Klipsch RSA-500

Little is documented about the Klipsch RSA-500's origins — no production years, no original price, no design history have surfaced. What the record does show is a purpose-built mono subwoofer amplifier, part of Klipsch's push into custom installation audio rather than their more famous heritage speaker line. It was clearly designed to pair with specific Klipsch passive subwoofers: the RW-5802 in-wall, the RW-5101-C in-ceiling, and the AW-800-SW outdoor unit. A Sub EQ selector on the rear panel lets the installer match the amp's voicing to whichever subwoofer is connected.

Power output is rated at 300 watts into 8 ohms and 500 watts into 4 ohms, which explains the "500" in the name. The amplifier is a single-channel design in a 2RU rack-mount chassis with a brushed aluminum faceplate and rack ears for professional installations. It offers line and speaker-level inputs, auto-on/off triggering, and selectable EQ — the kind of flexible connectivity you'd expect from a piece aimed at custom installers rather than casual buyers. Crutchfield described it as delivering deep bass without occupying floor space, noting it was the companion piece to Klipsch's RW-5802 II passive in-wall subwoofer.

Current pricing is inconsistent across sellers — it has been listed anywhere from $1,029 to $1,249.99 — and no reliable used-market data exists. The owner's manual that circulates online is a corrupted PDF, with only the title page readable, so most of the deeper specifications (frequency response, THD, input counts) remain undocumented. A complete manual or additional period sources would be needed to fill out the picture.