Klipsch - WA-2 Wireless Subwoofer Kit - Black

The WA-2 is a wireless replacement for running a potentially lengthy RCA cable between your sub and the AVR. Of important note is that this ONLY works with Klipsch subwoofers with the appropriate port - this will not let you run any old sub wirelessly. In terms of the setup, its as easy as you would expect - plug in one adapter to the sub-pre out on the AVR and the other adapter to the sub and switch it on!. The adapters automatically pair over wireless, and so assuming you're not already running a heavy amount of RF noise and interference there should be no additional setup. The cables at both ends are a little short - easily replaced at the RCA end into the AVR, but you'll have to get creative about the shorter flylead that plug into the back of the sub. 99% of the time you wouldnt be able to tell its wireless, but occasionally there is a minor rumble or 'tap' from the sub which I think is the wireless signal going in and out. This thing really does what it says on the box, and is an easy setup - but I'd suggest it only if you have a real physical problem running a single RCA cable. Considering you're already paying for a premium quality sub, its likely to be worth your while to invest in some quality cables too. I received this item for evaluation at no charge, but my opinions expressed here are my own and are are based on having installed and tested the product in my environment and setup.

Pros Receiver mounts cleanly on support subs with special hangers Allows you to place subwoofer where you want Sender and receiver are factory paired Cons Proprietary connection for receiver unit limits use RCA Cable on sender feels cheap and doesn’t hold well When connected subwoofer emits random rumbling sounds When connected subwoofer doesn’t seem to enter standby Seems to reduce overall bass output Although many people think you can place a subwoofer anywhere in room, audiophiles know better. Proper subwoofer placement, particularly for a single sub setup, is critical for maximizing the quality of sound emitted. When placed poorly you will have dead spots in the bass in the room and possibly even distortion. That is where the Klipsch WA-2 comes in. The Klipsch WA-2 wireless subwoofer kit allows you to connect your supported Klipsch subwoofer to your receiver/amplifier wirelessly with little fuss while placing it exactly where you need. The concept sounds perfect, but unfortunately the execution leaves a little to be desired. The kit is very easy to install. The receiver has one proprietary plug that connects to a support Klipsch subwoofer and the unit hands off two posts available on the back of the sub. The sender is more universal with a standard power adapter and L/R RCA cable. The sender and receiver come paired from the factory but also offer sync button as well as sync status light. The first bit of confusion is when connecting the sender to a receiver. The instructions say if you have receiver has an L/FE or single output then you connect that line with a single plug, on the supplied cable, to the L/FE plug on the receiver. The problem is the sender has no L/FE plug. It only has a left and right. The only way to determine the correct connection is to either guess or look carefully at where the diagram indicates you plug it in. Although not critical and relatively easy to figure out it is odd for Klipsch to make such an error. What is more important is performance. To start, the included RCA cable is extremely cheap feeling. It holds onto the port with 4 very weak wings normally found on budget RCA cables. This causes the cable to never really have a firm connection introducing noise at random. If you connect it to the receiver and push the unit back into a cabinet, you can easily dislodge it just enough to introduce a low buzz. To make matters worse, something about the connection either in the wireless signal or the cheap cable causes the subwoofer to randomly thump and rumble randomly. The level is very low making you think it might be coming from outside or somewhere else. Upon closer inspection you will find it is in fact coming from the subwoofer. Using a good quality direct connection product produces no such thumps and rumbles. Another downside is it seems to reduce the overall bass of the subwoofer. With a hardwired setup connected to a Klipsch R-115S a setting of -6.5db is optimal and produces clean, noise free bass. With the WA-2 kit, the same subwoofer needs to be set to 0.0db an still seems to not have the same pressure in low frequency scenes. While the idea of the WA-2 wireless subwoofer kit is a good one the implementation needs some refinement. For now, you are better of sticking with a hardwired setup or a different wireless kit. If you must use the WA-2, then at the very least a change of the RCA cable is recommended. Hopefully future generations of the product will fix the shortfalls as good wireless sub kits are hard to find.

Does what it's supposed to had no problem connecting it.

This WA-2 Wireless Subwoofer kit from Klipsch gives you much more flexibility in how you want to position your subwoofers. The further you place your subwoofer away from your receiver, the higher the chance of electromagnetic interference will occur. With this wireless kit, the chance of EMI is greatly reduced at long distances. The setup for this kit was extradordinally simple. All I had to do was plug in my RCA cable into the transmitter, and then plug the receiver into the back of my Klipsch R-115SW subwoofer and it was ready to go. One nice thing about having this wireless kit is that you can boost or lower the volume of your subwoofer via the transmitter if you so choose. Overall, this is a very nice kit for those looking to go wireless with their subwoofers. You can avoid the hassle of long cables going to your receiver or to your outlets.

The Klipsch WA-2 is a fantastic product. Setup is easy. You simply plug the receiver into the “WA” port on the Klipsch sub and slide it onto the provided mounting lugs, plug the transmitter into the subwoofer out/LFE port of your receiver, plug in the transmitter power cord, and power up the subwoofer. The two boxes pair immediately, and you’re off to the races. If they don’t pair, the instructions say to simply hold the buttons on each box for 5 seconds until both LEDs stop flashing. Mine paired right out of the box, so I didn’t have to do this. The sub sounds exactly the same as when connected using a high quality RCA cable, but you have the flexibility of being able to place the sub anywhere in the room that 110 volt power is available. This allows you to position the sub wherever it fits or sounds best without running wires through walls, ceilings, or floors. NOTE: THIS UNIT ONLY WORKS WITH SUBWOOFERS EQUIPPED WITH A “WA” PORT.