Klipsch has long since been an industry standard setter in HiFi home audio speakers, and while their products tend to be higher-end and thus more expense, we were really happy to see their reference series floorstanding speakers, released circa 2014, bring excellent power and slick design at a very reasonable price.
Spec Comparison Table
| Model | R-24F | R-26F | R-28F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speaker Type | passive, 2 way | (<-- same) | (<-- same) |
| Nominal Power | 75 W | 100 W | 150 W |
| Peak Power | 300 W | 400 W | 600 W |
| Impedance | 8 ohms | (<-- same) | (<-- same) |
| Sensitivity | 95 dB/W/m | 97 dB/W/m | 98 dB/W/m |
| Frequency response range | 45 Hz - 24 kHz | 38 Hz - 24 kHz - | 35 Hz - 24 kHz |
| Unit Weight | 25 lbs | 41 lbs | 56 lbs |
| Unit Dimensions (depth x width x height) | 10 x 6.5 x 34.75 inches | 13.5 x 7.8 x 39 inches | 15.7 x 9.5 x 42 inches |
| Warranty (does include Amazon.com purchase) | 5 years | (<-- same) | (<-- same) |
| Product Manual | click here | (<-- same) | (<-- same) |
Review and Discussion
Not only are the power handling specs on all three of these speakers great, but the sensitivity ratings are excellent, which is something that we’ve noticed distinguishes Klipsch speakers. To give you an idea, a sensitivity increase from 85 to 95 dB might double the volume capacity with the same power input. These are some of the most efficient speaker’s we’ve seen at this price-point.
Other than varying in size, the three speakers have the same 2 way ported design with a horn tweeter and dual IMG copper colored woofers that contrasts the near black cabinet. Suffice to say, these things look awesome, and we’d be tempted to leave the cones exposed if there was no worry of them being knocked, poked, or otherwise tampered with. If you’re hosting regular company or such, you can always put the full frontal foam-grill cover on.
While the response range floors at 45 – 35 hz, which is quite good, there’s a chance a pair of these might benefit from a subwoofer since there’s no built in subwoofer, particularly so for the cheaper and smaller R24Fs. This will really depend – if you’re listening to a wide range of music, a decent subwoofer might be in order. Or, if you’re mostly doing home theater type stuff, they might sound perfectly fine as is. Klipsch actually has 10 and 12 inch subwoofers which respectively pair with the R26F and R28F speakers and are part of the all inclusive 5.1 systems they sell that are based around the Reference floorstanding speakers.
Setup is as easy as can be with floorstanding speakers, which is one of their advantages. You might have to lug them a bit, but you simply have to place them on the floor where you want them and you’re done. All Klipsch home-theater speakers come with a 5 year warranty which is extremely good for the lower priced Reference speakers – most competitors offer 1-2 years of coverage.
Our Take
There’s a newer version of the Reference speakers now available, so even though these speakers are only three years old, they’re essentially legacy products at this point. But this often leads to significant discounts, and we have indeed seen pairs of these fall below $500 which is an excellent deal. All in all? Klipsch may be a little more expense but it’s almost impossible go wrong with them.
If you’re really pinching pennies, don’t need so much power, and want floorstanding speakers with subwoofers in them, you might consider Polk’s Monitor Series II – they’re not as powerful, but they’re great nonetheless and significantly cheaper.
Get the legacy Klipsch reference towers on Amazon
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