In this review, we will be comparing Silver W-12 and SPL-100, two Powered Subwoofer speakers from Monitor Audio 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 Monitor Audio Silver W-12 and Klipsch SPL-100 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 Monitor Audio Silver W-12and Klipsch SPL-100 have a single woofer setup however the Monitor Audio Silver W-12's woofer is 12-inch whereas the Klipsch SPL-100 features a 10-inch woofer.
Frequency Response
Silver W-12 has a frequency range of 20-120 Hz whereas SPL-100 has a frequency range of 27-125 Hz. With a minimum frequency of 20Hz, the Silver W-12 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the SPL-100's min frequency of 27Hz.
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
Monitor Audio Silver W-12
High Frequency
Subwoofer Speakers
Monitor Audio Silver W-12
Cabinet Type
The Monitor Audio Silver W-12 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 SPL-100 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.
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 Monitor Audio Silver W-12's and Klipsch SPL-100's external dimensions. Monitor Audio Silver W-12 has external dimensions of 355.0 x 342.0 x 445.0mm (13-15/16 x 13-7/16 x 17-1/2inch) whereas Klipsch SPL-100 has external dimensions of 418.0 x 358.0 x 478.0mm (16-7/16 x 14-1/16 x 18-13/16inch).
Klipsch SPL-100 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 16mm wider, 63mm taller and 33mm deeper than Monitor Audio Silver W-12.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Monitor Audio Silver W-12 and Klipsch SPL-100 in scale.
Comparison image of Monitor Audio Silver W-12 and Klipsch SPL-100 Size and External Dimensions
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 Monitor Audio Silver W-12 is approximately 1521.9cm2 / 235.9inch2 and base area of the Klipsch SPL-100 is approximately 1711.2cm2 / 265.2inch2. The Silver W-12 requires 11% less surface area than the SPL-100 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 Monitor Audio Silver W-12 weighs 20.14kg / 44.3lbs and the Klipsch SPL-100 weighs 16.82kg / 37lbs. This makes the Silver W-12 20% heavier than the SPL-100.
Here is a comparison of how Silver W-12 and SPL-100's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Subwoofer class.
Weight
All Subwoofer Speakers
Monitor Audio Silver W-12
What's in the Box of Monitor Audio Silver W-12?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Silver W-12:
- Powered sub
- 6-feet AC power cord
- Grille
- Auto setup mic (w/ attached 19.5-feet cable)
- 10.75-feet Mono minijack cable
- 4 Feet
- Owners Manual
- Important Safety Instructions
What's in the Box of Klipsch SPL-100?
Here are the items that come with the SPL-100:
- Powered sub
- Grille
- 6.5-feet AC power cord
- User Manual
- Important Safety Instructions
- Warranty Information
 Woofer Size |
12 inches
vs
10 inches
|
Larger woofer |
| Low Frequency Response |
20 Hz
vs
27 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
355mm
vs
418mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1521cm2
vs
1711cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 High Frequency Response |
125 Hz
vs
120 Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Price per pair* |
399USD
vs
2100USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Wireless Operation |
Optional
vs
No
|
Connect your subwoofer to your system wireless |
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 SPL-100 needs about 12% more floor area. Klipsch SPL-100 stands 33mm further into the room. Klipsch SPL-100 is 63mm taller.
| General |
Monitor Audio Silver W-12 |
Klipsch SPL-100 |
| Brand |
Monitor Audio |
Klipsch |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Subwoofer |
Powered Subwoofer |
| Max Amplifier Output |
500 watts |
200 watts |
| Frequency Response |
20-120 Hz |
27-125 Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
500-watt RMS |
200-watt RMS |
| Watts Peak (Max) |
n/a |
450-watt RMS |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
12" |
10" |
| Woofer Composition |
C-CAM |
Cerametallic |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
- |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Firing Direction |
front |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
355.0mm (14") |
418.0mm (16.5") |
| Width |
342.0mm (13.5") |
358.0mm (14.1") |
| Depth |
445.0mm (17.5") |
478.0mm (18.8") |
| Weight |
20.14kg (44.3lbs) |
16.82kg (37lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Acoustic Suspension |
Bass Reflex |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
2 Years |
2 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
2 Years |
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 | A | Monitor Audio Silver W-12 goes deeper - 20Hz against 27Hz. Under 20Hz is felt more than heard - the bottom of a pipe organ and the bottom of a film mix. |
| Amplifier power | A | Monitor Audio Silver W-12 has the bigger amplifier - 500W against 200W RMS, about 4dB more on tap. In a large room that is headroom before the DSP starts limiting. |
| Driver area | A | Monitor Audio Silver W-12 moves more air: 12" against 10" is 1.44x the cone area, not the 1.2x the diameters suggest. More area means the same output with less excursion, and less distortion with it. |
| Enclosure | depends | Monitor Audio Silver W-12 is sealed - a sealed box rolls off gently and is usually the easier one to integrate in a small or awkward room; Klipsch SPL-100 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 Klipsch SPL-100 offers a wireless link (as a paid option). It decides where the sub can go if you cannot run a cable, and is worth nothing if you can. |
| Cabinet size | depends | Monitor Audio Silver W-12 is about 24% 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 SPL-100 costs less - $399 against $2,100, about 81% less. |
A Monitor Audio Silver W-12 B Klipsch SPL-100
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: Monitor Audio Silver W-12 measures better, Klipsch SPL-100 costs about 81% less. In a normal room, placement will make a bigger difference than the gap between these two. Films or music? If this is mainly a home cinema, Klipsch SPL-100 will hit harder for the money; if it is mainly for music in a normal-sized room, Monitor Audio Silver W-12 is usually the easier one to make sound right. 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 $399 each, two Klipsch SPL-100 cost about $798 against $2,100 for one of the other, which is worth a thought.
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.