drdiaboloco's Full Review: Klipsch RW-12 Subwoofer Speaker
For over a year I'd not used a subwoofer at all because my main speakers were capable of hitting down under 35Hz, but I did feel as though something was missing, so subwoofer hunting I a-went. If for no other reason, the new high-definition audio formats alone simply REQUIRE it, as that sixth LFE channel can't be matrixed in to the main speakers in my setup, so to properly appreciate Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" on SACD I had to get a sub.
In total, I took four different subs home... The Definitive Technologies ProSub 200TL, the Polk PSW-12, the Klipsch RSW-10 and the Klipsch RW-12. The only one that stayed was the last. When you throw in my extensive experience with my old powered Yamaha sub, I think I had a pretty good sampling of the subs you can buy for $350-700.
The Klipsch simply sounded the best, either with music or movies, and had the best value for the dollar (esp. considering what I actually paid for it).
The feature set for the RW-12 is impressive, offering:
1- An infinitely variable phase control, useful for helping out with placement that interferes with the placement of your other speakers
2- A very powerful amp with an efficient design (ported). Klipsch claims that their port design is revolutionary and helps extend frequency response. I don't know about THAT, but it does sound very good.
3- A driver large enough to vibrate your furniture. While a 15" driver option would be nice, this 12-incher does the trick in my 3000sqft room.
4- Good fit and finish. This is not real wood, which the Polk PSW-505 (I think?) offers, but it's a reasonable enough facsimile and the fit of the panels and the grille and trim pieces is very good.
5- Auto-on (which can be disabled if you wish), though the controls for power/phase/crossover are on the back and not easily accessible if this is important to you. There IS a very convenient side-mounted volume knob, though if your system is like mine, you'll set the volume once and then tweak the "subwoofer level" on your receiver, which in my case can be adjusted +/- 12dB from the remote). The side-mounted volume knob is very helpful for those who don't have a setup like this, however... And the knob is about three inches in diameter, a good step up from the usual small knob found on some other units.
6- A reasonable size (debatable, depending upon your point of view). This is much bigger than the subs typically included in boxed-up home theaters and slightly larger than many stand-alone subs, but it's not the "elephant in the room" that the truly big honkers can be, like the SVS line for instance. I say "reasonable" because it is much smaller, and lighter, than... Say... Klipsch's RSW-12, which is the next step up in the Klipsch line for a 12-incher.
Compared with the other subs I tested, it compares like thus:
-9 year-old Yammie- No comparison. The Klipsh kills it in frequency response, power, volume, clarity, and design.
-DefTech Prosub- I was generally unimpressed with this unit. Doesn't seem as powerful as the manufacturer suggests, doesn't have a dynamic "punch" that you expect in a sub, and has iffy fit and finish. Sounds great with music, less so with movie soundtracks.
-Polk PSW-12- A good sub, a jack-of-all-trades if you will, and available for much less "on the street" than the RW-12... But doesn't have the bottom end that I wanted. Really, it seemed that it didn't go any lower than my main speakers. You can't go wrong with this sub if you aren't too demanding and your main speakers aren't three feet tall.
Klipsch RSW-10- A lively, VERY powerful sub that has a fit and finish to die for. Extremely good for a 10" sub, almost peerless in my opinion, but the only reason I even took this thing home is that it was the demo model and they were offering it for a ludicrous amount of money off list... I would've kept it if I weren't so concerned about the hard life that the unit had likely led on the floor of my local hi-fi shoppe. Didn't want to keep the thing and then have it croak in six months because of prior abuse at the hands of overzealous salesmen and hamfisted shoppers.
And, of course....
The Klipsch RW-12. This is the bottom end of their Reference Series, but don't let that fool you into thinking that it's below par. This is a very accurate sub that does the most one could expect from a 12" unit with a cabinet and and an amp of it's size and power, respectively. With music, it sings. With movies, it pounds. It won't rattle the rafters and cave in the roof, but it will make your music and movie experience a memorable one.
You can run this sub out of power and wish you'd spent more, but at that point you'd better be sure the closest house is over a hundred yards away or that your hearing isn't too delicate, because it has very high limits that you won't exceed too often. If you set the levels properly, this unit will easily keep up with a listening volume that exceeds 100dB, and yes I did pull out my RatShack sound meter to be sure (the rest of the setup is Boston Acoustics for the five main channels and a Denon 110wpc AV receiver).
Basically, this is a good, solid sub that is well made and will appease all but the snottiest of buyers. You can pay more and get more, of course, but for those of us who can't afford $750-plus for a big, bad SVS (or a big, bad RSW-15, for that matter), this is a great unit.
***Updated***
Sorry, gang, there was a typo in the "price paid"... Not $440, I paid $540.
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