Floorstanding loudspeakers — Klipsch RP-8060FA II

The Klipsch RP-8060FA II is a Dolby Atmos floorstanding speaker from the second-generation Reference Premiere series. It takes the main drivers of the RP-8000F II and adds an up-firing height module built into the top of the cabinet, in effect combining a large tower and the RP-500SA II Atmos add-on speaker in one enclosure, so a single pair covers both the front and the height channels.

Key specs that matter

In the main section a horn-loaded 1-inch titanium LTS tweeter and two 8-inch Cerametallic cone woofers with Faraday rings are joined by a 1,630Hz crossover. It covers 35Hz to 25kHz, has 98dB sensitivity and handles 150W continuous and 600W peak. The height module combines another 1-inch titanium LTS tweeter on a hybrid Tractrix horn with a 6.5-inch Cerametallic woofer in a sealed acoustic suspension enclosure, with a 2kHz crossover and power handling of 100W continuous and 400W peak. Both sections are rated at 8 ohms. The cabinet measures 109.5 x 27.5 x 52.8cm and weighs 34.35kg.

Engineering and use context

The top-mounted module is tuned to the Dolby Atmos specification for height speakers. It fires upward so that its output reflects from the ceiling and reaches the listener from above, giving height effects without in-ceiling speakers. The sealed box isolates the module from the bass-reflex main enclosure below it. The main section shares its engineering with the RP-8000F II, including a 90 x 90 degree silicone composite Tractrix horn with phase plug, a vented tweeter housing against standing waves, woofer voice coils 70% larger than in the previous generation, aluminium shorting rings and dual-chamber rear-firing Tractrix ports designed for low air noise. The module and its enclosure account for the extra depth and the roughly 6.5kg of added weight over the RP-8000F II. All terminals sit low on the rear panel, with Atmos pass-through, so the height channel is connected without cables running up the back of the speaker.

Pairing

The speaker needs an AV receiver or processor with Dolby Atmos decoding and spare height-channel outputs, typically in a 5.1.2 or 7.1.2 layout. The ceiling reflection works best under a flat ceiling of standard height. With its high main-channel sensitivity it is driven comfortably by mainstream AV receivers, and the main section accepts bi-wiring or two amplifiers.

Alternatives

The Klipsch RP-8000F II is the same tower without the height module, for stereo systems or rooms that already have ceiling-mounted height speakers.