In this review, we will be comparing Gravis VI and R-121SW, 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 VI 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.Sonus faber Gravis VI and Klipsch R-121SW have a totally different setup: the Sonus faber Gravis VI features 2 x 12.5-inch drivers whereas the R-121SW features 1 x 12-inch drivers.
Frequency Response
Gravis VI has a frequency range of 18-120 Hz whereas R-121SW has a frequency range of 28-120 Hz. With a minimum frequency of 18Hz, the Gravis VI 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
High Frequency
Subwoofer Speakers
Cabinet Type
The Sonus faber Gravis VI 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 Sonus faber Gravis VI's and Klipsch R-121SW's external dimensions. Sonus faber Gravis VI has external dimensions of 616.0 x 448.0 x 585.0mm (24-1/4 x 17-5/8 x 23-1/16inch) 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).
Sonus faber Gravis VI is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 41mm wider, 193mm taller and 53mm deeper than Klipsch R-121SW.
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.
Sonus faber Gravis VI needs about 21% more floor or shelf area. Sonus faber Gravis VI is 53mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Sonus faber Gravis VI is 193mm 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 VI is approximately 2620.8cm2 / 406.2inch2 and base area of the Klipsch R-121SW is approximately 2165.2cm2 / 335.6inch2. The Gravis VI requires 21% 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 Sonus faber Gravis VI weighs 52.00kg / 114.4lbs and the Klipsch R-121SW weighs 16.00kg / 35.2lbs. This makes the Gravis VI 225% heavier than the R-121SW.
Here is a comparison of how Gravis VI and R-121SW's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Subwoofer class.
Weight
All Subwoofer Speakers
 Woofer Size |
12.5 inches
vs
12 inches
|
Larger woofer |
| Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
| Low Frequency Response |
18 Hz
vs
28 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
423mm
vs
616mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
2165cm2
vs
2620cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
599USD
vs
6500USD
|
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.
Sonus faber Gravis VI needs about 21% more floor area. Sonus faber Gravis VI stands 53mm further into the room. Sonus faber Gravis VI is 193mm taller.
| General |
Sonus faber Gravis VI |
Klipsch Reference R-121SW |
| Brand |
Sonus faber |
Klipsch |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Subwoofer |
Powered Subwoofer |
| Max Amplifier Output |
1700 watts |
200 watts |
| Frequency Response |
18-120 Hz |
28-120 Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
1700-watt RMS |
200-watt RMS |
| Watts Peak (Max) |
2400-watt RMS |
n/a |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
12.5" |
12" |
| 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 |
616.0mm (24.3") |
423.0mm (16.7") |
| Width |
448.0mm (17.6") |
407.0mm (16") |
| Depth |
585.0mm (23") |
532.0mm (20.9") |
| Weight |
52.00kg (114.4lbs) |
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 | A | Sonus faber Gravis VI goes deeper - 18Hz 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 | Sonus faber Gravis VI has the bigger amplifier - 1700W against 200W RMS, about 9.3dB more on tap. In a large room that is headroom before the DSP starts limiting. |
| Driver area | A | Sonus faber Gravis VI moves more air: 2 x 12.5" against 12" is 2.17x the cone area, not the 1.47x the diameters suggest. More area means the same output with less excursion, and less distortion with it. |
| Enclosure | depends | Sonus faber Gravis VI 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. |
| Speaker-level inputs | A | Sonus faber Gravis VI 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. |
| Cabinet size | depends | Klipsch R-121SW is about 43% 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 $6,500, about 91% less. |
A Sonus faber Gravis VI 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: Sonus faber Gravis VI measures better, Klipsch R-121SW costs about 91% 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-121SW will hit harder for the money; if it is mainly for music in a normal-sized room, Sonus faber Gravis VI is usually the easier one to make sound right. Check your amplifier first: if it has no subwoofer or preamp output, Sonus faber Gravis VI 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.