Which subwoofer wattage is right for me?

Alex11210

Member
I have 2 Klipsch R-28F speakers 150 watts pr channel and am trying to figure out which Klipsh subwoofer will be better to go with them - R-10SW with 300 watts/150 watts RMS or RS-12SW with 400 watts/200 watts RMS the price difference today is only $50. Any advice please?
 
Thank you. I guess 50 more watts will not overpower my ears but is there any advantage of having 12" sub vs 10"? Does bigger sound better?
 
3 things I'd worry about when shopping for a subwoofer:
1) The size of the listening room.
2) The frequency response of the subwoofer.
3) Whether or not the subwoofer had a tunable crossover.
 
For now it's Yamaha RX-V361 which is 100 watts per channel. I may replace it with something more powerful eventually, however for these Klipsch speakers it seems to be unnecessary.
 
Thank you. Frequency response in the bigger one is slightly better - 29 Hz to 0.12 kHz, in the smaller one - 32 Hz t0 0.12 kHz. It's a residence (house) but the room is really big and tall (25 feet tall). Tunable crossover ? - I am not smart enough to understand what that is, sorry.
 
Thank you. Frequency response in the bigger one is slightly better - 29 Hz to 0.12 kHz, in the smaller one - 32 Hz t0 0.12 kHz. It's a residence (house) but the room is really big and tall (25 feet tall). Tunable crossover ? - I am not smart enough to understand what that is, sorry.

Go with the lower frequency response (29 Hz). A tunable crossover is a knob on the back that sets the high frequency limit of the sub. For example, if the crossover is set to 80Hz, The sub will not play any sound over 80Hz. The idea is to limit the overlap between the highest frequencies the sub can produce and the lowest frequencies that the main speakers can produce.
 
If you use the sub on the sub/LFE output of the receiver then set the low pass enable/disable switch on the sub to disable. The bass management in the receiver can control all that.
 
OK...Thank you...Now I understand. Actually both subs have this feature:

Low-pass crossover
With variable phase control from 0° to 180° enables you to match the subwoofer to your existing Klipsch speakers (not included) and control the bass level.
 
Speakers' minimum frequency response is 35 Hz. I assume you are not suggesting to just let the sub cover the 29-34 Hz gap and close everything else. How normally should I set it it up? And what's wrong with letting the sub overlap with the speakers in low frequencies?
 
For example, if the crossover is set to 80Hz, The sub will not play any sound over 80Hz.

There will be some output unless the sub has a staggeringly steep slope. If it is typical 12dB octave and the rolloff is set at 80Hz, 160Hz is still in the picture (albeit not a lot in terms of power response at -12dB). It is something to be mindful of though especially if there is a room response near that frequency. If the sub is tuned to close to that you may get a hump in response. That may not be a bad thing for home theater but might for music duty.
 
There will be some output unless the sub has a staggeringly steep slope. If it is typical 12dB octave and the rolloff is set at 80Hz, 160Hz is still in the picture (albeit not a lot in terms of power response at -12dB). It is something to be mindful of though especially if there is a room response near that frequency. If the sub is tuned to close to that you may get a hump in response. That may not be a bad thing for home theater but might for music duty.

Thanks, I realize that but I did not want to get too technical. I just wanted to explain the concept without confusing the OP.
 
Speakers' minimum frequency response is 35 Hz. I assume you are not suggesting to just let the sub cover the 29-34 Hz gap and close everything else. How normally should I set it it up? And what's wrong with letting the sub overlap with the speakers in low frequencies?

Your speakers are -3dB down @ 35 Hz if their specs follow industry convention. In terms of output that is quite a bit. You want your sub to fill in that area so response is essentially flat*. Overlap is fine and can be used to adjust for dips in response at the crossover point but it's best to have some sort of measurement to verify. Even a cheap mic and phone app is useful for this.

*My starting point when I ring in a system.
 
Depends how the receiver is set up and being used.

The mentioned receiver is an AVR so is capable of providing full crossover duty; high pass filter for the mains and low pass filter for the sub.
 
In any case, it looks like everybody's recommendation here is to go with the bigger 12" 200 watts RMS sub despite of the fact that it's $50 more ($224.99 before tax). Thank you.

Features:
12" powered subwoofer
With a front-firing, high-excursion, spun-copper IMG (injection-molded graphite) woofer and rubber surround produces thunderous bass with minimal distortion.

Built-in digital amplifier
Delivers 400W peak power (200W continuous) for robust audio.

Low-pass crossover
With variable phase control from 0° to 180° enables you to match the subwoofer to your existing Klipsch speakers (not included) and control the bass level.

Front-mounted LED indicator
Lets you know whether the power is on or off.

L/R line-level RCA jacks and L/R binding posts
Make it easy to connect your speakers and receiver.

MDF bass-reflex enclosure
Promotes optimal performance.

Removable grille
Remains acoustically transparent while protecting the subwoofer's components.

Brushed polymer-veneer finish
Offers a stylish look to complement your existing décor.

29-120Hz frequency response (±3dB)
Promotes faithful audio reproduction.

116dB efficiency
For powerful sound.
 
Just as an FYI, you really can't compare subwoofers by their wattage. If you look only at amplifier power, all else being equal, we're talking about 1 dB of difference, which is barely audible. A better spec is maximum SPL.

However, I agree with the consensus to buy the bigger sub if the money won't make much of a difference to you and you have the space. Larger woofers are almost always are capable of higher SPL.
 
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