In this review, we will be comparing Gravis III and R-101SW, two Powered Subwoofer speakers from Sonus faber 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 Sonus faber Gravis III and Klipsch R-101SW 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.Sonus faber Gravis IIIand Klipsch R-101SW have the same driver set up: Both subwoofers have 1 x 10" drivers.
Frequency Response
Gravis III has a frequency range of 25-120 Hz whereas R-101SW has a frequency range of 29.5-160 Hz. With a minimum frequency of 25Hz, the Gravis III can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the R-101SW's min frequency of 30Hz.
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 Sonus faber Gravis III 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-101SW 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 Sonus faber Gravis III's and Klipsch R-101SW's external dimensions. Sonus faber Gravis III has external dimensions of 415.0 x 400.0 x 495.0mm (16-5/16 x 15-3/4 x 19-1/2inch) whereas Klipsch R-101SW has external dimensions of 370.0 x 358.0 x 529.0mm (14-9/16inch x 14-1/16inch x 20-13/16inch).
Klipsch R-101SW is 42mm narrower and 45mm shorter than Sonus faber Gravis III but it is also 34mm 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.
Near-identical footprints. Klipsch R-101SW is 34mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Sonus faber Gravis III is 45mm 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 Sonus faber Gravis III is approximately 1980.0cm2 / 306.9inch2 and base area of the Klipsch R-101SW is approximately 1893.8cm2 / 293.5inch2. The Gravis III requires 5% more surface area than the R-101SW 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 Sonus faber Gravis III weighs 26.70kg / 58.7lbs and the Klipsch R-101SW weighs 13.91kg / 30.6lbs. This makes the Gravis III 92% heavier than the R-101SW.
Here is a comparison of how Gravis III and R-101SW's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Subwoofer class.
Weight
All Subwoofer Speakers
 Low Frequency Response |
25 Hz
vs
30 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
160 Hz
vs
120 Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
370mm
vs
415mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1893cm2
vs
1980cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
499USD
vs
2700USD
|
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.
Near-identical footprints. Klipsch R-101SW stands 34mm further into the room. Sonus faber Gravis III is 45mm taller.
| General |
Sonus faber Gravis III |
Klipsch Reference R-101SW |
| Brand |
Sonus faber |
Klipsch |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Subwoofer |
Powered Subwoofer |
| Max Amplifier Output |
600 watts |
150 watts |
| Frequency Response |
25-120 Hz |
29.5-160 Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
600-watt RMS |
150-watt RMS |
| Watts Peak (Max) |
900-watt RMS |
n/a |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
10" |
10" |
| Woofer Composition |
Honeycomb sandwich |
Spun-Copper TCP |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
- |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
Continuously adjustable |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
415.0mm (16.3") |
370.0mm (14.6") |
| Width |
400.0mm (15.7") |
358.0mm (14.1") |
| Depth |
495.0mm (19.5") |
529.0mm (20.8") |
| Weight |
26.70kg (58.7lbs) |
13.91kg (30.6lbs) |
| 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 | A | Sonus faber Gravis III goes deeper - 25Hz against 30Hz. That gap covers the lowest notes of a five-string bass and a concert bass drum. |
| Amplifier power | A | Sonus faber Gravis III has the bigger amplifier - 600W against 150W RMS, about 6dB more on tap. In a large room that is headroom before the DSP starts limiting. |
| Driver area | evenly matched | Near-identical radiating area (10" against 10"). |
| Enclosure | depends | Sonus faber Gravis III is sealed - a sealed box rolls off gently and is usually the easier one to integrate in a small or awkward room; Klipsch R-101SW 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. |
| Speaker-level inputs | A | Sonus faber Gravis III takes a speaker-level connection as well as line level. That is what lets it work with an integrated amplifier or a vintage receiver that has no subwoofer output at all. |
| Price | B | Klipsch R-101SW costs less - $499 against $2,700, about 82% less. |
A Sonus faber Gravis III B Klipsch R-101SW
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: Sonus faber Gravis III measures better, Klipsch R-101SW costs about 82% 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 R-101SW will hit harder for the money; if it is mainly for music in a normal-sized room, Sonus faber Gravis III is usually the easier one to make sound right. Check your amplifier first: if it has no subwoofer or preamp output, Sonus faber Gravis III is the only one of these two you can connect at all.
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.