Just changed my mind and went with the Klipsch instead of the SVS SB16. I could not justify 1,100 difference in price. Quality wise and feature wise the SVS appears to win hands down, But as a causal music listener and Home theater enthusiast will I really hear that price difference? As a non Audiophile I seriously doubt it. I just hope Klipsch quality is good. This addition will be my 4th Sub hooked to my Cinema 40 which is a superior AVR IMO.
I got to hear 7 different subs (JTR RS1, ML 1600x, SVS PB16, GSG 21, RP-1600, Arendal 1723, Elac) in a blind test at MWAVE this year and came away with the RP-1600 as one of my favorites. It lagged behind some others when it came to raw movie theater output but it was respectable, very clean, and - importantly to me - had a very natural sound for music. For listeners who mix music and home theater this is my top choice.
I was there as well, but it was a completely useless/flawed test, and even the host knew it. Because of acoustics, you would get different responses based on sub placement and seating position.
@@andrewskaterrr That's why it was helpful to listen in multiple positions - each sub sounded worse or better but gives you a good general idea - the tonality I referenced doesn't change dramatically
This sub is $899 periodically these days which makes it completely unbeatable in its price bracket. You mentioned that the previous Klipsch subs had amp issues, well that happened to me; my SPL-150 needed a whole new amp about 2 years ago. I will say, the Klipsch customer service was top notch! They didn't ask any questions, just immediately shipped me an entire new amp assembly for free. unscrewed the old one, screwed in the new one and it's been fine ever since. So the prospect of having access to that customer support for 5 years! That is a big reason I own this sub. And again, at $899, what are people even waiting for. Cheers and great review!
Why can't people just say" it's a great subwoofer. It's always good for what it is. This sub goes lower. Or gets louder? The klipsch is keeping up on those. And klipsch wins the tests in usable frequencies. 20-200 clean very low distortion and equal spl. And half the price. That .makes it exceptional in my book. LEAVE KLIPSCH ALONE. THEY WON THE SUB WAR. 2 RP 1600S OR 1 SVS PB16. SAME PRICE KLI0SCH WINS. AND STILL HALF THE POWER.
There are a bunch of trolls on the net and many of them are paid to write bollocks. Often it is marketing of other companies who are smaller and can't use scale effect so they do everything thay can to discredit major players.
Honestly, from my personal experience from owning both the 16ultra and even the old Klipsch SPL-150, the Klipsch was still better both by ear and measured slightly better (SVS was using the app, Klipsch was using mini DSP) And that’s 1 vs 1 I’ll wait a while but eventually will upgrade to these new 16’s
I agree, I'm looking at all the measurements side by side with the SVS PB16 Ultra and the Klipsch is better in virtually everyway except maybe sub 12 Hz. Also way less $. I don't get it
It would be awesome if you could check out the RP-1400SW and see how close it gets. The value, especially when on sale ($699!) is insane and perhaps untouchable.
Thanks for the review Gents. It must be righteous as Gene even critiqued the Audio Advise demo of this Sub and they are one of his sponsors! James is always straight ahead.
Great review. Finally Klipsch is in the real H.T. game. However, the new HSU 15" for $1,200 seems to be better in price and performance. Can't wait for that review!
Great review. The 5 year warranty on the amp is AMAZING. Love to see this kind of confidence and product support. James - you live very close to our store. You should come pick up a Paradigm XR13 or XR11 to review. 😎
@xzing7 Thank you! I'll see what I can do. Im not a professional reviewer, but I can give an average Joe run down of the subs. My room is small as well, 12x13 feet so two of these are really going to piss off the neighbors.
Hi Gene. Thanks for sharing this video. I live in Raleigh, NC and my wife and I also attended the Audio Advice Live 2023. Just in the hallway and upon us entering into the Klipsch room, we heard the boomy sound coming from the RP-1600 SW’s and automatically knew something was not setup correctly. I own a pair of the RP-1000’s paired with other Klipsch brands in a two story home and our setup sounded way better than what we heard at the event. When speaking with the host, we were told that he was only with Klipsch for two weeks. I was wondering then, why would Klipsch send someone who was not skilled at properly calibrating this setup. This may have generated a sale as it was, but for those who are already accustomed to proper setting these up, this to was a show stopper for me. Lets hope they get it right next year😊
I myself was at AA live and also stopped by the Klipsch room mainly for the 1600s and I heard basically what you did. I have the SPL 150 that I bought in January 2022 from audio advice and had to take it back in December for amp failure, so me wanting to listen to the 1600 was me wanting to keep faith in the brand. I was a little disappointed but I also know that calibration can make a world of difference. Also with audio advice keeping my subwoofer over 10 months was a little disappointing as well, so take that with a grain of salt. I brought an svs PB 3000 about a week after taking the Klipsch sub in for service and I enjoyed having the 3000. I just got my Klipsch sub back and now playing both together never sounded better.
I bought one, and it's paired with my Altec A7-500, fully upgraded Klipsch Chorus', and Fortes. I gave my previous Klipsch 15" to my son. YES the volume goes to 11. LOL Oh my lord jeebus!!!!
I picked up a second 1600SW when they went on sale. Still trying to get MiniDSP setup with a Yamaha A5200, but the pair shows some promise for home theater. Not small cabinets, but should do well for movies in a larger space. Planning on treating the room once things get tuned. Your reviews have been very helpful.
Live reinforcement for avg "band": sound wall, 2 stand mounted monitors similar to a Klipsch Heresy. The bass and guitar players have their own amps or are direct into venue PA system setup. Basic mic mix into the monitors. So, to my point: youll always want a separate sub or 2
I entered the contest, but I'd have to move everything to a different room if I won. Right now I have a 10" Polk sub on top of a Klipsch 12" sub...realistically more than enough bass for me at this point for a 13x16 bedroom with a 7.2.4 system. I didn't realize the sub was so heavy!
We recently got an in ground pool, & I want some excellent bass for the area. I bought one of these. I'm going to build a "shelter" for it, so it will be out of the rain, etc. I'll take it indoors for the off season (in WI.) Do you think it'll do well?
My only gripe with this subwoofer as it it's full retail at $1800. I think you're better off getting a rhythmic or power sound audio 18 that's not but just a little bit more expensive the PSAEV is tune right around the same thing this has, and basically twice as much power also weighs around the same now the TV model that is tuned deeper cost quite a bit more but once again because of tuning different caliber and the rhythmic, I'm not too sure what it cost now, but I know you can tune it to what you prefer now at the $1439 level that changes some things at that price. This is probably one of the best subwoofers you can buy For the money but at 1800 I think it's a little off just my opinion
Power isn't always a good way to judge subwoofer performance due to different driver efficiency. A smaller sub takes more power to reach the same output as a larger woofer for example. Some subs might have a lower or higher impedance driver which also affect the power they need to perform.
@@Smellslikegelfling I know that that is why I was comparing the rhythmic and the power sound audio to the clips because both of them are 18 inch woofers not a 16+ have more than double the power of the Klipsch and once again, neither model much more expensive than the clips at the clips at the retail price that is why I made my comment now like I said the clips on sale at the $1439 price know that changes things because that's enough of a Savings at that point to make it a more viable option
I’m a REL fanboy so will go with the Predator 15 for the ultra-low group delay and sealed musical fidelity, but this sub is pretty badass with way more output for the price!
A Klipsch 5-year warranty sounds great but who pays the shipping to return this large heavy beast if something goes wrong? I still have the Rythmik FV15SE subwoofer I bought about 12 years ago based on your Audioholics favorable review and high recommendation. The Rythmik has been rock solid reliable and probably the best purchase I ever made for my home theater. Thank you for the recommendation... you guys are the best in the business!
I can get dual RSL 12S for $1500 when theyre on sale. I'd imagine the Klipsch 16 has more output, but if you want duals the RSL seems like a good value.
@@mikeharrison4659 I don't really think people can realistically tell much difference in which subs are better or worse for music due to all the factors involved like room acoustics, placement, and calibration.
Great review. They made a better sub than I thought. The chuffing is a disappointment at this price point. Either it should have been tuned differently or the electronic limits set tighter.
I honestly don't think people really should ever have to set it to a level where that's a concern, maybe those level settings are reserved for specific purposes, but don't know why it would ever be a problem, simply don't turn it that high, I think it could be a good barometer of exactly how far you can set it, soon as you hear that noise just back it off few clicks and will be perfectly deep, or maybe if somehow there are signals from a source that might need it tuned higher could be why they allow for those settings, just a guess lol iam a beginner and people had same complaints about the r-10sw I have and I can create the chuffing if I try..but I try not to and it sounds amazing for a 10 inch sub paired with rm 51 monitors a system that will eventually go in my kids room when I can afford my model 5s lol!!!
Gene and James, Great Review! Since you've heard them both for musical definition as a primary goal what would you feel would be the better choice the Klipsch 16" or a SVS SB3000, maybe even 2 SVS SB3000
I just bought this unit, but I'm rather disappointed in the fact (or the 'apparent fact') that it's ALL or nothing. I'll explain: in my running old vintage equipment, my S.C.V Sub (I added the Klipsch to this one), allows me to run my left and right speaker inputs IN - through - & out / hence I get alot, (or a little) bass *depending upon the Sources Volume Setting. The point in the remark is I HAVE the control. Enter this new wireless unit you review here: This one it hasn't ANY means of doing that at all / amid what I'd like it to do, (so, I'm always running to it / having to turn it up or down), 😠 VERY annoying. Am I doing something wrong ?, is there something I'm missing ?, because were I to do it again; "I wouldn't". I agree with what it brings into the "bass whelm" or a bass 'task' exceeds ALL expectation, but unfortunately, I lack ANY control. Please tell me I'm not screwed, as I NEVER would have thought it didn't have ANY Speaker "anything" *(unlike every other Sub I've seen). 😮💨
For what this thing costs, there are other and better options. Don't mean to be negative or too blunt, but this sub looks like every other Klipsch sub I've owned and seen in the past. Cheap. That amp leaves a lot to be desired, in my opinion. Also, and this has already been mentioned here in the comments, but who pays the shipping on this massive beast of a sub if there is warranty work needed? The 5 year warranty means nothing if you're on the hook for shipping. That won't be cheap. Especially for anyone living outside of the USA. I just don't have a lot of faith in Klipsch subwoofers. Either way, If I was looking for a massive sub than I'd look at the Paradigm Defiance x15 subwoofer. The x15 is a thing of beauty and comes with Anthem Room Correction built in, along with a wonderful app. Paradigm subs have a better and more proven track record and usually measure far better. At this price point you can pretty much get any sub you want so I am not sure who would choose the Klipsch over the other options unless it was the usual Klipsch giveaway prices.
I have an X15 and absolutely love it. I mean it's an ugly, huge, pointy box, but man does it sound beautiful, tight bass (esp. after the ARC setup). I mostly listen to music on this setup (paired w/Veritas 6.3's, xover at 80Hz) and man is it pure and tight. Probably not the 15" I'd choose for HT (not that it's a slouch) but it's musical as hell.
Will you test the 12inch version of this sub? I'm tryng to figure out wich one I'll buy between svs pb 2000 pro or the klipsch rp-1200sw Thanks for your contents❤
@@SunnySkiesInAZ I got might right before the new models came out. My room is 14x21 with one 21ft side open. I have them setup nearfield behind my seats as they are nearly 4 feet deep and looked silly up front. They are about 6" behind the seats and have zero problem throwing really great tactile feel down to their 14hz rating. They fall off pretty quick below that.
@@mephInc thats encouraging. My room is 11’x18’ with one wall having a closet for the laundry, a doorway sized opening to the kitchen, and a window sized opening to another room. I have 3 svs pb2000s and they just aren’t doing it for me, hardly any tactile. I do have a 70-80hz null at my listening position because of a ceiling/floor room mode, but still. I’ve been looking at the new Tonewinner 15” $1300 each, which should be about 3 times more impactful than my current ones. And I assume they’re similar to the monothith 15. Then there is the monolith 16 but that’s $2k each. The think about the Tonewinner is even know the rms is 800 it has peaks of 3000w
@@SunnySkiesInAZ I should add that I'm on a crawlspace as is my neighbor that's 100+ ft away and I can knock stuff off of their walls (I felt bad. Was an accident). Monoprice holds sales pretty frequently, so if you don't mind waiting, that should be an option.
The transducer diameter is 16" and the enclosure is at least 24" on any side. Thats a lot of real estate in anyone's room. I ruled out the Paradigm Defiance X15 for that reason and got two X12's.
@@michaeltaylor5451the X15 used to cost $1500 which seems like a steal nowadays. But then they jacked up the price to $2k. What do you think of the dual X12? I've been thinking of pulling the trigger on dual Speedwoofer 12S, but they're still pretty big at about 22 inches cubed.
Everyone knows DIY is cheaper, but not everyone wants to DIY. It requires time, tools, and space. There’s risks with DIY as well like messing up the box while building.
For that kind of money I'm not impressed by the cheap stamped steel basket. Compare to the SVS 16 Ultra drivers cast baskets it looks to be much more rigid.
Hi Gene, you are the only person who can help with this, I recently got a pair of Polk Reserve R700 towers, I tested both with a 9-volt battery and it looks like the woofers are wired out of phase, I contacted Polk via email and they told me the R700 uses a second order cross over, will I have a problem during Audyssey setup of the speakers? I'm using the Denon AVR X-4700H.
It's not atypical for a 3 way system to have a driver (usually the tweeter) wired out of phase for proper acoustic summation. Just ignore the polarity message if Audyssey triggers it.
Ya I am in Canada as well and the price is stupid. I haven't priced it, but probably better to buy from a shop in the USA and even with shipping would be cheaper. I've seen ads for the 1400 sw for $699 US. So if you bought 2 of those, that would be about the same as 1 1600sw here in Canada. Canada sucks for pricing on everything!
I have 2 115SW subs and a stack of failed amps for them. Klipsch has let me down big time with the 115SWs and support. Love their other speakers but no more Klipsch subs for me.
They have stressed tested these to extreme. Plus now have a 5 year warranty on the full sub including amp. That shows they are commiting to their product.
Hello guys I heard mr.larson say something about Klipsch subwoofer with a bash amplifier? I'm upset with Klipsch October 14 2022 my 15 inch Klipsch subwoofer blew its amplifier and today is the second time it happened since October 14 2022 why? Classic stereo in fort Wayne Indiana set up everything recommended installed etc. Just doesn't seem right 2 subs blowen less than a year. ? What amplifier did Klipsch use in this 15 inch piece of junk?
I don't have a lot of faith in them myself. I got the SPL 150 in January 22 and in November my amp went out. I took it back to the store that I got it from and it stayed there until September this year being repaired. I hope I can get more than a few months out of it now that I have it back but here's hoping. But while waiting for it to be repaired I got an svs PB 3000,if it goes out again I'll be getting another PB 3000.
@@michaeltaylor5451 i agree that the factor of seeing is, is something that only really comes in diy for most customers. but a cast basket alows for better ventalation and is more rigid in all 3 dimensions. espesially a sub that wants to actually move air, benefits from it not being sufficated by a giant steel sheet around him. look at how the steel stamped basket looks like. that thing looks like it has its own case. doesnt need a box to play in, lol. And look at SPH 380 TC, one of the only drivers for low frequency output. something like that should be in that box. but the sph curbstomps the klipsh no questions asked. they dont even remotely play on the same level. one is ... something that does sound. the other is close to the best low frequency performing driver in existence.
You feel the bass. You don’t really hear it. Playing it through RU-vid doesn’t do it justice. A lot of us depend on their talking and testing to make buying decisions. Plenty of RU-vid shorts of people playing it. Joe N Tell is a good page who records and you can listen through headphones to get an idea.
