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 (5 star rating)
Background
I have used this subwoofer in my home theater setup for a few months now. It is currently connected to my home theater receiver, an older Pioneer model - the VSX-D510. My primary use for this sub is for watching movies, but it is occasionally used for listening to music also. I did quite a bit of research prior to purchasing this subwoofer both online and by listening to the subwoofer in local stores. I was looking for a replacement to my 8" 50 watt RMS sub, the Polk Audio PSW250. I decided on the PSW12 based on my sample listening and the positive reviews I had read online.
Basic info on Powered Subwoofers
The sole purpose of a powered subwoofer is to reproduce the low-level frequencies in whatever music or movie you are listening to. Most bookshelf sized and floor-standing speakers are not capable of producing these low-level frequencies; or if they are capable, they just don't do a good job of it. Most bookshelf and similarly sized speakers have smaller sized woofers that don't do a good job of reproducing sounds below 125 Hz. Powered subwoofers come in many sizes, but a general rule is that as speaker size goes up, so does the capability to reproduce lower frequencies. This is why subwoofers are almost always larger in diameter than other speakers.
The bottom line is that if you want to fully experience the music or movie you are listening to, with a true reproduction of sound as the author intended it, you need a powered subwoofer.
Basic info on the Polk Audio PSW12 Subwoofer Subwoofer
This powered subwoofer is part of Polk Audio's new Monitor Series line of products. I am not exactly sure how this new series differs from their previous speakers, but it does retain a lot of the main features of their previous lines of speakers. The subwoofer is a single 12" cone made of polymer composite. The enclosure type is bass reflex, which just means that it has a port to allow for increased bass response. The port is located on the front of the enclosure near the speaker (only visible if you remove the front cover grille). The enclosure is constructed out of 3/4" MDF, which is the standard for subwoofer enclosures. This is a powered subwoofer, which means that the amplifier is built into the enclosure and is used solely to power the subwoofer. The amplifier has a power output rating of 100 watts continuous (RMS) and 260 watts maximum.
The overall frequency response of this subwoofer is 26-200 Hz, which just means that the subwoofer is designed to produce the lowest frequency sounds of a movie or a song. It is video-shielded, which means it is safe to place near your TV with no risk of causing any interference.
It features three different types of inputs and one type of output: LFE (unfiltered) input, line level input, and speaker level input and output. LFE is used to connect to receivers with a filtered subwoofer output. Line level is used to connect to receivers with an unfiltered "Pre-Out" output. Speaker level is for receivers that either do not have LFE or line level outputs, or if you just want to pass a full-range signal to your subwoofer. This is how I have my home theater set up (explanation for this is below).
This sub has a feature called "smart amp" for the on / off switch, which has three settings. One ON setting that keeps the amplifier turned on all the time, one OFF setting that keeps the amplifier turned off all the time, and one AUTO setting that automatically turns the amplifier on when it senses that an input signal is being sent from the receiver. This is the setting that I use, as it makes it convenient to not have to turn on / turn off the amplifier whenever I want to use the sub.
The other controls on the back of the sub are the adjustable low-pass crossover, volume control and phase switch. The crossover is variable from 60 - 160 Hz.
The dimensions of the unit are 16 1/2" x 16" x 17 1/2 " (H x W x D). Total weight of this unit is 34 lbs.
The warranty for the speaker, crossover and enclosure is 5 years. The warranty for the amplifier and other electrical components is 3 years.
Included in the Box
1) Subwoofer with power cord
2) User manual
My Use of the Subwoofer:
Sound Quality -
Sound quality is the most important subwoofer characteristic for me, and that is the reason I was willing to pay a little more than the average price of a subwoofer. I reserved judgment on the sound quality of this sub until after I had made sure it was broken in. I watched 3-4 movies and let music run for about 5 hours before I considered it fully broken in. I am not sure if subwoofers really need a break-in period, but my rule is to reserve judgment on all audio equipment until after it has had a chance to fully stretch it's legs. After that time period, I was confident that I was listening to the sound reproduction that the PSW12 was capable of.
My experience so far with the PSW12 has been extremely positive, with the PSW12 producing deep, clean bass that was much more powerful than my previous 8" sub. I have played around with the volume settings, adjusting it from a little less than 1/4 power to just over 3/4 power, and the bass response has been clean throughout. For both DVD's and music, I did not hear any muddying or boominess when I turned the volume up, and the sub did not bottom-out at high volume. I did notice some other noise coming from the port when I turned the volume up to very high levels. It was annoying and distracted from the clarity of the sound, but it went away after turning the volume to 2/3 power or lower. For all settings up to 2/3 volume, I don't know how else to describe the bass response other than saying it was clean - no artificial sounds and no dips in the bass response.
I mentioned earlier that I used the speaker level input / output to connect the sub to my receiver. The reason for doing this was so that I could make use of the adjustable crossover settings on the sub. My older receiver only has a filtered subwoofer output, and I wanted to be able to control the crossover level. I have small satellite speakers that do not do a good job with the lower frequencies, so the speaker level input / output is the best choice for me. With this setup, the result is a smooth soundstage with overall great bass response!
Amplifier and Subwoofer Power -
The second most important quality of a subwoofer for me is the level of sound it produces. My previous 8" sub sounded good, but it just wasn't powerful enough for my new home theater. I moved into a house and my now my home theater is in a much larger room (approximately 10' x 15' ). The 8" sub was just not cutting it - I needed something with more oomph. I wanted to be able to feel the sound effects in movies. I wanted to feel the ground shake as the T-Rex approaches the car, ready to chomp up the kids in Jurassic Park. I wanted to feel the explosion just as 007 makes his triumphant getaway from the villain. With the PSW12, I can really feel these effects and it makes all the difference to the movie watching experience.
Listening to some my favorite CD's and MP3's - Seether, Three Days Grace, Linkin Park, Audioslave, Breaking Benjamin and Beastie Boys (to name a few) - all sounded better than they sounded with my previous subwoofer. The music sounded fuller and had more punch to it, and, again, I did not hear any boominess or muddiness.
Appearance
Appearance is the least important characteristic of a subwoofer for me. Fortunately, this sub has a nice, black oak finish that fits well with my other black speakers. It is also available in a more natural wood color called Cherry . It is very similar in appearance to the other Polk Audio subs I have seen. While it is definitely bigger than my previous 8" sub, I keep it in a corner so the extra size does not take up any usable space.
Conclusion
Overall, I am extremely happy with this subwoofer. It has gotten quite a few hours of use while watching movies, and it has really added a lot more enjoyment to the movie watching and music listening experience. Other than the port noise at very high volume levels, I have not experienced any distortion, boominess or muddiness in the sound. The price is a bit higher than some other subs with comparable specs, but I feel the additional cost is well worth it. I have had great results with Polk Audio speakers in general. They are great sounding and extremely reliable, and my experience tells me that the PSW12 will be no different.
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