In this review, we will be comparing Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer and R-121SW, two Powered Subwoofer speakers from Aperion and Klipsch. Being Powered subwoofers, they both have built-in amplifiers so you don't need an external power amp or an integrated amp to power them. Let's have a brief look at the main features of Aperion Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer and Klipsch R-121SW first before getting into our more detailed comparison.
The sections below take each area in turn: driver and amplifier, frequency response, physical size and connectivity.
Drivers
The efficiency of a subwoofer is directly proportional to the total radiating are squared hence the woofer quantity and diameter.Aperion Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer and Klipsch R-121SW have a totally different setup: the Aperion Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer features 2 x 15-inch drivers whereas the R-121SW features 1 x 12-inch drivers.
Frequency Response
Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer has a frequency range of 15-180 Hz whereas R-121SW has a frequency range of 28-120 Hz. With a minimum frequency of 15Hz, the Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the R-121SW's min frequency of 28Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Subwoofer class in our database.
Low Frequency
Subwoofer Speakers
Aperion Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer
High Frequency
Subwoofer Speakers
Aperion Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer
Cabinet Type
Both Aperion Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer and Klipsch R-121SW have Bass Reflex type cabinets. Bass Reflex type subwoofers (aka Ported, Vented or Reflex Port) have enclosures that uses a port, hole or vent cut into the cabinet. Ported designs are generally more efficient than the Sealed designs.
Klipsch R-121SW Port
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Aperion Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer's and Klipsch R-121SW's external dimensions. Aperion Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer has external dimensions of 1099.8 x 530.9 x 500.4mm (43.3 x 20.9 x 19.7inch) whereas Klipsch R-121SW has external dimensions of 423.0 x 407.0 x 532.0mm (16-5/8inch x 16inch x 20-15/16inch).
Klipsch R-121SW is 123.9mm narrower and 676.8mm shorter than Aperion Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer but it is also 31.6mm deeper.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Aperion Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer needs about 23% more floor or shelf area. Klipsch R-121SW is 32mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Aperion Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer is 677mm taller.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Aperion Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer is approximately 2656.6cm2 / 411.8inch2 and base area of the Klipsch R-121SW is approximately 2165.2cm2 / 335.6inch2. The Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer requires 23% more surface area than the R-121SW which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a subwoofer may become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often to find the optimal positioning, also known as 'Subwoofer Crawling'. The Aperion Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer weighs 83.91kg / 184.6lbs and the Klipsch R-121SW weighs 16.00kg / 35.2lbs. This makes the Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer 424% heavier than the R-121SW.
Here is a comparison of how Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer and R-121SW's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Subwoofer class.
Weight
All Subwoofer Speakers
Aperion Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer
 Woofer Size |
15 inches
vs
12 inches
|
Larger woofer |
| Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
| Low Frequency Response |
15 Hz
vs
28 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
180 Hz
vs
120 Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
423mm
vs
1099mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
2165cm2
vs
2656cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
599USD
vs
4999USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
Size, drawn to scale
Both subwoofers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same floor and pushed back to the same wall, so the bigger one visibly takes more of the room.
Aperion Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer needs about 23% more floor area. Klipsch R-121SW stands 32mm further into the room. Aperion Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer is 677mm taller.
| General |
Aperion Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer |
Klipsch Reference R-121SW |
| Brand |
Aperion |
Klipsch |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Subwoofer |
Powered Subwoofer |
| Max Amplifier Output |
1300 watts |
200 watts |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
15-180 Hz |
28-120 Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
1300-watt RMS |
200-watt RMS |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
15" |
12" |
| Woofer Composition |
|
Spun-Copper TCP |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
- |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
40-160 Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1099.8mm (43.3") |
423.0mm (16.7") |
| Width |
530.9mm (20.9") |
407.0mm (16") |
| Depth |
500.4mm (19.7") |
532.0mm (20.9") |
| Weight |
83.91kg (184.6lbs) |
16.00kg (35.2lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
2 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
2 Years |
Two quite different sizes of subwoofer. Room volume decides this more than anything else on the page: a big driver in a small room is wasted, and a small one in a large room is worked to death.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass depth | A | Aperion Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer goes deeper - 15Hz against 28Hz. Under 20Hz is felt more than heard - the bottom of a pipe organ and the bottom of a film mix. |
| Amplifier power | A | Aperion Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer has the bigger amplifier - 1300W against 200W RMS, about 8.1dB more on tap. In a large room that is headroom before the DSP starts limiting. |
| Driver area | A | Aperion Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer moves more air: 2 x 15" against 12" is 3.13x the cone area, not the 1.77x the diameters suggest. More area means the same output with less excursion, and less distortion with it. |
| Enclosure | evenly matched | Both are ported designs, so they roll off in much the same way. |
| Cabinet size | depends | Klipsch R-121SW is about 69% smaller by volume. In a subwoofer that is a real trade rather than a preference: box volume is how you get output low down without a bigger amplifier. |
| Price | B | Klipsch R-121SW costs less - $599 against $4,999, about 88% less. |
A Aperion Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer B Klipsch R-121SW
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both subwoofers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
The usual trade-off: Aperion Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer measures better, Klipsch R-121SW costs about 88% less. In a normal room, placement will make a bigger difference than the gap between these two. Two small subwoofers beat one big one in most rooms - a pair evens out the room modes in a way no single box can, whatever its specs. At $599 each, two Klipsch R-121SW cost about $1,198 against $4,999 for one of the other, which is worth a thought. If placement is the constraint - a corner, behind a sofa, under a desk - Klipsch R-121SW is the one that will actually go there, and a well-placed small subwoofer beats a badly-placed big one every time.
One thing outweighs everything above: where the subwoofer stands. Room modes can add or remove 10dB or more at a given seat, which is far larger than any difference on this page. Before spending more, try the sub in two or three positions - the crawl test, where you put it in the listening seat and crawl the room to find where the bass sounds best, costs nothing and usually beats an upgrade.