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R-115SW vs. R-112SW


stamatis87

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I've been looking at these 2 subs for a few months now and am very familiar with how the R-112SW sounds but have been waiting for my local store to get the R-115SW in store.

I went in the other day to have a listen of the 15" and I was a little underwhelmed. I was more impressed when I heard the 12" the first time. I had a play around with the gain on both and the 12" sounded more powerful than the 15" at just below half volume. I felt like I had to crank the 15" gain all the way up to get close to the 12" at half volume.

I'm wondering if maybe the unit at the store is faulty in some way or is that just the way it is?

Could anyone share any of your experiences with the R-115SW?

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If the 12" is an older model it has a different gain control than the newer models.

I contacted Klipsch about my identical 15"'s that were purchased 6-8 months apart.

Klipsch advised me that the new R-1xxSW's had a gain knob revision after a few months due to a static noise that was evident when no data was being played.

So, yes- the 15" probably being newer than their older 12" demo model has a different gain, my two subs are about 4 notch marks different to have equal output!!

The 15" is a beast for a mass produced 'cheap' sub! $700 for a 15" that matches the copper woofer towers... Hellz yeah! (Yes I understand that DIY subs are more cost effective, and many I.D. Companies are a better value.... But if aesthetics are important, I think these subs are beauties!)

Edited by MercedesBerater
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I have one and don't really like it very much.

 

Coming from a man that has twin RSW15's.  I can see why you are not too impressed. ;)  :D 

 

I will catch heat for that statement but I think it has a cheap feel to it and just sounds ok.

 

No heat from me.  Real wood veneer vs plastic/vinyl is a no brainer.

 

Bill 

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The room is empty ATM lol, just moved in. The room size is 4.5m x 3.7m.

I will most likely be going for the Klipsch RP-280 Floorstanding Speakers with the RP-450C Centre Speaker and RP-250S Surround Speakers.

The R-112SW will probably be enough for my size room but I do like bigger lol.

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Could anyone share any of your experiences with the R-115SW?

Had two of them in a 15x20 room. I was rattling dishes 60 feet and 3 rooms away through insulated walls and a double-insulated ceiling.

pros: stupid easy setup, matches the copper drivers, they are a beast around 20-25 hz. Very nice and easy solution for typical movie LFE if set up properly. Two can output some ridiculous bass at the lowest audible frequencies especially considering the cost and ease of implementation.

cons: not the best for rock music at high volumes. I felt there was some coloration due to higher harmonics, sloppiness, and unwanted directional sounds on high volume kick drums and bass guitars. I like this material to be neutral and tight with a ton of overhead and they just weren't the best solution for that.

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If you can swing a 2k dollar sub, get the Reaction Audio Gamma 21 ( << warning fanboy response). There are plenty of other subs out there in the $2,000 price range that will easily out perform the SVS Ultras.

Not bashing SVS, the other companies have been trying to make better subs for years now and SVS hasn't made any changes to their flagship models.

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Not bashing SVS, the other companies have been trying to make better subs for years now and SVS hasn't made any changes to their flagship models.

 

Why change if it isn't broken? ;)  :D

 

Seriously, SVS raised the bar for performance/cost ratio but others have caught up and in some cases passed them.

 

I do wish SVS would replace the 13's with 15's in their Ultra line and keep the price point at or below current prices.  Their 13.5" ultra driver is a masterpiece.  Imagine what they could do with a 15" driver or an 18" for that matter.

 

Bill

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I agree with others here, the knob you played around with is not the volume, it is the gain.  Testing two different subs by turning the knob to halfway and then judging which is louder is not a valid or reliable method of determining which is "better."

 

The fault is not yours, I think it's the way modern electronics are produced.  I have a newer Onkyo AVR and the volume needs to be turned up to at least 70 to get a decent volume, and at 50 it is almost inaudible!

 

I own a 12" Klipsch sub and a 15" DIY sub.  I don't know which sub is better for you but in general bigger is better.  DIY 18" subs are relatively cheap these days and the guys who have them love them.

 

Fit and finish matter as well depending where you place the sub, so let your pocketbook and your WAF be your guide.  B)

Edited by wvu80
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I have dual r-115sw's and they put out some serious bass for movies and music. I had some stuff rattle off a shelf on the other side of the house when I was watching Jurassic World. I bought them during their labor day sale for 20% off and I'm very happy with my purchase.The room that they're located in Is 24x14.

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First Impressions: Monster copper woofers @ 15" and sounds big.

 

At this point, I've now 4 subwoofers going in a 7.4 setup; 2 x SW-311 and 2 x R-115SW. I'm contemplating to take this setup through Audyssey, but it's not the final placement...

 

Two SW-311 did generate enough bass to rattle windows and the floor, but I dare not turn the volume more than 50% with these beasts as it may blow off my windows !!!

 

Cheers !!!

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