Polk Audio PSW10 10-Inch Monitor Series Powered Subwoofer (Single, Black)
by Polk Audio
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Polk Audio PSW10 10-Inch Monitor Series Powered Subwoofer (Single, Black)
Customer Review: At sensible volume levels, it's perfect for music & movies
Summary: 5 Stars
I am an older guy who has been listening to music for more than 40 years. At my age, there is no need to try to impress anyone with how loud my stereo can go. And I am wise enough to know that I don't need to spend $500+ on a subwoofer. I now listen to music at low to moderate volume levels which I have learned to feel comfortable with. Even when watching movies in surround mode, I don't feel the need to generate seismic activity. To get to the point, for most of us, this Polk PSW10 is plenty loud enough for home theater as well as music. The bass goes very low. And as long as you don't crank the volume way up on the subwoofer itself, it's not boomey. Besides, you should never need to max-out the volume on the sub-woofer. Just take the time to read the instructions and take some time to calibrate the settings on your receiver/amp as well as the subwoofer. The instructions tell you to set your front (main) speakers on the "small" setting (if you have a surround receiver or amp). After a short while you will find the sweet spot and you should seldom need to touch the volume control on the subwoofer. The only con I can think of is that this unit has a large footprint and it takes up a good chunk of space. And if you feel that you need to impress your friends & neighbors with the loudness of your subwoofer, the PSW10 might disappoint you. But, if you simply want a good-sounding subwoofer to compliment your bookshelf speakers or satellites, the Polk PSW10 will fit the bill nicely. It really makes the music (and movies) sound more alive and full. I gave it 5 stars based on the build quality, sound, and the value received. I got mine (brand spankin' new)for $88.00 at a store called Fry's. Now THAT's a bargain.Customer Review: Plenty of bass for the average user/room
Summary: 5 Stars
This speaker comes in cherry and black. I bought the black here on amazon for $101 free shipping. The subwoofer itself is large and bulky. Mine is hidden behind my TV stand which also made it easy to plug into the receiver. I only needed a 3 foot Monster subwoofer cable which I bought on ebay for $7. Most receivers have a dedicated subwoofer connection which is where you plug in the cable, the other end of the cable plugs into either the 'L' or 'R' connection on the subwoofer. Turn the frequency response dial all the way up on the subwoofer to cancel it out since your receiver will control this.
This subwoofer provides plenty of tight punchy base which can be easily heard throughout the whole house. Explosions during a movie and even just plain music is alot more enjoyable now. I do not see why a more powerful subwoofer than this is needed for the average user with a basic sized room. Unless you have a mansion or are addicted to loud ear-deafening bass, this will be all you need. If I do feel the need to make the bass more powerful, there is a volume knob on the subwoofer itself or a volume adjustment on the receiver. I like to use the receiver to adjust the power of this subwoofer while watching a movie. Most modern day receivers will let you control the volume of one speaker at a time. Some people might want to hide this subwoofer behind their couch but then you have to buy a 12 or 16 foot subwoofer cable and run it under the carpet or hide it somehow. It's easier to just keep the subwoofer in the front of the room if possible. Overall, nice product and well made by Polk. I would definitely recommend this if you are in the market for a subwoofer.
Customer Review: Respectable Bass Output
Summary: 5 Stars
A 10"in speaker that has gained my respect. Highly recommended. This baby packs quite a wallop at high or low volumes. With a trained ear and some tweaking, anyone can appreciate this near set it and forget it subwoofer.
However, for the single subwoofer coaxial output on your receiver, you're going to need an RCA single female input to double male Left/Right channel output connector in order to connect this unit properly. I think they (POLK) should include this with the product.
If you own at least a midrange receiver of a clean 110 watt output or more, this solidly built Polk Powered subwoofer can take some serious punishment and is a perfect addition to any system.
I push a shared 300 watts through this subwoofer with a Yamaha natural sound receiver. Along with a main pair of Cerwin Vega CLS-12's, a pair of Cerwin Vega bookshelf speakers and center channel as they all combine harmoniously in the joy of blissful home theater Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. The additional subwoofer completes the audiophile pile thus making the living room walls, picture frames and furniture vibrate and shake while watching a good Blueray movie.
Bottom line: Rock Solid, tight and precise lows and low/mids and it really seems to hold it's own in the end. Well worth the research, reviews and purchase. I've had it about a month now and I like surprising guests when a big boom happens in a movie. It makes us all jump and go wide eyed when it's first felt, then heard! >;-]
Customer Review: Great home theatre sub-woofer
Summary: 5 Stars
I can't find a single thing wrong with this sub other than the only available finish was black and I would have rather had the woodgrain. The unit still is nice looking and does not draw too much attention due to the color. I connected the sub with a single double male RCA cord from the "Sub-Out" on the receiver to the "Left" input on the sub and turned the Low-Pass (on the sub) setting all the way up. I have not tried running a "Y" adapter on the back of the receiver and a L-R RCA cord to the sub yet because it seems to be working fine as-is.
The unit works exactly as advertised and I had a very easy time setting my receiver to power it correctly (reading the instructions helps!). The auto-power works great and I have yet to notice the lag that is mentioned in some of the other reviews.
Some background, I have 10-15 year old equipment, nice but old. Pioneer VSX-D710S, Bose 601's (front), Bose 301's (rear), Sony CN5000 (center). I was using a small no-name sub that just was not getting the job done. I have noticed much clearer music from the 601's since I set the cross-over frequency to 150 Hz.
If you want the big boom that cracks the plaster joints and makes your dog run and hide this may not be the unit for you but you better be ready to drop 2-3 times (at least) the amount of cash Amazon is asking. I just have to say for $104 delivered , I don't think the average user who is looking for some good bottom end for their music and home-theatre can go wrong here.
Customer Review: Replaced $600 sub and no difference
Summary: 5 Stars
I wanted to reduce the clutter my speakers imposed in our living room. I have a very excellent subwoofer that I paid about $600 for but I wanted to hide the subwoofer in the wall where I had the depth. Unfortunately, the sub I had used a downward firing woofer with a rear port - not gonna work. For $100 I thought I would take a chance after seeing the strong ratings and seeing that some reviewers were serious audio lovers and not just using it for TV. This unit was used in exactly the same setup as my older sub and I could not tell any difference. Very tight and fast which is what I look for, not "boom-boom". Because the Polk is 1) small and 2) both the woofer and the port are on the face, it met my criteria. Last night I cut the hole in my wall (after much anxiety) and also took the opportunity to run my speaker wires in the wall (about 2 ft of space in this wall due to a built in fireplace). I spray painted the front black to make it less intrusive (I hate silver - hence the 4-stars for appearance). I will need to make a custom grill cover but acoustically it sounds the same. WAF just went up a couple points for sure. Buy this and a pair of Ascend Acoustics CBM-170 SE's and you will have a phenomenal system for under $500.
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You will here guitar and piano to make you cry. I don't know how Polk can make any money on these unless it is on volume. I am sure they must sell a bunch 'cuz it's that good.