tight bass

none

While I agree with the reviews from those who are happy with this sub, I must say is only fair to review this sub based on the size of the room that you are setting it up. Don't simply compare it with another product that belongs to a higher category and just condemn it unreasonably. This will only confuse potential buyer who are actually looking at the right stuff.

Similar Products Used:

bose am5

Powerful, really cannot be damaged by being overdriven.

Not very pleasent sounding compared to the definitive tech. prosub 100TL which is $50 less (retail)

the klipsch is by no means a bad sub, but it does not compete against the lesser priced definitive tech prosub 100TL which I ended up buying. the klipsch just did not sound very natural and musical. it would make a terrific HT sub because of its power and it's refusal to bottom out at loud volumes. the definitive tech has never bottomed out on me even at particularly loud levels, at least beyond that which my ears care to listen to =)

just FYI the klipsch I auditioned had plenty of time to break in (like months) and it was in working condition. another thing I hated about the klipsch was the loud port noise at high output. not so with the def. tech I bought. as far as I can tell they both can go equally low. get the def. tech, you'll be much happier and so will your wallet.

Similar Products Used:

definitive tech prosub 100TL

None

Where should I begin?

Boy, I feel like a schmuck. I took a leap of faith and ignored many of the people who previously warned of problems with the fuse blowing. I had this subwoofer for less than 48 hours and guess what, the fuse blew. Absolutely no power when I went to watch the movie Swordfish tonight (the movie stinks too). Needless to say, I am more than a little p.o.'d. I even asked the salesman at Sound Advice if he had heard of any problem like this, and he said he did not and that this was one of the top selling subwoofers they have. Sure, when it worked it sounded pretty good for movies but a little boomy. It did not do much at all for 2 channel stereo. I checked out a few movies before the problem: Star Wars Trilogy DVDs, Snatch, Yellow Submarine, The Wall, Planet of the Apes, and Jurassic Park. It is not like I purchase schlock - I have the Marantz SR-18EX receiver as my foundation.

At first, I was psyched because I did not have a subwoofer until now. But this was not my idea how to celebrate Thanksgiving and my first wedding anniversary - thanks Klipsch - but you guys really suck. Why this defect was never corrected by Klipsch for a subwoofer that has been around for over 2 years is beyond me. Why Sound Advice did not know (or admit) to such a problem is a little ridiculous. Needless to say, this will be returned for a refund and I will be getting the Polk 450.

Similar Products Used:

None - my first subwoofer

I recently added the KSW-12 to my system, primarily for home-theater. I have KLF-20 main speakers, RC-3 center speaker and KSB-1.1 rear speakers. Although I have enjoyed the KLF-20 and KSB-1.1 speakers for several years, I used them almost entirely for music so I did not miss the center channel or sub. The recent addition of a DVD and new receiver changed that.

I bought the KSW-12 to add convincing low frequency effects to my home theater and it does that very well. The whole house shakes during explosions. My KLF-20's did a good job with my old system but Dolby Digital really requires a sub to reach its potential - and this one does it for me.

The real surprise for me was the improvement with 2-channel music sources. The KLF-20's do a great job on bass (down to 34hz) but the addition of the KSW-12 (down to 26hz) makes a noticeable difference. I have read other reviews complaining of "boominess" but I have not found that to be a problem with music and it seems to me that explosions that don't go "boom" would not be very convincing. I have my sub configured (via settings in the receiver) so most of the work it does is is in the lower end of its range. It took me a while to figure out how to extend the bass range downward without overdoing it. The KLF-20's are very capable in the low end and the sub seems to work best when it is used to extend their lows rather than replace them.

Between the various options on the sub and in my receiver for crossover, equalization and other settings it was a daunting task to come up with what sounded best. Fortunately, there was only one spot in the room for the sub so I didn't have to add that into the mix. In the end, the explosions go boom and the music doesn't.

Tight, deep, wallshaking bass.

None that I've found.

Had to upgrade my sub after upgrading my front mains to RF-3's (which are also fantastic). My old Polk sub was just overpowered and drowned out. I had been pricing this sub and waiting several months before I found it on sale, and snatched it up when I was able to get it at Ovation for $325...and I have not been disappointed. Stuck it in the corner of my living room (14x16 lofted ceiling)at the end of the couch (so placement doesn't seem to be an issue), and this sub simply shakes the whole house. Literally shook a picture off the wall. It blends in perfectly with my RF-3's and RC-3 center channel. The bass is tight and never muddled. I've had it for a year now and have absolutely no problems with it. Great product.

Similar Products Used:

Polk PSW12

Goov laue for the $

None so far..

I bought my Klipsch KSW-12 at www.acousticsounddesign.com and got great service. It was delivered to my door with no problems in about a week. While you can find lower prices elsewhere (although they are still competitive), the great service and fact that they will honor the manufacturer warranty won me over. I have had the KSW-12 for ~3 months and have been very pleased. It blends well with my existing system (Klipsch RC-3 and RS-3s driven by an HK AVR-7000 - I have Bose 901s soon to be replaced by Klipsch RB5s). It really shines for home theater adding a great “low end”. It can handle everything the AVR-7000 can throw at it and still sounds great. I am looking forward to the RB5s to get more overall balance out of my system. Overall, I would recommend the KSW-12 and think it is a good value for the $ especially if you have already have a Klipsch set-up..No problems with the fuse so far as noted below...

My full review of this product is in the review directly below. I returned the Klipsch sub for a full refund due to the fuse blowing within 48 hours of purchase - what a joke. Of course, the salesman at Sound Advice just tried to give me another one - sorry pal, shame on you the first time, shame on me if I tried it a second time and got burned. That was not about to happen. I also said in my review below that I was going to get the Polk 450 sub instead - not! The idiots at Circuit City couldn't even figure out how to set it up and demo it - hell I know more about hi fi than all of their sales people combined. I went to a real stereo store and purchased the Definitive Technology DT Pro Sub 100 and was amazed at the huge difference in quality over the Klipsch - 250 watts (DT) vs. 105 watts (Klipsch) - no comparison - DT blew it away and it's smaller too. I guess things really do happen for a reason. Thanks Klipsch for having the fuse blow so I could get a much better sub, for only $60 more.

Nothing that stands out.

Boomy undetailed bass. Not much low end extension.

This sub is not very competitive at this price range. The overall build quality is average, Controls are adequate and (in my case) I have not had any problems so far with blown fuses (I bought this unit in june 1999), volume is set at one click before 6 and the croosover is set at the lowest position of 40hz, the bass control on the receiver is set to flat position (also know as 0 position or neutral). The bass is boomy and undetailed with some overhang and it rolls off quickly below 40hz which in other words does not really give you that gut feeling effect with any low frequency sound that goes below 40hz (like explosions and such...). Also the variable crossover is somewhat leaky, what I mean is that even when set to 40hz I can still hear some low frequencies as high as 80hz coming through.Overall judgement on my part is that, as I said, in this price range you can find better value.

Similar Products Used:

Optimus pro-sw10 (10 inch subwoofer)

loud , wall shakin' bass

green power light doesnt light , fuzzy low pass crossover

I bought this largely because I wanted a Klipsch sub to match the rest of my HT system ,Klipsch Reference. I'm mostly pleased with this modestly priced sub and I think for most folks, it will be more than adequate. However, I'm a base junkie and I think I'm going to buy the king of subs for my .1 channel , SVS. I'm currently using the ksw12 to support the center channel and I'm very happy with this configuration , gives me a full and rich center channel sound. If you live in an appartment and want some boom added your movie experience , this is a great sub. But if your a bass head like me and want to be blown across the floor like the old Maxell add , you might want more.

Ps: There are alot of complaints about the fuse blowing on thes subs,Klipsch fixed that problem. If you go to the Klipsch site they said that the amplifier manufacturer put the WRONG kind of fuse in the amp , duh. Instead of a "slow burn fuse" the amp company used "quick burn" . Klipsch found out and had the problem rectified. If you have a sub with a blown fuse, make sure its not an old model with the wrong fuse.

Similar Products Used:

none but demoed the usual suspects , velodyne, polk , infinity , jbl , cerwin vega

http://www.hometheatermag.com/showarchives.cgi?41:1

This takes u to a review of the speaker(its not a subwoofer because it only goes down to 48hz @ -3dB) from Home Theater magazine. It shows a review of the Klipschs surround system and should be of interest to anyone with interest in Klipschs speakers. I hope this is of help to you in picking ur next sub(a real one I mean). I will mark it as four stars so as not to upset the ratings.