Cambridge SoundWorks Newton Series P500 Powered Subwoofer (Mahogany)

by Cambridge Soundworks

Product Details

Product Manual [411kb PDF]

• Shipping Weight: 100 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B000068PKQ
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #445,708 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)

Product Description

Product Description

The Cambridge SoundWorks Newton P500 Powered Subwoofer uses two 8-inch woofers and a 500-watt B.A.S.H.® (Bridged Amplifier Switching Hybrid) digital amplifier, delivering thunderous bass, tightly and accurately, down to 24Hz - all in a remarkably small, one-foot-square cabinet! The separate Subwoofer Control Module keeps the controls and connections conveniently near your equipment. You can even adjust bass output using an infrared remote control -- no more crawling on your knees to adjust bass when you switch from music to movies.

Featuring: Dual 8-inch polymer laminate diaphragm side-firing drivers 500-watt B.A.S.H. amplifier Blonde maple, mahogany wood veneer or slate-gray finishes Separate Control Module with IR remote control Hum-free optically-isolated balanced signal interface Continuously variable low-pass filter from 50-150Hz with 48dB/octave slope Continuously adjustable 0-180 degree phase control Semi-parametric bass equalization with +/- 6dB range Speaker level, line level, LFE inputs Dimensions: 13.5H x 13.75W x 12D Newton Subwoofer Control Module included

Newton Subwoofer Control Module

The separate Subwoofer Control Module used by Newton Series powered subwoofers gives you ultimate control and wiring flexibility. Connect the Module to your amplifier or receiver using either line outputs, speaker wire outputs or the subwoofer output of a Dolby Digital® receiver. The module allows you to adjust both the subwoofer output level and the crossover frequency (variable from 50Hz to 150Hz). It also allows you to equalize the output of the subwoofer to match your room acoustics. You choose an equalization center point anywhere between 20Hz and 60Hz, and then adjust output up or down 6dB in that range. If you place the sub in a corner and it produces too much bass, you can cut the output. If the sub is placed away from a wall and produces too little bass, you can boost output for full, rich low-frequency sound.

Subwoofer Control Module Features: 0-180 degree continuous phase control for ultra-precise matching of phase response with the system's main speakers The Subwoofer Control Module sends the bass signals to the subwoofer via RJ11 phone cable, which can't pick up any hum, even at great lengths Accepts preamp and speaker level inputs, has high-pass preamp level output for stereo systems Motorized volume control with IR remote Will accept left, right and center inputs, as well as dedicated sub inputs

Mahogany, also available in Slate and Blonde Maple.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars bug with the phase knob, April 22, 2003

By 

Derek Truesdale "derekt1975" (San Jose, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cambridge SoundWorks Newton Series P500 Powered Subwoofer (Mahogany) (Electronics)

Cambridge Soundworks did a lot of things that I like with this subwoofer. I like the idea of a separate control unit with a remote, which I imagine digitizes the signal so a cheap phone cable can carry the signal far away without hum or loss. I like that there's an equalizer. I like the looks of the box, and the size is quite reasonable.

After bringing one home, I hooked it up to speaker level inputs, and noticed an odd phenomenon: the sound changed dramatically at one point on the phase dial, around 160degrees. I believe that below 160 degrees, the crossover filter wasn't working correctly, above 160, it was. I tried line level inputs and noticed the exact opposite: above 160 degrees, the bass was a much higher frequency. The piece I was using to test this is Strauss's Also Sprach Zarathustra (i.e., the 2001 fanfare), which has a low frequency pedal note basically throughout the piece. (I think my CD has this pedal note as two frequencies an octave apart.) I went back to the store and tried this same piece on their P500 and P1000. Both did the same thing, so it's not just my box; it's an inherent bug. This sudden difference for a small change in the phase knob disturbed me.

I figured I could deal with this issue as long as it sounded good. I brought home an open box Energy e:XL-S12 to compare. The Energy has a bigger woofer and is ported, so I figured it would be sloppier than the P500. I put on a Bach fugue and did the comparison. Sixteenth notes in the pedals are very hard for organ pipes to do well, nevermind speakers, but after comparing a section, I noticed a difference, and asked my wife who "isn't discriminating" (her words) to listen. After listening to just a few seconds immediately said, "This one [the Energy] sounds way better, huh?" yup. The big, ported subwoofer somehow is more accurate. The P500 never hits any of the notes, and just compromises with some mud in the middle. The Energy makes a valiant attempt (although not quite matching the more pricey Velodyne SPL800).

The Energy is also slightly louder, and clearly goes lower in frequency (despite a not-so-disparate spec).

I hope Cambridge Soundworks fixes their bug in the phase knob. I hope they add a light to the volume knob so you can see its setting when controlling it with the remote. I hope they figure out why their bass isn't as tight as a big bass reflex box. I hope they can make that satellite module smaller so it doesn't take up the space of a audio component. When they fix all of that, I'll want one badly.
Until then, it's an okay performance sub, in a small, attractive package, but other subs (like Energy) have better performance at the price.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome bass, and a beauty too, November 6, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Cambridge SoundWorks Newton Series P500 Powered Subwoofer (Mahogany) (Electronics)

I bought this sub for my husband, because I was sick and tired of the huge black box that sat next to our couch. It was an eyesore. I own some of the Cambridge computer speakers and was really impressed with their sound for the money, so I gave this a try. Now we both have what we want. My husband gets a great sounding subwoofer that shakes our walls during fly by scenes of Top Gun, and I get a good looking sub that doesn't make our living room look like am electronics yard sale. My husband especially loves the remote on the subwoofer. Great idea- and adds a cool factor that he shows off to his buddies.