RCF 4PRO 8003 vs SUB 8003 MK2 vs SUB 8004

Adrian Cooke   January 30th, 2018   5 Comments


RCF 4PRO 8003 vs SUB 8003 MK2 vs SUB 8004 RCF 18in subs

RCF Subwoofer Demo

Datarhyme spent an afternoon with RCF at a major distributor’s HQ comparing 3 RCF mid-range 18in subwoofers. We tested the RCF 4PRO 8003-AS, SUB 8003-AS-II and SUB 8004-AS, along with a single RCF TT22-A providing the high frequency output.

Note – This was a listening demo. No readings or calculations taken.

RCF 4PRO 8003 ASRCF SUB 8003 AS IIRCF SUB 8004 AS

RCF 4PRO 8003-AS

Third generation 4PRO 8000 series subwoofer with the 8001 and 8002 models before it, known as a solid performing subwoofer. It has a digital amplifier and DSP with analogue controls. This model has now been replaced by the RCF SUB 8003-AS II.

  • 2000 Watt Peak, 1000 Watt RMS
  • 134 dB Max SPL
  • 40 Hz – 120 Hz Frequency Response
  • 18″ Ferrite Magnet Woofer, 4″ Voice Coil
  • Crossover Frequencies: 80 – 1200 Hz
  • Protections: Thermal, RMS
  • Limiter: Dynamic Limiter
  • Controls: Volume, Xover, Phase

Demo Rating

  • Good output with decent bass
  • Low frequency output down to about 40hz
  • Solid bass but lacked deepness
  • Clip/limiter light flickered on and off

RCF SUB 8003-AS II

Second generation 8003 subwoofer with updated components, in particular the DSP with digital controls.

Cost on the Thomann website: £1300

  • 2200 Watt Peak, 1100 Watt RMS
  • 135 dB Max SPL
  • 35 Hz – 120 Hz Frequency response
  • 18″ Woofer, 4″ Voice Coil
  • Crossover Frequencies: Selectable Hz
  • Protections: Thermal, RMS
  • Limiter: Dynamic Limiter
  • Controls: Gain, EQ, Phase, Xover, Delay, Cardioid

Demo Rating

  • Good output with excellent low bass
  • Low frequency output down to about 35hz
  • Extremely low bass output can be achieved by setting the DSP. However, this may limits the available headroom.
  • Clip/limiter light flickered on and off
  • Excellent DSP controls – Delay, Xover and Cardioid presets
  • Noticeably louder than the RCF 4PRO 8003-AS, but hard to say by how much.

RCF SUB 8004-AS

Launched as the accompanying subwoofer for the RCF HDL line array series. It has a high output digital amplifier and configurable DSP with analogue controls.

Cost on the Thomann website: £2000

  • 2500 Watt Peak, 1250 Watt RMS
  • 136 dB Max SPL
  • 30 Hz – 120 Hz Frequency Response
  • 18″ Woofer, 4.0″ Voice Coil
  • Sensitivity Control: Yes
  • Limiter: Soft Limiter
  • High Pass: yes
  • Controls: Xover, Phase switch, Deep/Punch

Demo Rating

  • Excellent output with extremely low bass levels
  • Low frequency output down to about 30hz
  • Nice deep smooth bass with a very clean sound.
  • There didn’t appear to be much difference when deep punch was enabled.
  • Lots of headroom – Clip/limiter light never came on
  • Noticeably louder than the RCF 4PRO 8003-AS, but hard to say by how much.

Overall Results

The SUB 8003-AS-II is the stand out winner based on sound quality, functionally and cost. The SUB 8004-AS is the best sounding, but with the £700 premium, that was expected.

4PRO 8003-AS

  • Sound quality: Third
  • Flexibility: Third
SUB 8003-AS-II

  • Sound quality: Second
  • Flexibility: First
SUB 8004-AS

  • Sound quality: First
  • Flexibility: Second

New Sub RCF Coming Soon

RCF have released a new SUB 9004-AS with the same DSP with digital controls as the SUB 8003-AS II. However, this model isn’t available yet. It’s aimed at the high-end market and will be priced accordingly



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