In this review, we will be comparing SUB80P and R-121SW, two Powered Subwoofer speakers from JBL 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 JBL SUB80P 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.Both JBL SUB80Pand Klipsch R-121SW have a single woofer setup however the JBL SUB80P's woofer is 8-inch whereas the Klipsch R-121SW features a 12-inch woofer.
Frequency Response
SUB80P has a frequency range of 45-200 Hz whereas R-121SW has a frequency range of 28-120 Hz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the R-121SW can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the SUB80P's min frequency of 45Hz.
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
High Frequency
Subwoofer Speakers
Cabinet Type
The JBL SUB80P has a Acoustic Suspension type cabinet. Acoustic Suspension aka Sealed type subwoofers have enclosures that are sealed hence no ports or holes exists on the cabinet. Sealed designs helps to provide more accurate and tight bass responses compared to ported designs. On the other hand the Klipsch R-121SW have Bass Reflex type enclosure. 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 JBL SUB80P's and Klipsch R-121SW's external dimensions. JBL SUB80P has external dimensions of 353.0 x 267.0 x 267.0mm (13-7/8 x 10-1/2 x 10-1/2inch) 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 clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 140mm wider, 70mm taller and 265mm deeper than JBL SUB80P.
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.
Klipsch R-121SW needs about 204% more floor or shelf area. Klipsch R-121SW is 265mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Klipsch R-121SW is 70mm 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 JBL SUB80P is approximately 712.9cm2 / 110.5inch2 and base area of the Klipsch R-121SW is approximately 2165.2cm2 / 335.6inch2. The SUB80P requires 67% less surface area than the R-121SW which gives it a small advantage 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 JBL SUB80P weighs 9.00kg / 19.8lbs and the Klipsch R-121SW weighs 16.00kg / 35.2lbs. This makes the R-121SW 78% heavier than the SUB80P.
Here is a comparison of how SUB80P and R-121SW's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Subwoofer class.
Weight
All Subwoofer Speakers
 High Frequency Response |
200 Hz
vs
120 Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
353mm
vs
423mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
712cm2
vs
2165cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Wireless Operation |
Yes
vs
No
|
Connect your subwoofer to your system wireless |
 Woofer Size |
12 inches
vs
8 inches
|
Larger woofer |
| Low Frequency Response |
28 Hz
vs
45 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
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.
Klipsch R-121SW needs about 204% more floor area. Klipsch R-121SW stands 265mm further into the room. Klipsch R-121SW is 70mm taller.
| General |
JBL SUB80P |
Klipsch Reference R-121SW |
| Brand |
JBL |
Klipsch |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Subwoofer |
Powered Subwoofer |
| Max Amplifier Output |
200 watts |
200 watts |
| Frequency Response |
45-200 Hz |
28-120 Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
200-watt RMS |
200-watt RMS |
| Watts Peak (Max) |
400-watt RMS |
n/a |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
12" |
| Woofer Composition |
Fibre composite |
Spun-Copper TCP |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
- |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
353.0mm (13.9") |
423.0mm (16.7") |
| Width |
267.0mm (10.5") |
407.0mm (16") |
| Depth |
267.0mm (10.5") |
532.0mm (20.9") |
| Weight |
9.00kg (19.8lbs) |
16.00kg (35.2lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Acoustic Suspension |
Bass Reflex |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
2 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
2 Years |
A sealed subwoofer against a ported one. That is the most consequential line on this page: it decides how the bass rolls off, how it behaves in a small room, and how much output you get for the size of the box.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass depth | B | Klipsch R-121SW goes deeper - 28Hz against 45Hz. A real difference, though most music has little content below 45Hz. |
| Amplifier power | evenly matched | Much the same amplifier (200W vs 200W RMS) - under 1dB apart. |
| Driver area | B | Klipsch R-121SW moves more air: 12" against 8" is 2.25x the cone area, not the 1.5x the diameters suggest. More area means the same output with less excursion, and less distortion with it. |
| Enclosure | depends | JBL SUB80P is sealed - a sealed box rolls off gently and is usually the easier one to integrate in a small or awkward room; Klipsch R-121SW is ported - a ported box gives more output low down for its size, at the cost of a steeper roll-off below tuning. Neither is better in the abstract; ported tends to suit films and sealed tends to suit music, and both generalisations have exceptions. |
| Wireless option | depends | Only JBL SUB80P offers a wireless link. It decides where the sub can go if you cannot run a cable, and is worth nothing if you can. |
| Driver placement | depends | JBL SUB80P fires down and Klipsch R-121SW fires front. A down-firing driver is more forgiving of a grille-less look and of a hard floor; a front-firing one is the safer choice on a thick carpet or a suspended timber floor. |
| Cabinet size | depends | JBL SUB80P is about 73% 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 | evenly matched | Priced within a few per cent of each other. |
A JBL SUB80P 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?
Klipsch R-121SW has the edge on paper, though not by much. The "depends" rows are more likely to decide this than the score is. Films or music? If this is mainly a home cinema, Klipsch R-121SW will hit harder for the money; if it is mainly for music in a normal-sized room, JBL SUB80P is usually the easier one to make sound right. If placement is the constraint - a corner, behind a sofa, under a desk - JBL SUB80P 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.