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Klipsch R-12SW Sale


tubetwister

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You missed it when costco had them for $149 several months ago.  I thought about picking one or two up for my office and the garage, but then I started to read the reviews and I decided it wasn't the sub for me.

 

I do like your idea of 4 subs.  You are making your own version of the "Swarm" subwoofer system.

 

You'll have to let us know how they sound once you get them fired up in your system.

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11 hours ago, Iteachstem said:

You missed it when costco had them for $149 several months ago.  I thought about picking one or two up for my office and the garage, but then I started to read the reviews and I decided it wasn't the sub for me.

 

I do like your idea of 4 subs.  You are making your own version of the "Swarm" subwoofer system.

 

You'll have to let us know how they sound once you get them fired up in your system.


My decision was made based on the experience with a K-100SW. It is paired up with R-820F speakers, and it is an amazing addition. Clean, smooth bass extension. This is a secondary audio system in a spare bedroom, so we did not need a large sub. Picked this up for $139 from Newegg. 
 

The best compliment about this K-100SW is you do not notice it being there, until you turn it off. Then it’s like...where did my bass go?

 

I figure the R-12SW will perform as well, or better. These will serve as the rear subs in my theater. The front subs are from Madisound, kits that I built. 
 

Money is an object. My entire speaker system is all Klipsch, with the RF-7 III’s being up front with the matching center channel. All surround channels are Klipsch, with Dolby Atmos. And the WAF figured in.

 

Reviews? Out of 5 Stars, this was rated an average of 4.7 by 93% of owners. Certainly you can get better performance, but when price ($169) is factored in, there is nothing that can beat it.

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6 hours ago, tubetwister said:

Certainly you can get better performance, but when price ($169) is factored in, there is nothing that can beat it.

I see your point.  What else can you get for 169 plus tax. 

 

6 hours ago, tubetwister said:

Money is an object. My entire speaker system is all Klipsch, with the RF-7 III’s being up front with the matching center channel.

However, based on you having RF-7 III's with the matching center, The subs are definitely not even in the same ballpark performance wise as the rest of your speaker line-up.

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Does anyone have any opinions on the R-12SW compared to the R-100SW?  I guess I can't tell what the difference is between the lines.  For example...the R-12SW is $250 regular price compared with $500 for the R-120SW....but the specs appear to be the same.  Reason why I ask is because the R-100SW is down to $200 from $400.

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1 hour ago, stocker08 said:

Does anyone have any opinions on the R-12SW compared to the R-100SW?  I guess I can't tell what the difference is between the lines.  For example...the R-12SW is $250 regular price compared with $500 for the R-120SW....but the specs appear to be the same.  Reason why I ask is because the R-100SW is down to $200 from $400.

 

Just for reference.....I am going to be using it with a pair of The Sixes.  Definitely lean rock with the music that I listen to....so a nice easy roll into mids of the Sixes would be nice.  Also why I am wondering if the 10" would be a little more musical and less boomy.

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5 hours ago, Iteachstem said:

I see your point.  What else can you get for 169 plus tax. 

 

However, based on you having RF-7 III's with the matching center, The subs are definitely not even in the same ballpark performance wise as the rest of your speaker line-up.


I have a 30 day return option, if they don’t work out. Based on the reviews I fully expect these to be more than adequate. They are simply going in the far back of the room for added bottom end. These will not be used for music, only movie LFE.

 

Of 2100 reviews of the R-12SW, over 2000 rated it 4 or 5 stars for overall satisfaction.

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2 hours ago, tubetwister said:

Of 2100 reviews of the R-12SW, over 2000 rated it 4 or 5 stars for overall satisfaction.

You have to be careful with reviews.  They are a good place to start, however,  a lot of them can be bought and paid for.  And consider the audience that is buying this sub.... due to the price-point, it's most likely a first time purchase upgrading a soundbar,  or adding a sub to average quality main speakers....and of course it's going to sound significantly better than what they had.  And, for the price, I'm sure it's a good value.

 

Hopefully klipsch addressed their amplifier issues.... they are notorious for being problematic.

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7 hours ago, stocker08 said:

Does anyone have any opinions on the R-12SW compared to the R-100SW?  I guess I can't tell what the difference is between the lines.  For example...the R-12SW is $250 regular price compared with $500 for the R-120SW....but the specs appear to be the same.  Reason why I ask is because the R-100SW is down to $200 from $400.

The R-12SW is just a lower tier speaker. 

 

There aren't many subs in this price range doing better, a $200 Polk sub won't compare.

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6 hours ago, stocker08 said:

Also why I am wondering if the 10" would be a little more musical and less boomy.

I have not heard the 10's, but I would guess that they would be very similar in sound quality as the 12's... just dialed back a bit.  I did have the opportunity to hear a home theater that had two of the r-12sw's.... and for home theater they were okay.  Unless you did a back to back comparison with a better sub, I could see where a lot of people would be okay with it.  But for music I was not impressed.  It seemed to lack definition and clean punch.

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8 hours ago, DavidWebber72 said:

I have not heard the 10's, but I would guess that they would be very similar in sound quality as the 12's... just dialed back a bit.  I did have the opportunity to hear a home theater that had two of the r-12sw's.... and for home theater they were okay.  Unless you did a back to back comparison with a better sub, I could see where a lot of people would be okay with it.  But for music I was not impressed.  It seemed to lack definition and clean punch.


“Lack definition and clean punch”...that statement might apply to a good many subs on the market today. I have not been a sub woofer fan, but subs are all over my house, even in the family room built into the walls.

 

My recent addition of the K-100SW showed that even an inexpensive ($139) can work if used properly. This is used in a small room, and the gain is around 30%. It really adds a musical bottom end to my R-820F’s. Yes, if I crank it way up, and over drive it, the sound can get a bit boomy. But that might happen with a lot of subs. Like I stated earlier, you don’t even notice the 100SW...until you turn it off. Then there is a definite hole in the music. Something is really missing. That is a compliment to the 100SW. A decent performing “budget” sub.

 

The reviews cited were from Costco, all verified customers. Many of them were upgrading from a 10 inch sub, or from another brand. 
 

As a musician, music has always been placed as a first priority, with video taking a back seat. Value has been a consideration also. Best “bang for the buck”. At this price point, $169, it is unlikely anything on the market would perform as well. Not without spending two, three or four times the price.

 

My front subs (2) are from Madisound. 12” speakers. Powered by external B&K amps. I built these subs from kits. 
 

If the R-12SW fails miserably, it will be returned. Stand by for a full review after they arrive.

 

 

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14 hours ago, DavidWebber72 said:

I have not heard the 10's, but I would guess that they would be very similar in sound quality as the 12's... just dialed back a bit.  I did have the opportunity to hear a home theater that had two of the r-12sw's.... and for home theater they were okay.  Unless you did a back to back comparison with a better sub, I could see where a lot of people would be okay with it.  But for music I was not impressed.  It seemed to lack definition and clean punch.

 

I guess I need to take a step back.  I don't want to add a sub for the hell of it.  I'll have to listen to the Sixes when they arrive and determine whether a sub is actually even necessary.

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13 minutes ago, stocker08 said:

I don't want to add a sub for the hell of it.  I'll have to listen to the Sixes when they arrive and determine whether a sub is actually even necessary.

I agree with your though process.  Always listen to a set of speakers and see what they are capable of.  Spend some time getting to know them and  play around with placement to find the best sound you can.  Then, if you want more low end... add a sub. 

 

I have a sub (or two) on all 3 of my main systems.  Unless you have "ginormous" full range speakers, I find that most systems benefit from a sub.  My 2.2 music system uses Klipsch RF-83's and two 15" DIY subs powered by a crown K2.  The RF-83's are very capable speakers, but the subs just fill in the low end...especially at lower listening volumes were we perceive the bass to be more quiet.  My home theater uses 2 subs as well.  I even use an old small velodyne 10" sub with my KLF 20's that I have set up for a 2.1 music system in the dining room area.  The Velodyne would never keep up with the KLF 20's at high volume levels, but then again, I don't know of too many people that want to sit around the dinning room table at holidays listening to Bing Crosby belt out white chistmas at 120dB!

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1 hour ago, stocker08 said:

 

I guess I need to take a step back.  I don't want to add a sub for the hell of it.  I'll have to listen to the Sixes when they arrive and determine whether a sub is actually even necessary.

Those Sixes are very nice speakers, but they will benefit by adding a sub. 

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11 minutes ago, Ceptorman said:

Those Sixes are very nice speakers, but they will benefit by adding a sub. 

 

I probably will add one.  Klipsch claims a frequency response down to 40hz...but I very much doubt that.  I'll probably keep looking....as these will be specifically for music.  Would really like something clean and punchy.

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Just now, stocker08 said:

 

I probably will add one.  Klipsch claims a frequency response down to 40hz...but I very much doubt that.  I'll probably keep looking....as these will be specifically for music.  Would really like something clean and punchy.

They make a wireless sub.

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I've always preferred a sealed sub or one with passive radiators.  I know the ported ones are more efficient, but you also have all of the negative issues that go a long with a ported enclosure as well.

 

I've tried several klipsch subs in the past including the SW12, SW15, KSW15 and seversal others that slip my mind at the moment, and my brother owns the RSW15 (The RSW15 was the only one that I was really impressed with!) The only commercially made sub I own now is the little Velodyne 10" sub, just  because it was a used speaker deal I couldn't pass! There are a lot of great subs out there, you just have to find the one that meets your needs.

 

I wasn't having a ton of luck finding decent subs for what I thought would be reasonable prices. (Us teachers don't get paid a whole bunch!) So, I build my own in sealed cabinets and power them with decent amps with a lot of overhead.  You can use some processing , if need be, to get the in room response you like.  My current 2.2 music system (My RF-83's and 2 subs) consists of 2 relatively small sub cabinets (17" by 19" by 19") loaded with Dayton Audio RSS390HF-4 drivers.  ($195 each) They are powered by a crown K2 amplifier delivering up to 800 watts to each sub if necessary and it has a damping factor greater than 1000 from 10-400 hz.  These two subs provide solid low end in a room that is 18 by 25 with a ceiling that slopes from 9 feet to 16 feet.  Ideally I would want four 12" subs spaced out correctly in the room, but the way the room is set up, this is not a possibility.  The cost for the wood, speakers, parts, and used Crown amp was all under $900 and performs at a level well above it's cost.

 

Just some food for thought.  You can always scale up or down depending on your budget.

 

https://www.parts-express.com/Dayton-Audio-RSS390HF-4-15-Reference-HF-Subwoofer-4-Ohm-295-468

Main product image for Dayton Audio RSS390HF-4 15 Main product image for Dayton Audio RSS390HF-4 15

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