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.
