In this review, we will be comparing Concerta B8 and SPL-120, two Powered Subwoofer speakers from Revel 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 Revel Concerta B8 and Klipsch SPL-120 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 Revel Concerta B8and Klipsch SPL-120 have a single woofer setup however the Revel Concerta B8's woofer is 8-inch whereas the Klipsch SPL-120 features a 12-inch woofer.
Frequency Response
Concerta B8 has a frequency range of 45-200 Hz whereas SPL-120 has a frequency range of 24-125 Hz. With a minimum frequency of 24Hz, the SPL-120 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Concerta B8'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 Revel Concerta B8 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-120 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 Revel Concerta B8's and Klipsch SPL-120's external dimensions. Revel Concerta B8 has external dimensions of 355.0 x 269.0 x 288.0mm (13-15/16 x 10-9/16 x 11-5/16inch) whereas Klipsch SPL-120 has external dimensions of 450.0 x 375.0 x 540.0mm (17-11/16 x 14-3/4 x 21-1/4inch).
Klipsch SPL-120 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 106mm wider, 95mm taller and 252mm deeper than Revel Concerta B8.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Revel Concerta B8 and Klipsch SPL-120 in scale.
Comparison image of Revel Concerta B8 and Klipsch SPL-120 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 Revel Concerta B8 is approximately 774.7cm2 / 120.1inch2 and base area of the Klipsch SPL-120 is approximately 2025.0cm2 / 313.9inch2. The Concerta B8 requires 62% less surface area than the SPL-120 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 Revel Concerta B8 weighs 9.00kg / 19.8lbs and the Klipsch SPL-120 weighs 20.45kg / 45lbs. This makes the SPL-120 127% heavier than the Concerta B8.
Here is a comparison of how Concerta B8 and SPL-120's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Subwoofer class.
Weight
All Subwoofer Speakers
What's in the Box of Revel Concerta B8?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Concerta B8:
- Wireless powered subwoofer
- Wireless transmitter
- AC power adapter (attached 6-feet DC cord)
- 6-feet AC power cord
- 16-feet Subwoofer/Trigger cable (male RCA and male minijack connector on each end) Owners Manual
- Important Safety Instructions
What's in the Box of Klipsch SPL-120?
Here are the items that come with the SPL-120:
- Powered sub
- Grille
- 6.5-feet AC power cord
- User Manual
- Important Safety Instructions
- Warranty Information
 High Frequency Response |
200 Hz
vs
125 Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
355mm
vs
450mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
774cm2
vs
2025cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Woofer Size |
12 inches
vs
8 inches
|
Larger woofer |
| Low Frequency Response |
24 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 SPL-120 needs about 161% more floor area. Klipsch SPL-120 stands 252mm further into the room. Klipsch SPL-120 is 95mm taller.
| General |
Revel Concerta B8 |
Klipsch SPL-120 |
| Brand |
Revel |
Klipsch |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Subwoofer |
Powered Subwoofer |
| Max Amplifier Output |
200 watts |
300 watts |
| Frequency Response |
45-200 Hz |
24-125 Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
200-watt RMS |
300-watt RMS |
| Watts Peak (Max) |
n/a |
600-watt RMS |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
12" |
| Woofer Composition |
Paper |
Cerametallic |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
- |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Firing Direction |
bottom |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
355.0mm (14") |
450.0mm (17.7") |
| Width |
269.0mm (10.6") |
375.0mm (14.8") |
| Depth |
288.0mm (11.3") |
540.0mm (21.3") |
| Weight |
9.00kg (19.8lbs) |
20.45kg (45lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Acoustic Suspension |
Bass Reflex |
| Grille |
n/a |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
2 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 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 | B | Klipsch SPL-120 goes deeper - 24Hz against 45Hz. That gap covers the lowest notes of a five-string bass and a concert bass drum. |
| Amplifier power | B | Klipsch SPL-120 has the bigger amplifier - 300W against 200W RMS, about 1.8dB more on tap. In a large room that is headroom before the DSP starts limiting. |
| Driver area | B | Klipsch SPL-120 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 | Revel Concerta B8 is sealed - a sealed box rolls off gently and is usually the easier one to integrate in a small or awkward room; Klipsch SPL-120 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. |
| Driver placement | depends | Revel Concerta B8 fires down and Klipsch SPL-120 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 | Revel Concerta B8 is about 70% 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. |
| Warranty | A | Revel Concerta B8 carries 5 years on parts against 2 years. A subwoofer amplifier works harder than anything else in the system, so this is not a throwaway line. |
| Price | evenly matched | Priced within a few per cent of each other. |
A Revel Concerta B8 B Klipsch SPL-120
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 SPL-120 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 SPL-120 will hit harder for the money; if it is mainly for music in a normal-sized room, Revel Concerta B8 is usually the easier one to make sound right. If placement is the constraint - a corner, behind a sofa, under a desk - Revel Concerta B8 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.