Two sisters in spirit, but… Always nice in turn. Actually, we only wanted to test one model, but suddenly UPS and two huge boxes were at the door. Double effort, double luck? Although the two specimens are not so different at first glance, the slightly larger sister is a smooth 200 euros more expensive.
The smaller RSB-8 costs 600 euros and the larger one with a proud 800 euros. These soundbars, which are also mainly available online, are pure ODM products that Klipsch has produced from a Chinese contract manufacturer. In principle, this does not have to be a bad thing, as long as you can ensure that in the end you also get what you pay for.
In addition to the usual hearing tests, we have of course also screwed up the bars and subwoofers to look at the manufacturing quality and components. Of course, if you take a closer look, you will always find what you are looking for, but we are not spoiling that yet. More on that later.
Packaging monsters
Klipsch Reference RSB-8 Soundbar
The RSB-8 is the smaller of the two soundbars and with an HDMI input and output is more suitable for smaller TV setups or the desktop. HDMI 2.0 is supported, HDCP 2.2 too. 4K and 60 Hz are no problem. This also means that UHD players such as suitable player or the home PC thanks to the 4K-Pass-Trough fully in the race.
The proprietary Klipsch Stream Wireless Multi-Room System is also supported thanks to the WiFi connection, so that in addition to normal streams of the usual providers, you can also access your own media collections on the network and even simultaneously access them on several suitable devices. In the test this worked quite neatly with the two soundbars and it is quite suitable in the sum of both bars to instigate nice night-time wars by the resulting levels.
Klipsch RSB-8 Soundbar
In addition to the HDMI cable, the accessories include two plug-in power supplies, each intended for subwoofer and soundbar, which differ in plug size and voltages. A confusing is therefore excluded. However, two such plug-in power supplies are rather impractical when it comes to operating the devices together at a distributor. Here, at least with the subwoofer, one would have better bet on a solution in the cable, as any laptop power supply has offered for ages.
RSB-8 Soundbar Accessories
The cheque card remote is functional, but unfortunately somewhat out of place in this price range. For 600 euros you can expect a real work tool, especially since the buttons are not really durable forever. Without this remote control, however, you can't even turn on the soundbar. But there's more to it.
For testing the RSB-8, we choose a desktop setup with a large 21:9 monitor that is well suited for gaming as well as for playing media content.
Klipsch Reference RSB-14 Soundbar
Yes, it's also a little bit bigger, louder – and more expensive. The RSB-14 is at least approx. 10 cm wider and the subwoofer slightly more powerful and larger. Otherwise, the same features apply as for the RSB-8. Since the internal board assembly completely deviates and the only, identical component consists of the Bluetooth module, we have of course taken both bars and their subwoofer sands apart at least partially.
Klipsch RSB-8 Soundbar
In the case of accessories, the subwoofer is thankfully based on a power supply already integrated in the housing and on a laptop power supply at the bar, so that the tiresome plug-in power supply problem of the RSB-8 fails first. Good so. There is even a real remote control on the house, but unfortunately this is unspeakably sluggish. But we will also come to that.
Klipsch RSB-14 Soundbar – Accessories
Klipsch advertises with the suitability for TV sets from 50 inches, we place the bar under a 2017 Philips with Ambilight and 65 inch diagonal. Fits just like that, at least in height. As one-players we use our own media databases via the stream (Ethernet), as well as Entertain/Sky in HD or Ultra HD.
But before we unpack everything and test it intensively, here again the technical data in tabular comparison:
| Technical data |
Clipsch RSB-8 |
Clipsch RSB-14 |
|---|---|---|
| Type of system: |
2.1 Setup with bar and subwoofer | |
| Max. Noise level: |
103 dB (1 m distance) | 110 dB (1 m distance) |
| Tweeter: |
2 x 3/4" (19 mm) silk calottes in 90° x 90° Tractrix horns
|
|
| Midwoofer: |
2 x 2.5" (63.5 mm) Chassis with Composite Fiber Membrane | |
| Subwoofer: |
16, 51 cm diameter Composite fiber membrane Downward-Firing Resonance opening, rear Wireless (Bluetooth) |
20, 32 mm diameter Composite fiber membrane Side-Firing Resonance pipe, rear Wireless (Bluetooth) |
| Frequency range: |
30Hz x 15kHz x +/- 3dB (measured, correct) |
28Hz x 20kHz x +/- 3dB (measured, correct) |
| Amplifier: |
Switches and sound changes using DSP Separate Class-D power amplifiers for basses (subwoofers), mids and treble Dolby decoder and downmix for stereo playback |
|
| Output: | 100 watts continuous tone<0.5% THD 150 watts pulse power |
135 watts continuous tone<0.5% THD 200 Watts pulse power |
| Inputs: |
1x HDMI 2.0, HDCP 2.2 compatible Optical (TOSlink), USB 3.5mm jack (analogue) Bluetooth 2.0 WIFI (for DTS Play-Fi™) |
3x HDMI 2.0, HDCP 2.2 compatible Optical (TOSlink), USB 3.5mm jack (analogue) Bluetooth 2.0 WIFI (for DTS Play-Fi™) Ethernet |
| Outputs: |
1x HDMI 2.0, HDCP 2.2 compatible Wifi (for DTS Play-Fi™) |
1x HDMI 2.0, HDCP 2.2 compatible WIFI, Ethernet (for DTS Play-Fi™) |
| Dimensions Bar: |
101.6 cm x 9.53 cm x 9.53 cm (W x H x T) |
111.75 cm x 8.26 cm x 8.26 cm
(W x H x T)
|
| Dimensions Sub: |
18.74 cm x 26.67 cm x 34.29 cm (W x H x T) |
17.78 cm x 40.64 cm x 33.34 cm (W x H x T) |
| Weight: |
2.95 kg (bar) + 4.35 kg (Sub) | 4.54 kg (bar) + 10.89 kg (Sub) |
| Voltage: |
110 to 240 volts (full range) | |
| Power supplies: |
2x Plug-in power supplies for Soundbar and subwoofer |
Cable power supply for soundbar, Subwoofer with internal power supply |
| Accessories: |
1.5 m HDMI cable Rubber feet Drilling template for wall mounting Remote control |
|
| Street price: |
from approx. 600 Euros | from approx. 800 Euros |
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