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Watching this a year later, ordered for $440 with tax. It may not be "Hi-Fi grade" but neither are my ported subs in my car and I love them just fine. Coming from a cheap ancient Kenwood I bought at a pawn shop for 40 bucks. I started doing measurements in my room and learned my sub can't play any lower than my ELAC B6s. So this is a much needed upgrade.
I got 2 of these subs when they first came out. I think I got them around $500 each give or take. Against good advice I bought them bc I was stubborn and wanted them to match my speakers. Even at that price I would recommend looking elsewhere, but over the last few years the price inflated so much which made them an easy pass imo. It’s not that they are bad subwoofers though. It’s just that there are much better options for the money, especially for home theater. I still use mine in my office as part of a little 2 channel system. They have a nice tone that I do really enjoy for music. All that being said, my main point is don’t let the “sale” fool you. I hate when people fall for that. They see a huge discount and assume it’s a great deal when in reality it was just way over priced to begin with. The truth is Klipsch makes good subwoofers but they don’t make great ones. The price to performance value is actually pretty low in comparison.
@@chrishernandez2490 I would think the Monolith is definitely a better option for HT. Also, SVS and HSU Research at a bit higher price point. The closes comparison I have direct experience with was the Klipsch and the HSU VTF-3 MK 5. And the HSU was a significant step up.
@@danielwander605Ive heard great things about all those brands. What exactly makes a sub better than another? Is it accuracy? Low end extension? At the moment I kinda feel the same as CAM as in "if it fills in the low end cleanly, its good". Whats your take on that?
@@chrishernandez2490 I just bought a rsl speedwoofer 10smkII and it’s been great so far. It’s accurate and digs down to 20hzs. And at a price of 449.00 it’s a way better value.
@@chrishernandez2490 Honestly, it’s hard to articulate. Lower extension is definitely a factor. It’s nice to have something that can do 20-30hz with authority and not be at its limits. Headroom is a factor as well along with how controlled the driver is. It can make those dynamics like a shotgun blast really pop with clarity. That’s what I find hard to articulate. Better subwoofers can just put out this slam that will take the whole experience up a notch. I had the 2 klipsch subs but I kept reading how this sub destroys that sub and so on. I wasn’t unhappy with the klipsch but I was curious so I ordered a pair of the HSU subs. It was clear right away that I had stepped up a level. I also had a pair of PB-16s that I got used for about a year which were really awesome subs. Now, I’ve got 4 DIY. It’s definitely a rabbit hole and I kept wanting to level up as each step brought more and more to the table.
You had me LOL when you were trying so hard to keep a straight face. I mean really, haven't we all experienced enough dinosaur encounters to judge realism in our living rooms?
LOL! I got a Klipsch R-115SW when they were being discontinued and thought "two would be better!". They're the size of a doghouse. One thing about Klipsch: Their customer service is fantastic. One of the sub amps blew a cap and I asked the sales rep at Gramophone (where I was shopping for speakers) if they could repair it. He called his Klipsch rep, and they sent me a new amp, which was pretty much plug and play. This was long after the warranty was up. FYI, Crutchfield has the R-112SW on sale for $399.
Are you happy with them? I have too 2x R115SW and I'd describe them as meh. No matter what I do they just don't give me this ''compressed chest'' feeling like the pair of RP-8000F gives me set to 40hz
@@BooYaa253 I'd say your crossovers are too low. The compressed chest feeling happens in the midbass region, closer to 80 Hz, and I only have the 12. I'd imagine the 15 should be stomping on those mere towers all day effortless, even when dialed in.
@@BooYaa253 I'm quite happy with them. I rotate my main speakers between a pair of Heresy IV's and JBL L96's (refurbished by Just Audio) and the bass hit is there. My pre/pro (CX-A5000) uses Yahmaha's YPAO, and I have the speaker setting on "large" for bass management. At $500 each they were a steal, although they have a well known problem with the caps blowing on the amp. The replacement amp Klipsch sent (no charge) is the newer one, which slotted right in.
@@pastaman6099 I set my crossovers to 40 only when I listen to certain music such as "For My Hand by Burna Boy feat Ed Sheeran" The bass that hits there I found out cannot be reproduced by subs accurately. (They might not be calibrated properly though) on other songs such as Wyr Gemi - Ethics subs easily destroy the RP 8000f and the house is shaking but without this chest feeling. It's weird tbh. Also one thing to say. My crossovers are set always to 80hz for movies but when I listen to music I turn off the subs, use two floorstanders only and set them to 60 or 40hz depending on the music I listen. I found it more pleasant to my ears.
@@BooYaa253 hmm, I see what you mean. I always set my crossover to 80 because my room sucks out a lot of the 70 hz region from my mains that I use the subs to fill in, but for around that region, I blended the subs with the mains with minidsp so that they’re doing midbass in tandem with the speakers, so they all both give plenty of midbass punch together. Only time when I want to bring the crossover down to 60 is when I’m in that one spot where there’s too much, and 40 just makes obvious holes.
If you want HUGE subwoofer sound with a small footprint consider one of the SVS ported 12" cylinder models, the cabinet is only 16.5" in diameter, they vary in height from about 3 to 4 feet depending on the model, I love my older PC12-NSD for home theater.
My best purchase was the Klipsch SPL 15 brand new for $750 in 2020. That is the only subwoofer I've owned that has played the opening of Korn's Blind the way I think the band meant it to be heard.
amen to that. i have the spl 120 is it's very great for my needs. I've compared it to the SVS PB-1000, 1000 Pro and SVS SB-3000 and it crushes the first two for sure in output and bass performances. The fact that the first two can go down lower than 20 hertz means nothing because the volume of those subs is too low.
I hope people that have a budget or maybe they were on the line about getting a subwoofer take a hard look at this. $500 is a great deal. Imagine four of these. 😮 It would rock your room. 🤛
I hope you watched the original Jurassic Park to verify these claims lol. And don't sell yourself short regarding subwoofers. This is enough information for most people, those wanting more can continue their research afterwards. I welcome the occasional subwoofer review. I also would like to see them included in some of your budget system builds. Thanks, great video as always.
I've been a Audiophile for ...years and this should make the T-Rex feel like it's in the room. I have older version the RPW-10 and I actually like the design being front ported versus the rear ports being tucked up against the wall.
Each to their own. If you want to match your Klipsch speakers, it’s a good option. I’d personally opt for the 10” Monolith sub that’s currently under $600, and digs lower and has a cast-basket driver- instead of stamped steel on the Klipsch
I have this sub and I'm the same I don't know what to really listen for with subs but this does the job. I bought it along with a full Klipsch system and sold everything but this and replaced it with Kefs. For movies it is great. You really feel the bass and the couch moving lol and for music no complaints. At some point I do want to buy Rels but unless it breaks I don't think I can justify it.
Wow randy! Have you you not heard how low these new subs go. I think you might want to try an svs pb1000 or something like that. I had an old velodyne that I thought was perfectly fine until I got that pb1000. There is a whole chunk of frequencies missing down low with most old subs but having that 17hz or whatever it is creates a whole new and bigger soundatage
I got 2 Klipsch rw-12d on clearance for $299 a piece in 2008'ish. They are probably 3 generations previous to the SPL-12 and spec out roughly the same. I'm still using them and even though I shop around, and dream of owning SVS 16 ULTRA's, I haven't found it necessary to upgrade because the pair of Klipsch rw-12d absolutely rattle the walls and windows when pushed. I love the built in DSP and I really wish they would bring it back. I would actually upgrade to Klipsch's 15" subwoofers if they did. All the functions are adjustable, Volume, crossover, It has 360 degree variable phase control, 3 EQ Modes (Flat, Depth, Punch), Depth boosts the 30Hz region, great for home theater, and Punch boosts the 60Hz region, great for rock/pop music.
I am so lucky I got two Klipsch speakers and a Klipsch subwoofer all for 149.00 at the boys and girls club thrift store in Detroit lakes MN.. Three Day ago.. That's why I am watching videos about them 😃
i have this sub (klipsch spl-120) and the performance is incredible. those copper woofers on the klipsch subs are very quick and musical sounding. klipsch probably didn't get enough credit for their spl line because of the inflated prices, lack of digital features and being able to go down to 20hz---which isn't a big deal for me because there isn't much difference between the 23hz they're rated and perform down to and 20hz.
Hey Randy I brought one of these back in March off Amazon for $400 with the cherry finish! I'm using it with my Klipsch Rf-7 iii. $500 is a great deal for this sub. But if you look really hard you can find them cheaper.
I like smaller subs, but here’s a larger sub for the same price as smaller ones! Looks like a deal to me, for someone who doesn’t mind the larger size and wants more boom.
I run dual of the R-112sw's (even older discontinued model but better looking with the rounded edges, literally same sound) and for just $349 a piece on Crutchfield, I could never ask for anything further! Loud, violent but accurate, collapse-your-chest punchy bass. I don't care if 24 Hz isn't deep enough, 349 is a steal.
@@jeronimo2152 yes because it's still at least $250 less expensive than the likes of HSU, SVS, Monolith, etc. I'd only consider RSL Speedwoofer 10s mkii and BIC pl 300 to be a better choice at only $50 more and that's pushing it. Low end below 20 Hz from some huge sub is overrated and better left to buttkickers.
I'm not super picky with subs either, I have 3 laying around the house but only use 1. The one I use is decent, SVS 2000pro sealed. I love the parametric EQ with it, I very much needed it..I have a big 40hz boost and 50hz null in room without the EQ. It isn't very loud but I could have got by with much less. I really wanted the RSL Speedwoofer but they were never in stock. Seems like a sweet sub for a reasonable price...could have bought 2 for almost the price of the SVS. I'm sure that Klipsch would work as well...I'm not picky, just need it to enhance my bookshelves
You should see if you can get ahold of the Elac sub 1010. Dirt cheap and... OK enough. Both RCA and high-level inputs. .... Have not tested for dinosaur realism.
I purchased the Klipsch 120 on sale to go with my SPL 150, After you’ve listened to a 15 inch sub? You’ll never go back, I will be returning it to get another 15. Great starter speaker though.
Randy, Your thought on buying and installing two subs is a good idea. I have one really good sub and I sure would like a second one to even out the bass throughout my room. But, hey, one good sub is far better than no sub(or a bad sub).
I got this on sale for $400 a few weeks ago through Walmart! Awesome subwoofer for the price I paid. At $500, you might want to also consider the SVS-pb1000. I went klipsch because it was 100 bucks cheaper. Hits the lows very well. Gets down to 24hz easily.
@@jeronimo2152 it has the digital features but the bass output and sound pressure level is lacking on the pb-1000 pro. the 1000 line are their entry level subs and it shows. The SPL line are Klipsch's top of the line subs and IT SHOWS. Sorry for the late response. Hope you didn't fall for the hype.
@@thedynamicd85 I agree with you. I got the original version of the PB-1000 used for $300 just to try it and the Klipsch SPL-120 sounds way better. I use the Klipsch in my main listening area.
You want a big hunk and pizza square monster subwoofer check out the the R- 1600 it will move foundations and cracked concrete playing Huey helicopter sounds through it is a blast
I think the rythmik L12 is a better buy than this, much flatter bass response, and a -3db of 18hz and -6db at 12hz compared to 24hz for this one. its slightly more expensive at 600 vs 500$ though. its also much smaller being sealed
Nah I have owned both Klipsch and Rel subs , the Rel T5X is much tighter and tuneful. They use class AB amps instead of class D.For a small room it’s perfect. Bass has tune.
Would you prefer this or the SVS SB1000 PRO (regardless of the price diference)? I don't know if you still have the svs or if you can compare them from memory.
Everybody needs to check out exactly the words that were said beginning at timer he actually Randy said this and they can only be gotten away with when you're talkin about a subwoofer right without getting hit in the head with an apple or something slightly larger and a little more connectivity😂😂😂😊😊
Hey Randy, not sure how often you take requests, if at all, but I've yet to see anybody review the Klipsch Synergy Black Label line of budget/beginner speakers and subwoofers. Would love to see one from you as you put alot of effort into these along with detail thats actually understandable to the common-folk.
I’ve always preferred of set of large stereo speakers that dig deep without a subwoofer, but the only designs I have ever found to be adequate were the sealed with the mid and high frequency drivers isolated type.. Ported designs were never quite right to me…👨🏻 To each their own recipe..🥳
I got the 15 inch and it goes really low,but I'm having some issues got 2 in a small room,1 of the cons is not suited for small rooms,I thought I get it to lower volume and it would be fine
Well at present 12 SW is under 200 bucks depending on where you find it and the newer version the 120sw which is a better sub all the way around is going for about 3:25 just pick me up four of them for each corner of the room
These looks yummy 😋 (realizm) need two but due to my room shape I need them to have speaker lvl inputs and outputs on them... Any recommendations on them would be great 500-600 usd range.
Last week I bought one of these subwoofers @ my local Hospice thrift store. Had hardly been used & only cost me $64. I had a Yamaha subwoofer that is about 10 years ago that is good but like the Klipsch better.
Watch your channel a lot. Take a different view on subs. If you've listened to Star Wars (watched) the intro bass note is the lowest note on a large pipe organ: 16 or 18 Hz. If you can't hear that note or at least it's harmonic, you're missing a LOT. When the horn section enters the scene you will be blown away. I built stereo 12 inch closed box subs which tested flat to 32 Hz with a 3db rolloff(half loudness). Ported subs rolloff at 6db. Much steeper and less accurate. With a 3db boost at 25hz, I was able to hear that note, not nearly as loud as good theater subs, but I had never heard it on home stereo before. Spine tingling. Play Also Sprach Zarathustra by Philadelphia Harmonic with Stravinsky conducting. That's how I test my subs.
I have a KEF C4 standing around doing nothing because I shelved my AVR. My amp doesn't have a sub out because it is from 1977. Oh well my main speakers have 10 inch drivers.
RSL Speedwoofer 10s $450! REL imo way better. Even a Sonance or Martin Logan would choose before Klipsch. (Yes you can find similar deals if patient!) Experiment with more brands Randy, might find that there's more to "all 'bout that bass" than you currently feel! Cheers
I'm not so sure I want to believe the remark on realistic dinosaurs. Honestly, how many years of professional experience with reviewing dinosaurs do you even have? I bet it's less than five
Two would be worth having. One, imo, is a bit underwhelming when you could get a Speedwoofer for the same price. Or, for a little more, go for a Hsu Research sub and never feel cheated.
I like subs, have 2 in the living room. I suspect that most rooms have problems, low frequency issues are harder to solve. With that being said, without room correction maybe which sub we get isn't as important as the room's issues?
Rooms play a significant roll in bass presence. Doing a simple sub crawl can determine proper placement. Many don’t have the skill or inclination to explore room treatments.
@@marzcapone9939 then room treatment is probably your best option. You can always put your sub in your listening position and walk around the room too. Easier on the knees
@@cheapaudioman My original statement was the question, in general, that if you have several subs, similar power, price, and quality. Do the small differences matter, IF you also have poor room acoustics? I'm using near field studio monitors, with matching sub. So, to some extent, my low freq issues aren't bad in my sitting position. If I move around the room, I have some exaggerated corners, and at least one dead spot.
You’re approaching the giant subwoofer thing all wrong. Key is that placement is not nearly as critical as for other speakers. Mine is the perfect height and width for an end table. Nobody notices it other than the impact of dinosaur movies.
Seems like a good sale, I’m up in Ontario CAN and with the exchange it’s about $100 less than the Svs sb1000 pro. I know you’ve mentioned before the svs app is worth the price so just wondering your thoughts on if it’s worth the extra $100? Appreciate it and enjoy your videos 👍🏻
The Klipsch r 12sw is 200 watts (so 100w less), same fq ratings etc. Sound exactly the same in a/b comparison.... Is only $200 usually. $500 for this is WAY inflated
I have the Ayima a07 with the Topping D50s. These are are all great recommendations from Randy. Looking to buy this sub but how do we connect a 2 Channel AMP to a input only sub woofer? Do we need a separate low pass filter to the sub woofer itself?
There is an Aux output on the A07, Get a cable with a 1/8" male on one end and RCA's on the other... That's how I have mine connected now and it works perfectly.
The sub been sold for $499 is the model SPL1200 a much better model than the SPL12. The SPL1200 is also been sold by several sellers on Amazon for the same price, one seller even includes the wireless module, a $120 value. Thank you Randy for the tip.
I own an SVS SB1000 pro subwoofer, but if your like me who likes a bit of a punch, i would recommend a ported sub instead. My old Yamaha YST SW1500 slays the SVS when it comes to punch. I did not imagine there would be such a difference in sound, ported vs sealed, but there sure is. Maybe sealed is bit more controlled but ported is def. my favorite subwoofers. 499 that is cheap for sub like that, dont think anyone would be disappointed at that price for sure. Thx for the review :D And i might get yelled at somebody for saying this, but i truly think the Yamaha YST SW1500 is a very underrated sub, i think it is amazing, so i would love to hear from someone who also has experienced that sub, and what they think about it, it is so hard to find reviews on it. I think if you find one used at a good price grab, run and dont look back :D love to hear from someone.
I currently have this sub and it's predecessor the R-112SW that I got for free from Amazon (it's a long story). It's a decent sub if you have a smaller space for it. It does go low but it lacks the power to really feel the punch. I'm getting ready to upgrade to the pc-4000 which fits my space better and hits way harder and goes deeper. 🤷🏾♂️
@@raffeal247 you dare say that this sub isn't punchy? And also, this sub would overwhelm a small space. Were you reading specs or did you actually use the product?
@@thedynamicd85 I don't see where I said it would overwhelm a small room. I believe I said it would be good in a smaller room. If you read what I posted accurately. I also stated that I have this sub currently as well as the SPL-120. I've had them both for a couple of years now. 🤷🏾♂️
I know you're not the "subwoofer guy", but, that Monoprice 60-watt 8-incher you had as a desktop sub, does it have usable output to below 40Hz-ish? The price is good and believe it or not I think it would be an upgrade for me.
I actually like subwoofers, it's in my opinion not as easy to setup as speakers, and there is a very simple rule, the bigger the better. TBH I would not buy this sub, a 12" is considered small these days, and 300W is not rocking your house, also not a lot of controls on the back.
Not impressed with this sub at all. Bought and returned recently. I have an old $300 Sony W3000 12" powered sub from around the year 2000 that outperforms it. Even my cheap older 10" Yamaha sub had comparable performance. Klilpsch just doesn't make good subs and there are better options in this price range. Some of the cheaper SVS will be far better and about the same price or at least close to it.
