Klipsch Reference SW-308 Powered Subwoofer $199/FS @ Newegg
 

Newegg is clearing them out, dropped another $100 from less than a week ago. Good choice if you need a compact sub.

Klipsch SW-308 [newegg.com]

Specs:
Driver Units: 8" (20.3cm) Active / Dual 8" Passive non-resonant Woven Fiberglass drivers
Power Rating: Amplifier Power: 300 watts continuous @ <2% THD
Frequency Response: 26Hz-120Hz ± 3dB
Connectors/Inputs: L/R Line-level RCA jacks, WA port
Power Supply100-120V / 220-240V~50/60Hz 3.15A (Auto-voltage switching)
Dimensions & Weight11" x 11" x 11" (H x W x D) / 24 lbs.Features
FeaturesCompact subwoofer with stylish finish
- Pristine black satin finish complements impeccable design

Highly damped, non-resonant woven fiberglass driver
- Produces tight musical bass

BASH Digital Hybrid Amplifier
- Efficiently produces reliable, high-powered sound

4-layer copper voice coil on aluminum former
- Provides enhanced low-end output

1-watt standby mode
- Energy-saving featureManufacturer

Warranty
Parts 2 years limited
Labor 2 years limited

8" Klipsch SW-308 Reference Powered Subwoofer (Satin Black) $200 + Free Shipping
 

Newegg has 8" Klipsch SW-308 Reference Powered Subwoofer (Satin Black) for $199.99 with free shipping. Thanks securety10

Price Research: Our research indicates that 8" Klipsch SW-308 Reference Powered Subwoofer (Satin Black) is $13 lower (47% savings) than the next best available price from a reputable merchant with prices ranging from $380 to $850. - DJ3

Seems like a pretty good value but pretty limited reviews.

Great little sub. Can't beat the sound quality of this sub at this price. The passive radiators make for a waaaay better sounding sub than a ported model.

Ouch! Anyone that bought it last week must be pissed.

How does this compare with the 12" Polk PSW505 that normally sells for $200 or the 12" Klipsch Reference RW-12d that goes on sale for $299? I am looking for a medium size sub in the $200-300 price range.

Great price. Thanks OP for the tip. Glad I missed out on this one last week :)

Bought it first, and now thinking it over. Seems like it got good reviews!

Wow great deal.

The way it compares is that it's less than half the size.

Seriously, you are compring apples and oranges. You might as well ask how a Miata compares to a Ford F150. If your situation allows a bigger sub, then gt the bigger sub. This is a great sub for what it is (I have one). But it's just for what it is ...

Miata kicks the Ford's ass hands down.

Hi Guys, Any suggestions to buy a receiver (< $200) for Klipsch Quintet 4 and SW-308??

How do you compare this against Polk Audio 10" Monitor Series Powered Subwoofer which is on sale in Frys at $107?

not even remotely close

How does this compare to a bag of baseballs? I was thinking about getting that instead because it's a lot cheaper and I can bring them to the ballpark and get them signed by Andy Van Slyke.

omg .... i just pulled the trigger due to the fact it works with 110-240v

There is an Energy S10.3 on the local craigs for $100. Think I'll grab that one instead.

Got one, thx.:worship:

Denon 1612

Why would you not just buy the 12" down firing model? Directional subs are pretty good as long as you are standing right in front of it. I had the 12" Polk audio directional, and upgraded to the klipsch 12" down firing. Amazing difference.

You know....I only popped into this thread to see if CGIGATE chimed in to post some absolutely worthless, crappy and flat out wrong info, but shockingly he hadn't. Then I ran across your post...
"Directional subs are pretty good"???!!!! Do you even understand the physics involved in how a subwoofer works and produces sound?
wow...just...............wow...

Or even the PSW110 for $149?

glad to see i'm not the only one who bought a whole new stereo this week. including that receiver

I prefer my bass to go straight ahead........:lol::lol::lmao::lmao:

Very good choice!

Extremely pleased with this deal. I've looked at this previously at a local boutique home theater store and just couldn't pull the trigger in the $700-800 range.

This sub is designed for small rooms or for people like me who need to hide a sub. If you have a large room, a dedicated room, or no wife to tell you that your dual Velodyne 12's are unsightly...this is not the sub for you.

would this pair well with the energy take rc micros?

Yea, that post was pretty foul. Where ever did he get this idea from? :lol:

Curious myself as I already purchased the PSW110. I'm please with it. But the thing is freekin huge. Slightly regretting the purchase now as the PSW110 I got from Newegg is non-returnable...

Let me guess, you bought the Klipsch quintents off woot, this sub, and a reciever. ;)

How about compared to the Bic V1020? TIA

haha, you can't guess if you and i have had lengthy conversations about it already :woot:

Was surprised this deal wasn't getting any love yesterday afternoon, checked SD this morning and was suprised to see I made it to the FP! :woot:

This sub is very compact yet has great output for its size, that can be an advantage for many. If you have the room for a bigger sub, by all means try to audition some. As long as they have similar continuous (rms) wattage, the larger ones should be better. Out of the choices above I'd take the RW-12d, but there are some other models worth looking at in the $300 or so range. Head over to the AVSforums, they have lots and lots of info on different subs.

I compared a PSW110 to an SW-310 (this subs bigger brother, 10 in) and, well, the SW-310 murdered the PSW110. Based on the higher powered amp of the SW-308 (300 RMS vs 100 RMS of PSW110) and the design being the same as the SW-310 (difference being an 8 in woofer and a little bit more compact) I have a feeling this will also easily outperform the PSW110. The SW-308 will go lower than the PSW110 (26 Hz vs 32Hz) which is something to consider. Not to mention my SW-310 is a good bit smaller than the PSW110 and SW-308 is even smaller than the SW-310. Worst case, you may get similar performance in a much smaller package. If you need/want something small that still has good output, I think the SW-308 will be hard, if not impossible, to beat at this price.

UPDATE& Correction: I was confused. This is not the same as the Energy and Mirage units (though it is correct they are all Klipsch brands, and look similar, and share same wireless kit). This is larger, and has a bit lower frequency range. My apologies. This may still pair well with the RC micros, but (IMO) a little less so.

That's EXACTLY how I use mine (actually the Energy M8 ... but they are essentially the same thing, Klipsch owns Energy & specs are idnetical, even wireless kit is interchangeable).

As I posted last night, this is only good deal if you NEED this. IMO, you do. With the RC micros, they only are rated down to something like 150hz, which is, frankly, not great (but it's just simple laws of physics that this is the price you pay for using speakers that small). So you need a subwoofer VERY different than your normal subwoofer. For anyone else, this little subwoofer will suck, IMO. Normally you wouldn't want the outpout of the sub to go above around 100hz, because then it becomes directional (and that is why most subs are not designed to). But with RC micros, you'd be left with a big "hole" if you did that. So as a compromise, you need a sub that goes up to 150hz and beyond, and this sub's crossover setting of up to 180 is crucial. You make the compromise to allow the sound to be directional when you do, and you also make the compromise of only haveing your bass go down to 36hz too (not really that great), but IMO it 's a far better alternative to pairing the RC Micros to a "real" (enormous) subwoofer" and leaving a big sonic hole in your frequency response. If you're like me and don't really need/want that big ground-shaking bass, it's an even better compromise to make.

thta is why I posted last night that the guy asking for a comparison of this to some 12" subs might as well be asking us to compare a Miata to a Ford F150 pickup. Because you use the two for totally different applications. If you really have no idea whether a tiny sportscar or a a huge heavy duty pickup meets your personal auto requirements better, then ... you really aren't ready to buy anything IMO, you haven't done enough learning and consideration for anyone else to even know where to begin to give you advice. Same with subwoofers,

BTW, if you have these specialized needs (e.g. you have RC Micros like ualymerej & I), this is a really good deal. I got my M8 in the spring for around $235, and AFAIK, until today that was the best price these mighty mites had ever been directly from a retailer (i.e. not off ebay etc). I am seriously considering buying a second one (to mitigate that directional stuff I talked about).

Sub frequencies are non directional.
Placement matters where crests and troughs form and resonance due to reflections.

dang it, OOS...

Does this sub pair up with the Quintet 5.0 based on your frequency analysis?

The Quintet's frequency response is:
Satellite: 120Hz-23kHz
Center: 125Hz-23kHz

It might, though I'd still go bigger (larger driver) if I could -- your situation is not as extreme as with the RC Micros.

But the whole point is academic, since it is OOS, probably permanently (since these are being phased out). Darn, I waited too long to pull the trigger. Probably for the best, I'm not sure where I'd place the second unit anyway, and my wife would probably scream if she saw another speaker show up via UPS this year (this would have been the 6th delivery of speakers in the last 6 months for me, I've already upgraded the center & fronts of the Micro to V-Minis ...)

Where are you getting 36 Hz from? These are spec'd to 26 Hz. Which makes them decent for more than just micros, if you don't need to rattle the house. Granted, if you have something bigger than micros, I'd expect you'd have room for a little bigger sub.

EDIT: you know, I thought this was the same as the Mirage MM8 and the Energy M8, but I was wrong. But I see those are 9" cube units, and this is 11". Got misled by the "8" in the product number I guess & jumped to conclusions without reading carefully. Though both go to 36, which is where I am coming from. All three have a 8" driver w/the same +2 passive design, but the 20% larger enclosure definitely will allow for slightly lower freq. I'm still skeptical about the 26mhz claim in real life (kind of like EPA MPG, these claims are all partly marketing -- the energy and mirage units are not 1200w in "real world" terms either, for example).

Glad I didn't buy it! Though this sub might be, speaking in pure sonic terms, better performing than what I have, it is not the right form factor, and would not have been the match to my exiting M8 that I wanted.

I placed my order before it went OOS. Just trying to make sure that it is not a complete mismatch for my Quintet's while I have a short window to cancel it before they ship it. I do not want to rattle the room but want a decent sub with a small form factor which meets her aesthetics.

On the Klipsch website [klipsch.com], they recommend the SW-350 [klipsch.com](31-120Hz +/-3dB) for the Quintet's in their video. It is a 8" sub but has a bigger enclosure. So I was hoping this 8" SW-308 may match too.

I don't really know, but my quick reaction is that you are getting the better of the two. Energy also pairs by default a much less nicer 8" sub with the RC Micros and Minis, too. Ironically, my "non-standard" sub is a much closer aesthetic match to each other than what they sell as a package (mine share the same piano black finish and rounded corner appearance). Like these two, the MSRP difference is also 2-3x more

I'm guess that when they market packages, it's usually more price-conscious people they are targetting, so they include a cheaper sub?

I had one of these and the output is well, not very good. This is a decent deal for $200. I bought one of these on sale for 250.00 and I've been much happier.

http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet...ty-psw310w

I found this chart [hometheater.com] for the SW-308. It shows -3dB @ 31 Hz and -6dB @ 29 Hz. I guess you can claim it is a bit of a lie, depending on the setup. I know from playing test tones my SW-310 does respectably into the mid 20 Hz range (spec'd @ 24 Hz) but I didn't take dB measurements. I'd expect somewhat similar of the SW-308.

For the M8 I found this review [com.au]. Sucks it is a different place as we don't know how similar test methods were, but they came up with -3dB @ 40 Hz normalized. The M8 definetly does better in the higher frequencies and has a much nicer rolloff.

Like you said, you need to figure out what is best for your situation, but I think it is tough to deny this unit is impressive at this price point. Either of these subs would be a great edition to a set of micros/minis to add in the lower frequencies.

You will be better off with the SW-308. It has a smaller foot print with higher output and should give you more 'adjustability' for your setup. It should also be a little 'tighter' than the SW-350, so it should sound a little better, especially with music.

Edit: I see you were worried about aethetics. It looks like the two have a similar finish. Of the two I think the SW-308 is better looking as I don't like the feet. I think it will blend in just fine.

Hometheater.com spec'd my HD 500 Sub 8 at 45 and 36Hz, -3 and-6dB, respectively, but I can hear no discernable decrease in volume (which, to me, is 4-5dB), at the port, until about 27Hz (assuming low overall volume levels); Klipsch rates it at 36Hz (without dB figures), which is conservative, to say the least. I wonder where exactly they're placing that mic, and based on that, it wouldn't surprise me if the 308 goes lower than 26 cleanly at a respectable volume level (this is going in a 12 x 15) (again, depending on properly placing the sub).

That said, even though the Sub 8 sounds great, I couldn't resist this thing at $199...still going for $849 at Crutchfield (and I bet someone actually paid that much for it [and fairly recently]:) ). In fact, it seems to be an even better match for the HD 500 sats than Sub 8, given the same glossy finish and matching-colored drivers. If it indeed dies at 30Hz, however, I may be selling it (might go with the Rw-12d...apples and oranges, true, but I already know [by ear] that the 12 gets down to 20Hz without issue, and with authority. I just can't imagine ever pushing more than ten watts through the driver (apartment dweller)...anyway, I'll be back with an update within a week. If I do decide to sell, I'll do so at $199 + $50-75 shipping (US only).

I believe the standard used by most reviewers is 1 meter. As to manufactures placement, who knows, probably wherever they get the best result.

Depending on the kind of output you are looking for/expecting, I think your room may be a bit big for this sub (depending on other variables, like how far you are from it). Don't expect pictures to be coming off the walls...

Haha, yeah, but the ratings that HT provided (Sub 8, HD 500) appear (to the best of my estimation) to ignore the port (measured only by the depth of the actual driver or something [where 45 might be accurate]...not really sure). Obviously that wouldn't apply in this case, but yeah, I need about 90dB of output at the most (which is why I haven't jumped on the RW-12d yet...ridiculous overkill for my needs). In truth, the Sub 8 is much more than I need...but this thing was just too mind-bogglingly awesome at $199 to ignore (just for looks and its small stature, if nothing else). If this sub truly can get down to 26 without dropping, even if only at 90dB, I'm happy. :) If not, I'll be back looking for bids. :)

I started with Quintet SLs + Yamaha 671 AVR & then added klipsch RC-64ii and 12D. I like the 12D, it has it's own EQ and can be controlled with a Harmony One, but it is definitely not a small form factor.

you'll be fine with your choice of sub.

Not bad price.I have one and love it.

Do you have a dB meter? If so, could you end the suspense (I recommend Bass Mekanik for test tones, sweeps, etc.)? :)

I have both the PSW505 and the RW-12D (both from Newegg), while my brother is running 2 SW-308 in his HT. From my personal experience in the past few months of listening to my system and his, is that the PSW505 and the RW-12D are very good for movies whereas the little SW-308 are very good for music. The PSW505 and RW-12D just shakes everything, sometimes a little too much. Movies like Transformer Dark of the Moon will have you ducking for covers! However, when I played trance or electronic music, the bass can be too boomy. With house music, it sounded like some low rider just drove by my house. The SW-308 bass is very tight, so with trance, house, or other electronic music..you don't get that bouncy booming bass like the PSW505 and the RW-12D. With that said, they all are capable of producing huge bass.

Another note I wanted to add are their physical size...the RW-12D is HUGE..It will look ridiculous in a small room. The PSW505 is a tiny bit smaller than the RW-12D, but since it's more square shaped, it won't standout as much. It can pass for a small end table at the end of your couch. The SW-308 on the other hand are very small, almost laughable for the untrained eyes, like a Sub that comes with 5.1 satellite system. It can be hinded out of sight. My brother has 2, and he placed one in the front left corner of the room and the other in the rear right corner. Hope this help!

Thanks for the review!! Repped.

...probably not easy to get a picture of the 12d and the 308 together, eh? I'd like to see the 308 sitting on top it for comparison's sake. :)

out of stock.. looks like a great frequency response too :'(

Don't be bummed about it. I own this sub and think it's pretty crappy even at $200. I understand it's a compact sub but there's absolutely no low end to speak of. Maybe I'm just too much of a basshead. If a larger sub isn't the end of the world for you, your money will be better spent elsewhere.

$200 for a Bic F-12 from partsexpress.com would be better if you don't need a tiny sub.

I'll be going to my bros house this weekend, so I might bring along my 12D and take some pics and post it on here, but I'm afraid by that time, this thread will be long dead...

But here's a comparison that I made based on their dimensions....

Haha, that sums it up pretty well...thanks for putting that together. :)

We already know (based on hometheater.com's review) that it drops off, at the highest, at 31 Hz; Klipsch rates it at 26Hz down 3dB (from my experience with their subs, their ratings are generally conservative). What would you qualify as "low end?" If you mean 15Hz at 110 dB, then no, I guess this sub won't suffice (Klipsch states 110dB @ 30Hz [corner-loaded]), which is pretty darn impressive for 11x11x11. (The point I'm making is that qualitative statements don't mean much when discussing bass.)

Also, I'd have to add that RW-12d obliterates F-12, which dies at about 30Hz and puts out about 110dB at 30, from the reviews I've seen (meaning it's equal to 308), where 12d will hit 20 Hz with minimal drop and puts out 116db @ 30 (which I'd guess is a conservative rating, as well). I'd personally pay three times as much for 12d over an F-12, but that's just me (I may buy the 12d as well and utilize the 308 in an alternate location, if the extension indeed isn't there). I'd also add that 3 8" drivers equate to the surface area of a 14" sub, small enclosure or not.

If Frank is right, and this thing can't do 110dB @ 30Hz (and won't go below 30 at all), I'll sell you mine for $199 (plus shipping). I'll let you know within a week (if the thread is still around).

This thing is junk. I wouldn't pay 50 bucks for it knowing what it sounds like.

It's quiet (receiver maxed), bottoms out at low volume with a nice big THUD and is just useless.
Logitech has better cheapo subs than this (I know, I have a couple). My fronts (BIC 6") have the same or better response. WTF. It's a good thing I have a real sub already.

Klipsch needs this shoved so far up their asses that they can never wipe again.

I'm not sure if I should return it or destroy it with my hands for satisfaction.

Edit: My FSM! I just played a favorite song and it's so horrendous. It sounds like it's farting.

Get a BIC PL-200 for cheap on ebay (under 300) and call it a day. Anything, even ported, is tons better than this.

Are you sure you got a working unit or a DOA? Hard to understand a reputable company like Klipsch would manufacture a product like this, based on your review. Hmmm.

It works fine as long as I don't play anything under 35hz or expect it to play at a decent listening volume. Both, of course, are completely unacceptable.

What size room are you using it in? It sounds to me like something is wrong with yours, regardless. The XMech of the driver (which has an incredibly strong magnet, by the way [the unit is built like a rock]) is beyond what the amp will push it to (by design); nothing should be bottoming out. Perhaps your cabinet isn't sealed properly (educated guess). Hometheater.com's review is dead-on; it gets down to 30Hz cleanly (at much higher volume levels than I need, personally speaking), and drops like a rock at 29, but from 30 up, it puts out a hell of a lot of output with no distortion whatsoever, in my case. It simply sounds to me that you're trying to get much more volume out of the sub than it advertises or can be expected to deliver, and that it either arrived or became damaged. Return it and get an RW-12d (6 dB higher peak output at 30Hz, per Klipsch [meaning it's two 308s]); for me, given that the sub is nearly invisible, it's a keeper.

Sounds like a bad unit. I've listened to these enough to know whatever you described is not normal. I would RMA it and try a second unit. Newegg had a lot of problems in the past with shipping subs, so it might just be a damaged unit.

I'm in a small room (about 12x14). This is the song I'm talking about.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXLJVbl369M Youtube sucks, but I can barely hear it and it bottoms out (I know it has a brutal low hit, but it shouldn't try to reproduce it if it can't). KoRn kills this sub like it's a hundred dollar HTIB.

Farting goes away when the gain is turned down, but then it's incredibly quiet. Sounds normal otherwise, just always quiet. It's sealed good.

The SW-308 sounds great and kills Korn with plenty of tight bass. I have just spent an hour testing with movies and music (rock, hip hop & jazz) FLAC files. Pairs well with Klipsch RF-52 and an older Panasonic receiver.

Check your other equipment and setup before blaming this quality sub. If you got a damaged or defective product return it.

I think I've determined the problem: the enclosure, like most subs, it's just sub-par, at least for my wants :P

I currently have the BIC PL-200, while it's pretty clean and goes down to 30 ish really good, for the price, it still doesn't hit like it should or have enough sound level.

I assumed the klipsch would give similar performance over a little different area of the spectrum (being sealed and smaller of course), but it's much worse.

Now, to the root. These low density, thin walled, things they call boxes aren't adequate for my tastes. The last boxes I built were .75" high density fiber board (amazing stuff compared to that medium crap) and tuned to 29 hz. With a cheap 12" sub (86 db sensitivity) and modest power (100 ish watts), that thing hit so GD hard it'll start relocating the studs in your house. I know it's not a fair comparison size wise, but damn. Even if these subs were scaled up, it wouldn't be close.

I think I'm gonna have to calculate the volume that I can get away with before it makes it worse and build boxes for both of these and see what happens.

I just received the sub and need help to set it up. I am using the Quintet's 5.0 with a Pioneer 1021 receiver. There are several settings to be made on the back of the sub:

1. Switch (Off/Auto/On)
2. Gain (1-11)
3. Lowpass (40-150)
4. Phase (0-180)
5. Line in (Left, Right): Which port do I choose?

Resonance caused by flapping wood because an enclosure is built too "thinly" has little to do with max output...enclosure volume primarily determines depth and output (SW-308 doesn't vibrate in any way, shape, or form, because it's built like a tank; it weighs nearly three times the 8" sub that came with my HD 500 set, which actually gets deeper than this sub [but nowhere near as loud, and definitely not as accurately through the usable frequency range that it does output]). Also, passive radiator designs aren't "sealed"...functionally, the radiators act as "ports," without port noise and without internal volume having been consumed by a long, thick tube (which is why this tiny sub can get as deep as it does). Just like ported enclosures, passive radiator designs are tuned to a specific frequency (play a 30Hz tone, and compare the excursion of the driver with that of the radiators; next, do the same at 100Hz), but below that frequency, they drop off much more rapidly than the average ported enclosure (I think 26Hz -3 is inaccurate; I'd put it at about 30, and probably -10dB or more by 26Hz). Anyway, look for audioholics' review of SW-311; the driver is of exceptionally high quality, and I'd assume that SW-308's driver is similarly built (enormous magnets and aluminum frame [not to mention the bulletproof cones]). This thing is under a cubic foot and puts out 110dB at 30Hz (without any noticeable distortion, in the case of a properly functioning unit [which it seems that you don't have, whatever the reason or cause]). That's insane.

In short, the reasons one should buy this sub are these, and in this order:

1). size

That is all. If you have room for a sub twice the size (e.g. RW-12D), or even better, a self-built 100 cubic foot box housing four 18" drivers that can put out 135+dB at 30Hz (and don't mind the "refrigerator" sub sitting not-so-inconspicuously in your living room), then I think I'd recommend the latter (though that's probably overkill for most scenarios [unless you live a mile from the nearest house], not to mention the lack of WAF). SW-308 isn't that kind of subwoofer, nor does it claim to be (in fact, if being used in a larger room, I'd recommend it as a secondary sub located behind the couch, with a 15" or bigger up front...but that's just me). It is, however, nearly invisible, and for what it is, it generates amazingly high quality low end (above 30Hz).

1. Auto
2. I don't think it's numbered, but 3/4's (this sub strangely does little to nothing at half to zero...I thought mine was broken, initially)
3. check your sats' frequency response (-3dB); set to lower limit (probably 100Hz or so). Generally speaking, however, a subwoofer should never be set to higher than 80Hz.
4. 0 (assuming that your sats are correctly wired [polarity])
5. Left/LFE (only)

The Quintet's have the following spec:
Satellite: 120Hz-23kHz
Center: 125Hz-23kHz

What should my sub LowPass setting be?

Thanks.