classic, Focal Aria 926 or Klipsch Heresy IV.
Let’s get started on this mega brand comparison!
Table of Contents
What is a Subwoofer?
If you are wondering if you should invest in a subwoofer, or if a simple speaker should be used instead of the pricey subwoofer, or if you are simply unsure about subwoofers, it is time to know exactly what they are.
In the simplest terms, a subwoofer is all about its bass. It is a speaker delivering a sound with a frequency of 20 – 200 Hz with a typical two-way channel or a surrounding audio gear setup.
It can be used to play sounds coming from several instruments, such as the bass guitar, kick drum, pipe organ, and movie sounds, like firing and explosions.
So, isn’t this something even regular speakers can do? Why do you need a subwoofer for this specifically?
The reason is that while you can hear the bass from your floor-standing speakers or bookshelf speaker, a subwoofer will give you the chance to experience the sound.
Subwoofer speakers are for you if you are a fan of loud, heavy music, such as rock or even hip hop, rap or EDM.
You can also enjoy full-throttle action movies by yourself or with a small crowd and feel each sound and vocal effects. Moreover, the subwoofer will help you listen to each beat’s detail when listening to a song or audio file.
Even if you do not plan on watching loud-sound movies or do not enjoy songs much, you can still bring home a subwoofer.
It will help take away the heavy lifting from your average speakers and improve the overall performance of the home theatre setup.
A subwoofer will give you compelling dynamics and accurate stereo imaging. Listening to fold records becomes a fun task with an instrument like this.
Similarly, movie dialogues, dramas, and other forms of visual entertainment also give a vibrant and all-encompassing sound.
Where to Place your Subwoofer?
Placing the subwoofer at the right spot can be a bit tricky since each room has a different design and makes echoing sounds differently.
Not everyone has a space dedicated to home theatre instruments, which is okay. So, with a little trial and error, you can find the spot you need for your subwoofer.
Most users like setting up their subwoofer in the living room, which means the speakers will share the space with furniture and other décor.
Finding the ideal spot may require some rearrangements, but once you do find that spot, the extra trouble is worth it.
Apart from the placement, also consider the acoustics and how they play out for your subwoofer. You can make use of acoustic panels, bass traps, and diffusers to improve your space’s acoustics.
Alternatively, modern methods like A/V receivers, like AccuEQ and Audyssey, are also an excellent way to enhance the subwoofer sound quality.
Another factor to consider while placing your subwoofer is whether it is a down-firing or front-firing speaker.
While there is no major difference between the two options, certain factors, like what space you need to fill with the speakers, such as a large house or small apartment, should be considered before deciding on the final spot.
Klipsch Vs. Focal Home Theatre Speakers
For this comparison, we will take a look at the two famous models, the Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-8000F and Focal Chorus 726. Both are floor-standing speakers with a decent number of features and a modern look.
If we talk about the general features, the enclosure of the Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-8000F speaker is ported, while it is bass reflex for the Focal Chorus speaker.
The finish of the former speaker is MDF/ Woof-grain vinyl, whereas the latter showcases a lacquer/ leatherette finish.
The tweeter for the Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-8000F speaker is a tractrix horn and the inverted dome for the Focal Chorus 726 speaker.
Both the Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-8000F and Focal Chorus 726 speakers have a 1-inch tweeter size.
The Focal Chorus 726 has a midrange of 6.5 inches and a woofer size of 6.5 inches. The Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-8000F speaker has an 8 inches woofer size only.
The Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-8000F speaker’s woofer composition is cerametallic, while polyglass is for the Focal Chorus 726 speaker. Both speakers have a rubber woofer surrounding material.
- 1” titanium lts vented tweeter with hybrid tractrix Horn
- Dual 8″ Spun copper cerametallic woofers
- Bass-reflex via rear-firing tractrix port
- Dual binding posts for bi-wire/bi-amp
- Strong, flexible removable magnetic grille
The built-in powered sub is unavailable with the Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-8000F speaker.
Both the Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-8000F and Focal Chorus 726 speakers have a binding post connector type, but the former does not have Dolby Atomos Drivers.
The Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-8000F speaker also comes with bi-amp inputs. Both speakers offer a 5-year part and labor warranty.
The Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-8000F speaker’s power range is 150 kHz, whereas it is 40 – 250 kHz for the Focal Chorus 726 speaker.
The frequency response of the former is 32 – 25 kHz, and the latter boasts a 49 – 28 kHz response.
The sensitivity of the Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-8000F speaker is 98 dB, and the Focal Chorus 726 speaker has 91.5 dB. The impedance for both is the same, 8 ohms.
The Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-8000F speaker’s height is 43 1/4th inches and 39 1/4th inches for the Focal Chorus 726 speaker.
The Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-8000F speaker’s width is 10 7/8th inches, and Focal Chorus 726 has a width of 8 3/4th inches.
The depth is 13 13/16th inches for the latter and 17 ½ inches for the former. The Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-8000F weighs 60 lbs. The Focal Chorus 726 weighs 51.7 lbs.
If we talk about a few features overall, the Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-8000F speaker produces more of a colored sound that is not really up to modern engineering standards.
However, it has excellent sensitivity and impedance but produces reinforced sounds occasionally. It is made in Arkansas with a classic hardwood veneer cabinet.
On the other hand, the Focal Chorus 726 speaker has a stellar frequency response. Moreover, Kanta offers an advanced design, and the sensitivity is remarkable.
However, the France-designed product has minimal impedance but comes in a wide variety of colors and styles that make up for it.
Focal Chorus 726 vs. Klipsch Reference R-26F
Let’s next talk about two other popular models, the Focal Chorus 726 vs. Klipsch Reference R-26F speakers. Here is a comparison of the two:
Both are floor-standing speakers with a bass reflex enclosure. The finish of the Focal Chorus 726 speaker is lacquer/ leatherette and MDF/ polymer veneer for the Klipsch Reference R-26F.
The former has an inverted dome, while the Klipsch Reference R-26F has a tractrix horn.
Both the Focal Chorus 726 and Klipsch Reference R-26F have 1-inch tweeter sizes. The Focal speaker has a 6.5 inches midrange size and woofer size. The Klipsch speaker also has 6.5 inches woofer size.
The woofer composition of the Focal Chorus 726 speaker is poly glass, and Klipsch Reference R-26F has a copper-spun IMG woofer composition.
Both speakers have a rubber material woofer surrounding them. The connector type of the Focal Chorus 726 is a binding post, and the Klipsch Reference R-26F speaker has a 5-way post.
Only the latter has bi-amp inputs. Both the models have a 5-year parts and labor warranty.
The Focal Chorus 726 speaker has a power range of 40 – 250, while the Klipsch Reference R-26F speaker has a 100.
The former has a frequency response of 49 – 28 kHz, whereas the Klipsch Reference R-26F has a 38 – 24 kHz frequency response. Both have an impedance of 8 ohms.
The Focal Chorus 726 speaker has a height of 39 1/4th inches, and the Klipsch Reference R-26F 40 3/16th inches. The former’s width is 8 3/4th inches, while it is 10 7/8th inches.
The depth of the Focal Chorus 726 speaker is 13 13/16 inches, and the Klipsch Reference R-26F speaker is 14 ½ inches. The former’s weight is 51.7 lbs., and the latter weighs 41.9 lbs.
Klipsch PRO RP vs Focal 100 series
Let’s talk a bit about the Focal 100 series and the Klipsch R-5800 W-ll speakers. The Focal 100 IW LCR-5 is a multi-purpose in-wall speaker, while the Klipsch R-5800 W-ll is an in-wall speaker.
The Focal 100 IW LCR-5 has an inverted hard-dome, while the Klipsch R-5800 W-ll boasts a horn-loaded dome. Both do not come with an amiable tweeter.
The Focal 100 IW LCR-5 speaker has a polyglass woofer composition, while the Klipsch R-5800 W-ll has a cerametallic one.
The Focal 100 IW LCR-5 and Klipsch R-5800 W-ll speakers have rubber woofer surrounding materials.
The Focal 100 IW LCR-5 speaker has a major advantage over the Klipsch R-5800 W-ll speaker- it is moisture-resistant, so you can play it at your pool parties or take it to the beach.
Both the Focal 100 IW LCR-5 and Klipsch R-5800 W-ll speakers have spring-post type connectors. Both models do not have bi-amp inputs or built-in back boxes.
The tweeter size for both is 1 inch. The Focal 100 IW LCR-5 speaker’s woofer size is 5.125 inches, and 8 inches for the Klipsch R-5800 W-ll speaker.
Both have rectangle shapes, with the Focal 100 IW LCR-5 speaker having a cutout width of 5.813 inches and the Klipsch R-5800 W-ll speaker having 9.125 inches.
The Focal 100 IW LCR-5 speaker’s cutout height is 16.313 inches, and 14.6875 inches for the Klipsch R-5800 W-ll speaker.
The power range for the Focal 100 IW LCR-5 speaker is 25 – 120 watts and up to 50 watts for the Focal Klipsch R-5800 W-ll watts. The former’s sensitivity is 90.5 dB and 94 dB for the latter. Both have an impedance of 8 ohms.
The frequency response of the Focal 100 IW LCR-5 speaker is 55 – 23 kHz and 40 – 23 kHz for the Klipsch R-5800 W-ll. The parts and labor warranty for the Focal 100 IW LCR-5 speaker is five years, and lifetime for the Klipsch speaker.
Focal Aria 948 vs Klipsch RF-7 III
Both the Focal Aria 948 and Klipsch Reference RF-7 lll speakers are the floor-standing type. Here is a comparison for both:
The Focal Aria 948 and Klipsch Reference RF-7 lll speaker models have a ported enclosure. The former has an MDF/ Glass/ leather finish, while the latter has an MDF/ Wood veneer finish.
The Focal Aria 948 speaker has a 1-inch tweeter size, while the Klipsch Reference RF-7 lll speaker has 1/75 inches.
The Focal Aria 948 speaker’s midrange is 6.5 inches, and the woofer size is 8.25 inches. The Klipsch Reference RF-7 lll speaker’s woofer size is 10 inches.
The Focal Aria 948 speaker’s woofer composition is flax, while it is cerametallic for the Klipsch Reference RF-7 lll speaker.
Both the Focal Aria 948 and Klipsch Reference RF-7 lll speakers have woofer rubber surrounding and come without built-in powered subs and without Dolby Atmos Drivers.
The connector type for both is binding post, but only the Klipsch Reference RF-7 lll speaker has bi-amp inputs.
With five years of labor and parts warranty, both the Focal Aria 948 and Klipsch Reference RF-7 lll are good and reliable options. The power range for the former is 50 – 350 watts and up to 250 watts for the Klipsch Reference RF-7 lll.
The frequency response of the Focal Aria 948 speaker is 37 – 28 kHz, and it is 32 – 25 kHz for the Klipsch Reference RF-7 lll speaker. The sensitivity for the former is 92.5 dB and 100 dB for the latter. The impedance for both is 8 ohms.
The Focal Aria 948 speaker’s height is 45 1/4th inches, and the Klipsch Reference RF-7 lll measures 49 1/16th inches. The former’s width is 14 5/8th inches and 13 15/16th for the latter.
The Focal Aria 948 speaker’s depth is 16 9/19th inches and 17 15/16th inches of the Klipsch Reference RF-7 lll speaker. The former weighs 77 lbs. and the latter is 97 lbs.
Conclusion
The Klipsch subwoofer is a good choice, but the Focal subwoofer mostly performs better in home theaters as well as small setups, such as concerts. The Klipsch subwoofer is durable and supports numerous modern features.
However, most of the Focal subwoofers have better bass and overall sound quality than the Klipsch models.
Frequently Asked Questions
While Klipsch is among the leading speaker producers, Focal speakers also perform excellently. The Klipsch company has high-end speakers that are durable and come with several modern features.
However, Focal speakers seem to outperform the Klipsch speakers in numerous ways, including sound quality and bass.
Most of the Focal speakers have a bright sound and a booming bass.
The Klipsch speakers are excellent for the audiophile. The old, classic models, as well as the newer models, are a treat to the ears and do not disappoint when it comes to sound performance.
Klipsch models are all American-made, including the Klipsch Heritage, Klipsch Pro, Klipsch THX Ultra 2, and Klipsch RF-7 ll. However, several other speakers are made in China but are widely distributed over the USA.
The Klipsch speakers play very well since they have features that minimize noise and maximize the required frequency. They come with large horns that make a good, pleasant sound.
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