2024 the best subwoofer review


Price: $249.00
(as of Nov 16, 2024 19:55:15 UTC - Details)

Warranty & Support

Product Warranty: For warranty information about this product, please click here [PDF ]

Add deep bass excitement and extended dynamic thrills to your music or movie sound system with the easy-to-connect and easy-to-use PSW 10. Its 10" Dynamic Balance composite cone driver and non-resonant enclosure produces deep, smooth response with superior detail and accuracy, while limiting distortion. The sub is powered by a high-current amplifier producing 50 Watts RMS/100 Watts dynamic power. A rotary volume control adjusts the volume of the subwoofer relative to the other speakers in the system and the unit offers a continuously variable low-pass filter, adjustable from 80-160 Hz. Easily accessible, professional-grade line- and speaker-level inputs, and speaker level outputs, allow easy connection to any system.
POWERED SUBWOOFER FOR EXTRA BASS and PUNCH – A 10-inch Dynamic Balance woofer and a uniquely configured directed port provides accurate bass with added depth that brings your music and movies alive. A perfect solution for your small-to-mid size room.Waterproof : No
LOUDER CLEARER SOUND EVEN AT HIGH VOLUME – Enjoy a thrilling yet balanced music experience with rich, deep sound, even at low frequencies. BLENDS EASILY WITH ANY SPEAKER and plays the most demanding nodes effortlessly without any distortion
DOUBLE THE AMPLIFIER POWER TO 100 Watts of Dynamic Power with its in-built 50-watt RMS amp. Sophisticated engineering with best in class resonance-free driver materials make this sub highly durable and FIT FOR EXTENDED USE
EASY TO INTEGRATE WITH EXISTING SYSTEMS – Hook up this sub to the receiver and upgrade your music sound instantly. Features continuously variable 80-160 Hz crossover and 40-160 Hz (-3dB) frequency response
A sleek detachable grille on the front, speaker and line-level inputs as well as speaker-level outputs on the back, and a Phase Toggle Switch for multiple subwoofers, make this sub cohesive and complete.
Amplifier Distortion: <1 percent Reviewer: LgSystems.Us
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Polk...
Review: I am a self-proclaimed audiophile with a serious inclination towards VALUE. This, my friends, is a product that has immense value.To give you an idea of what I mean by value, my previous set-up had KLH Subwoofers that were so under-rated and unknown that it wasn't until I spoke of them that people even considered them as KLH (being that KLH, for some unknown reason, has a bad name. Now, by no means would I consider myself cheap...I like value--inexpensive items that do as they say while preserving quality. Being that Matt Polk put the name of the Polk legacy on these, the quality should not be in question at any point.I think the only reason that these are at such a reduced rate is because of their meager ratings (50-Watt amp and 10" woofer...something else that is unattractive is the front facing port--don't they know that most new speakers come with the port to the rear to avoid port noise??!!) and, even moreso, reviewing its bigger brothers and sisters with downward firing ports means that although this sub isn't in the same class, there are offerings for more discerning listeners. If I had a good $1000 to blow on subwoofers, I would have probably bought two of the PSW110s without question...Ah, yes...TWO.The biggest reason that I look for subwoofers of value is so that I can purchase more than one (if you were wondering why I keep using these nouns in the plural). Although I am still relatively young <30y/o, I've been into home theater since the days when there was no such thing as Home-Theater-In-a-Box and Definitive Technology illuminated the minds of young, aspiring audiophiles with diagrams of their BP3000s tower speakers with built in 300-Watt Amplifiers and 15" Sub-/Woofers. Ah yes...those good ol' days...Now, Home Theater is the standard and it may be difficult to discern one product from another (trust me, most of it is trash--INCLUDING BOSE). The best way to go about building a theater system is not by adhering to the one-click feature-like HTiB. Piece by piece...step by step... It helps to buy speakers in a particular company's model family since they are normally making use of the same drivers and are normally tonally matched. Many companies claim their speakers as tonally matched without considering the effects of the difference in enclosure size and construction of a center channel and a satellite... Ah...that's info for you--but not why I'm writing this review...This review is about the two Polk Audio 10PSWs sitting here in front of me.They sound awesome for what they are. I'm glad that an earlier reviewer made it known that the 50w amplifier is continuously rated--not instantly...or even rated considering a massive amount of Total Harmonic Distortion--as many companies do and then say "@ 1KHz"...who sits home listening to 1KHz Sine signals?? At loud volumes even? Don't be fooled. Normally they follow that spec up with "30-20KHz +/-3db" As many of you probably know...that's HALF the power that they're quoting it at...3db = 1/2 Wattage (or twice the wattage considering the context...normally, it's LESS, not MORE).Many of you, I'm sure, have bought one of these and are either loving it or hating it (most loving from what I can tell). Indeed, with the varying types of music and source program I use, these fit the bill nicely. The sound is present...strong...detailed. I haven't experienced the muddy sound as other people have noted. I'm sure that it's not just luck...I have two...surely, one would be muddy if this was prevalent.Now, time for pointers (I love the reviewers who leave pointers...it's normally the nudge for most people to consider a truly awesome product--as this one is)Pointer#1: Buy Two (2)These are probably some of the least expensive, best sounding subs you can get right now. When in the market for a sub, you should at least have a budget of $200--$400 even...otherwise, you'll find yourself wondering what you paid for... Remember, there are materials (wood, cables), components (subwoofer driver, subwoofer amplifier), and labor that goes into that bass machine. If any of these things aren't optimally constructed, the overall device will suffer. You can understand this, I'm sure. The flip side of this, is that surely, there was a corner cut somewhere. Thus, why continue to hammer out your amplifier? The amp is often overlooked in all of this. Most people see the pretty cone of their subwoofer and totally disregard the reality that the real work horse of the build is the amplifier.Having two subs is not for more bass...but to conserve the life of the subwoofers you have. In addition, when the time comes to party or watch a movie, you don't have to worry about your subs (the drivers themselves) bottoming out or sounding as if they're straining. Thus, with two, you get the benefit of both worlds (longevity, present sound quality). Electronics have limitations...use them wisely and they will perform AND last a very long time...Pointer #2: Gain >1/2You should never have to turn your amplifier gain past half. Past half is where distortion and clipping are introduced. Sure, depending on your source, this may not be prevalent, but if you have a good, strong signal, there will come a time when you hear artifacts that weren't intended for reproduction (e.g. distortion, clipping). As a rule, if you have to turn your sub past half, you might want to adjust your settings in your receiver or see Pointer #1 again... A benefit of two, is that the both of them can be readjusted lower to account for the assistance or each other. My Polks are each at about 1/3 (and that's only because I really enjoy the sound right now...so I'm excited...otherwise they would each be at 1/4). The reason you only want "enough" volume is because headroom is what you want... this is the power that is used during explosions, kick drums--sudden bursts...this is what you bought it for, right?Yes, that's right. I know that there are many other reviewers--bless their heart--who are praising having it just past half or 3/4 of the way up. Mine are at 1/3 and it was like that when I only had one connected. Now that I have both connected, I'll have to half the volume of both of them to equal the volume of the one (and no, the gain knob potentiometers are not linear, so it'll have to be by ear).Pointer #3: Subs Fill, Not DominateSubwoofer modules are only meant to fill in where the other speakers in your system fail. My set-up has Mirage towers as my mains. However, the built in crossover of my Harmon/Kardon handles all bass traffic well--cut off at 60Hz (the point where bass can not be located by the human ear). Having the setting higher than this will not only put more stress on your sub but also the amplifier (lets not forget the amp). When adjusting the gain, you just want to ensure that the frequencies from the sub are at around the same volume as your main speakers. This will keep you from being bass hungry. That's not the point of a sub...this isn't a mobile system...this is home. The environment doesn't warrant that level of "hyper-bass"... If done this way, you will be able to reach higher sound pressure levels while retaining your dynamism...These pointers should help with any sub...this sub is truly a great, great buy...Hope this helps...

Reviewer: J
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Outperformed expectations!
Review: Wow.Introduction:For many years I have been a basshead, not in the juvenile sense of subs at 11, but in the sense that I absolutely *love* clean, powerful bass. In everything I own from headphones, to car audio, to home theater, to my desk setup, I have to have clean, agile, powerful, deep, silky bass, and the Polk PSW10 delivers.In addition to the PSW10 my PC desk system includes:Micca COVO-S Compact 2-Way Bookshelf SpeakersSMSL Q5 Pro(black) Audio Component AmplifierMediabridge ULTRA Series Fast-Lock 45° Spade Plugs - 6 Pair Per Package - (Part# SPC-ST2-6 )Mediabridge Banana Plugs - Corrosion-Resistant 24K Gold-Plated Connectors - 7 Pair/14 Banana Plugs (Part# SPC-BP2-7 )AmazonBasics 1-Male to 2-Male RCA Audio Cable - 8 FeetAmazonBasics 16-Gauge Speaker Wire - 100 FeetConnections/setup:I used the above 1-male to 2-male RCA cable to connect the subwoofer output from the SMSL Q5 Pro amplifier to the two RCA inputs on the PSW10. I have read multiple conflicting statements on how the inputs work on various subwoofers, this one included, some people indicate you can use a coaxial subwoofer cable to just one of the inputs, but I decided to use the 1-2 cable for good measure.I have set the crossover fairly high, as the Micca COVO-S speakers are very tiny, and can't reach very low, I should probably upgrade the speakers to something with better frequency coverage, but the takeaway here is that the PSW10 is extremely capable at filling in the lower midbass range up to the 140Hz setting I have the PSW10 set at, as well as being adept at handling the lower frequencies with ease, the power doesn't drop off when the sub reaches way down low, and doesn't get muddy at the quick transitions. I am very impressed with the performance for such a low price!! I honestly didn't have any high or low expectations, just kept and open mind.Music styles:House, bass heavy, Basement Jaxx, Griz, and the like are awesome, the silky clean bass fills and envelopes you with these styles of music.Steely Dan's Aja sounds a bit unnatural, and I found myself tweaking the setup to get this sounding good. Turning the sub volume down and tweaking the EQ in software mellowed it out, this sub is very eager and needs to be restrained at times, but works very well once adjusted.Rage Against the Machine's self titled album also performed well, with the PSW10 producing the punchy kick drum very realistically, at at parts where there is a lot going on in the low end between the bass guitar and drums, the PSW10 was able to keep up.Build quality is top notch, nicely finished cabinet, the front grille is a little flimsy as this sits under my desk and I occasionally bump it with my foot, hoping the thin fabric covered plastic grille will hold up over time.Overall, I am not qualified enough to recommend something else, but for acoustic music and other instrumental styles you may want to look at other options, I feel that I had to do a fair amount of tweaking to get those styles sounding good, each time resulting in adjustments that restrained the PSW10 to keep it from overpowering the style. Nothing wrong with that approach at all in my opinion, better to have too much and tone it down, than not enough and have to strain the system to get what you want. If you listen to house, tech, electronic, drum and bass, etc, this sub will suit you very well out of the box! Love it.

Reviewer: Brian S
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Really Nice Sub
Review: I appreciate the detailed technical reviews. I always read reviews (even down to a $10 USB cord, hey some break easily) and tend to like a lot of technical information. My vintage amp (Pioneer SA7100) finally gave out and I decided to put together a new stereo system. I am not an audiophile, I just like listening to my vinyl, CD's and iPOD. I did not want to spend a lot of money, but I wanted to put together something enjoyable. I bought the Sony STR-DH190 amp and a pair of Klipsch R50M speakers. I kept my vintage turntable (Sony PS-T33), just replaced the stylus. The system sounded really nice for the price, but it was missing something. After reading all the reviews I went with the Polk PSW10.Holy crap did it make a difference. I hooked it up and put Abbey Road on the turntable, whoa did it make a difference. It is not an expensive sub, but worth every penny. It created a full audio experience for me. I have read scathing reports on all the items I bought, as well as over the top 5-star reviews. To me this sub sounds terrific and I would urge people looking for a sub to give it a shot. I realized that all the reviews and technical data might help point you in a direction, but it all comes down to how it sound to you.

Reviewer: M Swindley
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: This sub pumps. Very subtle looking and fits nicely alongside any set of ebony cabinet speakers. Very easy set up. Connect with a high-quality subwoofer cable. Plug it in. And then fiddle with the low pass. Set the low pass to about 70% of the lowest Hz of your left and side speakers and it will be a seamless and powerful addition to your sound system. Paired with a set of Wharfdale Evo 2-40s and keeps up well.

Reviewer: AUDL
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Ocorreu tudo bem.

Reviewer: Pier luigi
Rating: 1.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Prodotto arrivato con alimentazione per USA. Restituito

Reviewer: Julian Frias
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Pese a sus 50Wrms de potencia. Suena durisimo, sobre todo despues del periodo de "break in". Una vez que los componentes moviles se aflojan, suena mas fuerte. Lo unico que no me gusto, es que la rejilla suena cuando el volumen es muy alto. Esto se debe a que el flujo de aire que sale y entra por el puerto es muy abundante, por lo que al tener la rejilla puesta, obstruye el paso del aire. Eso se soluciona quitando la rejilla. Por otro lado, es bueno tener las entradas de potencia, nunca crei utilizarlas, pero me vi en la necesidad de conectarlo a un amplificador sin salida a subwoofer, lo que lo hace muy recomendable para instalarse con amplificadores viejos o que no cuenten con salida a subwoofer. En resumen, la potencia es muy buena, suficiente para una habitacion de 5 x 5 metros. Sin duda es un buen producto, y aun mas si lo encuentras en oferta. Lo recomiendo.

Reviewer: Ronald S.
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: For the last 20 years I have been an budding audiophile, exploring systems, sources and music. With quality vintage systems throughout the house I think I have a good understanding of quality sound reproduction.My living-room system always seemed lacking although engaging and adept at reproducing all genres of music (Jazz, Blues, Classical, folk, Rock, Metal, etc.). This year I decided to explore adding a sub-woofer to the system and after much research selected the Polk Audio PSW10.It was necessary to take the time needed to setup a sub-woofer correctly in my living room to get the best from it. The affect is subtle on some recordings, were the sub is not discernible unless turn off and some fullness is lost. It interesting to note that given the length of low frequencies the additive bass from a sub appears to be coming from your speakers. The bass from the sub is truly not directional. Please note that the room itself plays a big part in the quality of bass. What works in my living room may not have the same result in yours.There may be better subs out there at higher prices, but the Polk Audio PSW10 has made a world of difference to my music enjoyment and I expect to be very happy with it for the foreseeable future.

Customers say

Customers like the sound quality, value for money, and performance of the speakers. They mention that it complements the front speakers quite well, works well, and is a good-sounding speaker for the price point. Some appreciate the build quality and size, saying it's well-made and solid.

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