Help - Bad sub or poor quality

[Roush2fast]

Hello all, first time here and I have a question. I just purchased a Klipsch Reference R-10sw for my PC setup. This replaced a Polk PSW10 that had a bad hum over 40% gain. The Polk sub was amazing and took everything I could throw at it without any issues. The new Klipsch does have decent output but defintely less than the Polk. The issue I am having is clipping ( if my terminology is correct ) at any significant volume. I have the gain on the sub at 50% and my EQ set at 0. Is this sub defective or is the output just too much? I would think it would be more capable than the polk when rms and peak is taken into consideration.

Please see the attached video *** warning it's a 35hz test tone if you have a sub connected it will be loud ***

Thank you in advance

 

[TLS Guy]

Hello all, first time here and I have a question. I just purchased a Klipsch Reference R-10sw for my PC setup. This replaced a Polk PSW10 that had a bad hum over 40% gain. The Polk sub was amazing and took everything I could throw at it without any issues. The new Klipsch does have decent output but defintely less than the Polk. The issue I am having is clipping ( if my terminology is correct ) at any significant volume. I have the gain on the sub at 50% and my EQ set at 0. Is this sub defective or is the output just too much? I would think it would be more capable than the polk when rms and peak is taken into consideration.

Please see the attached video *** warning it's a 35hz test tone if you have a sub connected it will be loud ***

Thank you in advance

Well in that video you are clearly overloading that sub. That is not clipping it is bottoming the driver due to over excursion. That will damage the sub if it has not already.

So this is what I think is going on. Your Polk sub quotes a 3 db point of 40 Hz. So it is not a sub, it does not meet the definition of one. It is a bass module. I strongly suspect it has a high pass filter at 40 Hz, to prevent you doing what you can do to the Klipsch sub.

Now the Klipsch sub quotes a lower frequency limit of 27 Hz but does not quote if that is the 3 db point. So either the Klipsch sub has no high pass filter or one at a much lower frequency.

If you want to do what you are doing you need a much bigger and more expensive sub. Or else you need to turn the volume way down.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Hello all, first time here and I have a question. I just purchased a Klipsch Reference R-10sw for my PC setup. This replaced a Polk PSW10 that had a bad hum over 40% gain. The Polk sub was amazing and took everything I could throw at it without any issues. The new Klipsch does have decent output but defintely less than the Polk. The issue I am having is clipping ( if my terminology is correct ) at any significant volume. I have the gain on the sub at 50% and my EQ set at 0. Is this sub defective or is the output just too much? I would think it would be more capable than the polk when rms and peak is taken into consideration.

Please see the attached video *** warning it's a 35hz test tone if you have a sub connected it will be loud ***

Thank you in advance

Well the thing is, peak vs rms are really meaningless. You have to take into account the subwoofer as a system. Driver sensitivity, box size, amp power, overall, sealed, ported, port tune etc all account for a subs performance. The problem, as TLS pointed out is that while the Klipsch is technically a better sub, neither one are really that good and the Klipsch is struggling more. Because on paper it can play deeper, while the Polk doesn’t even attempt to play those notes. So the Klipsch is trying to do what you want, but it can’t do it with any considerable output. So yeah, you’re basically overdriving it...
You should really consider a new sub from Rythmik, SVS, HSU, or monolith to name a few. Those companies all make better subs than Klipsch or Polk by a considerable degree. If budget is super tight, try the sub1200 from Dayton. They’re cheap, and are better than the Polk or Klipsch mentioned above. IIRC they don’t go much deeper than 30hz, but for the majority of music that might be all you need.

 

[lovinthehd]

Don't find videos useful usually for anything audio related....your mic, the levels, the youtube compression, bla bla bla. I wouldn't doubt either of those "subs" suck because they certainly are bottom feeders.
:

 

[everettT]

Try turning the sub gain down to the 10 o'clock position and see if that helps. 12 o'clock is pretty high.

 

[mazersteven]

Home Audio Subwoofers and Speaker Systems | Power Sound Audio

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Home Audio Speakers, Subwoofers and Cables | SVS

SVS builds speakers, subwoofers and audio accessories for music and home theater surround sound systems. Proudly engineered in Youngstown, Ohio.

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[SimplyEpic]

Looking at the spec sheet for the Klipsch, you are close to the limits of the subs capabilities at 35hz (spec sheet below shows it is rated to 32hz +-3db). That is a painful sound when it bottoms out and as stated can damage the sub. I agree that lowering the gain down should help a bit but will also depend on how low the track playing is trying to push the sub.

What is the low pass filter set to on the back of the sub. I wonder if it may help adjusting that so the sub may have a little less work to do by either limiting it to <80hz or LFE.

R-10SW Spec sheet page:

http://images.klipsch.com/R-10SW_-_Spec_Sheet_635424116393442000.pdf