Klipsch RW-12d - is this a good price?

I'm debating the same thing right now. Hoping that I'm not just getting caught in an impulse buy but even if I find the sub to only be decent you'd think you should be able to at least get your money back out of it.
I've seen other threads recommending the typical line of Subs over top of this (SVS, HSU, etc.) but that's when they're using a baseline price of $500-$650 for this sub.
Hopefully someone will chime in as to whether or not this sub is worthy of the price.

same here - really good price and I'm looking for a second sub. Does anyone know if this sub is compatible with my Triad Gold?

I am debating between this sub and the Stf-2 (roughly same price). Any opinions pls before this sale ended. This is strictly for HT

Just bought the Klipsch. Couldn't find much info on these forums, but some professional reviews around the net were excellent. Would have bought it even if I hadn't come across those reviews. At this price, this is definitely a good deal. The sub is above 700 dollars everywhere else. Was going to buy a sub today anyway, and I think I got lucky with this deal.

I honestly doubt a regular priced 350 dollar sub from HSU, eDesign etc., will outperform this one. They may be similarly matched at best. I know people on these forums hate the assumption that a higher priced speaker/sub will be better. But I doubt my ears will tell the difference. In the end, even if this Klipsch performs at the same level at a highly regarded 350 dollar sub, the fact that it a better known company among regular consumers will make it easier to sell.

I am also torn between this subwoofer and these:

http://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-12-...pr_product_top

http://www.amazon.com/BIC-America-F1...e_e_ai_BST_t_6

Any suggestion please. I just started building my HT. I have the the following receiver already: Onkyo RC270.

I used to have 2 RW-12d's and could no longer stand the plastic creaking and port chuffing at anything in the low 20hz. They put out some SPL in the 30hz range, but they just started to annoy me during movies when some low bass would hit without any highs/mids to cover up their inherent flaws.

I sold both for $600 then purchased 2 SVS PC12-NSD's and don't miss the Klipsch.

The one thing I did like is the LCD control panel on the top. It was easy to get to and read.

BTW, it's a decent price if that's what you're wanting. I bought my first one for $300 about 3 years ago and the second for $350 a year later. $350 is just slightly over cost.

You must be a dealer of some sort (or have a connection to one) if you bought yours several years ago for $300 & $350, because I've never seen it priced this low since it was released. I would say $350 is a smoking deal for this sub. And to the person considering the Polk PSW505, instead of one of these subs you could do a dual-Polk setup for $400 if your room is large enough for it. I have a single Polk PSW505 in my HT room (22'x14'x12') and it absolutely rocks, and I'll be purchasing another one soon. Dual subs can be tricky to set up in some listening environments though.

Just had a friend who had a part-time job for the said discounts My RF-62's were $400 for the pair.

What I'm getting at is that even at that price, I was not really happy with them. I sold the pair for $600 and paid $1,3xx for two SVS and feel the extra money spent was well worth it.

The phrase "for the money" almost always needs to be used when talking about subs, speakers, etc, because there is always something better but it almost always costs quite a bit more. Two subs for $600 (or $700 in this case) are obviously not going to sound as good as two subs for $1300. But for someone who doesn't have any more than $350 to spend, this is a great sub "for the money". Just like the Polk PSW505 is a great sub "for the money" if your budget is only $200.

Is this the best sub on the planet? Not even close. Or even the best sub under $1,000? No, and it's probably not even in the top 10, but all the top subs are going to be in the >$500 range. But for $350 do you get a pretty good bang for your buck with it? I would say absolutely.

Here are some reviews for those who are considering jumping on this deal:
http://www.testfreaks.com/hifi-subwo...lipsch-rw-12d/
http://hometheaterreview.com/klipsch...ofer-reviewed/
http://www.electronicsme.com/product...w.php?pid=3479

And here's a review of the Klipsch Reference series in general, including some comments on the sub: http://www.klipsch.com/media/news-ce...ageEnglish.pdf

What you're not mentioning is that the $600-$700 should cost $1,600 according to their original retail price. So the price difference isn't always going to be OBVIOUS.



I'd say it is an okay sub for the money... Just post when you're ready to upgrade afterwards

One of the links found no cons... That makes you wonder how much they actually tested.

I would say the sub is worth that price, but if it was priced closer to $500, I would start looking at others.

http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/con...e-subwoofers-5
The main complaint in S&V is that the tonal quality was a bit lacking compared to the other $600-700 subs. It was probably the weakest in that group.

But for $350 you can't lose. Just don't think you are going to kill any $600 subs with it. Personally I prefer quality over quantity and would choose a great sounding Hsu STF2 over this

My NHT SW-12's died on me because the amp stopped working, I can either have it fixed for $180 including shipping or trade in for either their new 10" sub with $350 or 12" for $550. Then I saw this deal. Given a full set of older NHT 5.1 setup (ST4, SB3, etc) is this new sub an upgrade from what I had, and will it be better than their new 10" or 12" offerings? I would rather shell out $500-$600 for a sub that has lasting value than to waste my money on a "hot deal" that I would soon regret.

This seems like a good deal. $429 including tax and shipping, especially now with the glossy black finish that matches the NHT's... better deal than the Klipsch? I know this is supposed to have very high ratings, but our living room is pretty big, and connected to the kitchen. How does it hold up vs the Klipsch?

Newegg has the Klipsch sub available for $350 again with a promocode.
I would like to know what the people who picked up this sub at $350 think about its performance.
If you bought it for $350 would you do it again or knowing what you know now would you pass on it and choose something else ?

Yeah I'd love to hear more about this. I sold Klipsch years ago and always thought they were a decent product, but it seems like this forum really likes to crap on the name.

I suppose in their defense, its not so much that Klipsch is bad it's that there are so many better products in a similar price range.

But man........350 bucks is sooo cheap lol.

Personally, I would still get the comparatively priced subs from HSU and outlaw. Maybe even Emotiva.

Maybe a few people that jumped on this in the first sale will return here and make a couple of posts.
Many people here dismiss Klipsch out of hand but I really like the way my system sounds and I don't know that I even need a subwoofer.... but since I am the only one on the forum that is has never had a sub I think I need one :-)

Edit added here ..........
What Outlaw are you talking about ?
Hsu STF-1 at $286 to the door... meh.... you would really rather have this 8 incher ?
Hsu STF-2 at $388 to the door... 10 incher good reputation but very little real information on it, probably a good sub, but I don't know that its better than the Klipsch at the sale price.
The FR graphs of the Emotiva 12 don't look all that good to me and its on sale for $429 right now. I don't see how the 10 inch Emotiva would be a better choice than the Klipsch.

I'm talking about the Lfm-1 compact and the HSU stf2. But I do think it is a good deal and if you already have a klipsch ref setup and looking for a sub in that range its a no Brainer.

Thanks for the clarification.
I am not trying to stir the pot, just trying to get a couple of people who have recently bought the Klipsch sub to chime in on their level of satisfaction.
No way to tell but if Lava had introduced this exact product at $350 to the door I think it would have set the forum ablaze.

These forums definitely have their favorites and usually with good reason but not getting the sub you like because it's not a favorite here would be a mistake.

The problem is that the commercial brands prices do not justify their performance unless they are sold less than 1/2 of retail or so.

I purchased the RW-12d from Newegg and received it on Thursday. I haven't listened to many others, but here is my take on it.

I had the 10" Harmon Kardon 200 watt sub that came with my HKTS system. I wasn't impressed at all with that sub. Like you all I had to jump on that deal for the Klipsch sub and I am very glad I did. The klipsch sub sounds and hits much better. I can now feel the vibrations everywhere in the house. I can even feel the lows when you cannot hear them, which is cool. My wife has to fix all the pictures in the house after listening to the system. I would definitely purchase this again if I had it to do over but would get something else if I had to purchase it at its normal price above 500 like a sealed sub.

I have heard my friends Velodyne CHT-12 and think the RW-12d sounds better and hits harder, might be because of the higher RMS output. It definitely fills the room better than his. There were a few occasions where I heard port chuffing on transformers 2 and Pandora but did not hear it on transformers 1. The only time I hear the port chuffing is on very fast low frequencies.

If any port chuffing bothers you I would pass, but if the occasional port chuffing doesn't, it is an outstanding sub and I love it. Also this sub has a reputation of being boomy, but I have not experienced this in my setup.

I think that music is awesome on this sub and haven't heard any port chuffing or heard it having a problem keeping up. I was very impressed with the amount of bass output playing Usher's Yeay song. Pictures were falling of the walls.

I am running a Denon 3808 and HKTS bookshelf speakers and the sub is set at +4 on volume and +1 on the amp.

Hope this helps!

(If any port chuffing bothers you I would pass, but if the occasional port chuffing doesn't, it is an outstanding sub and I love it. Also this sub has a reputation of being boomy, but I have not experienced this in my setup. )

occasional port niose will start adding up and become real annoying, i have one of these and i absolutaly(sp) hate it. i paid 400 1.5 yrs ago and wish i had saved up more and bought something better.

Pretty much my thoughts as well. Every movie with a quiet scene and bass was chuffing away. The occasional plastic creak at those moments would make you think you overstressed something.

I've got an RW-12d woofer that I'm building a sonosub out of. I'm curious to see how it performs tuned to 22-24hz in a bigger enclosure. For an [originally] $800 sub, the driver basket and connects leave much to be desired.

Thanks for the insights, very concise and specific.

What is port chuffing, btw?

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums...ad.php?t=20935

Well I got my pair of RW12D's from NewEgg yesterday and have been putting them through the paces with my Onkyo TX-NR708 and for $350 apiece, I could not be happier. These subs put my old Velodyne VLF10's to shame. I have hammered them at THX reference volumes with Pink Floyd thru Transformers and not a chuffing to be heard. The same could not be said about my Velodynes which will now be happily retired. I also would like to remark that I can neither afford or care to be a "true" audiophile on my frugal budget for my audio toys but based upon my trials over the last 36 hours and given the $350 price tag for each of these subs I consider it a win-win situation for sound per dollar irregardless of any "perceived" negative comments made about them. If NewEgg offers this deal again you would not be disappointed and should not hesitate to buy this sub at that price!

-- A very satisfied Klipsch RW12D owner