Klipsch Synergy Sub-10

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CNET editors' rating: 3.0 stars Good
Detailed editors' rating

Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 9 reviews
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Product summary

The good: Amply endowed 10-inch subwoofer; 200-watt amplifier (FTC rated); versatile connectivity.

The bad The bad: The sonic match with its companion SLX speakers is far from seamless.

The bottom line: Klipsch's Synergy Sub-10 is powerful and musical, and that's not something you always find in midpriced subwoofers.

Specifications: Type of speaker: subwoofer; Dimensions (WxDxH): 14 in x 18.9 in x 17 in; Color: Black; See full specs

Price range: $298.95 - $399.99

CNET editors' review

Reviewed by: Steve Guttenberg
Edited by: John P. Falcone
Reviewed on: 08/31/2005
Released on: 04/25/2005

Klipsch has developed a winning formula for its best-selling line of subwoofers: build in lots of power, design superb woofers, and make sure that the subs can fill even large rooms with soul-satisfying deep bass. That last criterion is a brave move in a market that favors ever smaller "lifestyle" speakers and subs--and no matter how you look at it, the Klipsch Synergy Sub-10 ($400 list) is far from petite. This bad boy measures 17 inches high, 14 wide, and nearly 19 deep, and it tips the scales at 37 pounds. The Sub-10's textured black vinyl finish is highlighted by titanium trim pieces, but the overall look is pretty bland.

The sub's 10-inch, down-firing driver is coupled to a highly efficient 200-watt amplifier, which is said to provide 420 watts of dynamic power. It's worth noting that Klipsch's power ratings conform to the more rigorous FTC rating standards, so--unlike the wildly optimistic wattage ratings ascribed to most subwoofers--the Sub-10's potency is assured.

The subwoofer's low-pass crossover is continuously adjustable from 40Hz to 120Hz. Connectivity covers all bases with stereo-line and speaker-level inputs, plus a set of speaker outputs (the speaker connectors are all heavy-duty binding posts). A dual-color blue/red LED display on the front of the subwoofer lets you know whether the unit is on or in standby mode. And while a knuckle rap to the cabinet proved it to be fairly hollow and resonant, we didn't detect that in its sound.

We used the Sub-10 with a pair of Klipsch's new Synergy SLX satellite speakers. The SLXs sound great, but since they produce virtually no mid- or deep-bass on their own, they're totally dependent on the sub to flesh out the sound. The Sub-10 was mostly up to the challenge, but we had to invest quite a bit of time fiddling with its crossover and level controls to achieve a satisfactory blend with the SLXs. The subwoofer rolled out supple bass on CDs and massively deep impact on special-effect-laden DVDs. But most of the time, we weren't all that aware of the Sub-10's contributions--it took something along the lines of a car crash or an explosion (requiring low-end support) for the Sub-10 really to kick in and shake up our home theater. While the Sub-10's bass is gutsier and clearly more powerful than the last sub we tested, the Wharfedale SW150, bass-hungry listeners may not be satisfied. Upgrading to the 12-inch Klipsch Sub-12 could provide your SLX system with more bass bravado.

See more CNET content tagged:: Klipsch,; subwoofer,; speakers

User reviews

Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 9 reviews
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Showing 3 of 9 user reviewsSee all 9 user reviews
4.5 stars

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

"One of the best sounding subs for the house"

by Maxwell881 on November 26, 2007

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5.0 stars

"Perfection"

by brandon428 on February 11, 2008

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4.5 stars

"The best addition to my audio system"

by SourChipmunk on January 10, 2008

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