Customer Reviews

Onkyo SKW204 Bass Reflex Powered Subwoofer (Black)

5 star:		(74)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The sub itself has a nice sound quality at low levels. When you try to really crank it up it is not as loud as I would have liked. A little distorton creeps in at high volume levels. As a compliment to a large system with a few woofers that dont play low frequencys very well it does an excellent job. But as a stand alone woofer I think some would be a bit dissapointed. The other complaint that I have is that the grill likes to really rattle and buzz around 120 hertz.I do like the volume control and the x-over controls. Set the x-over control at 100 Hertz or lower depending on what other speakers you are using with this unit, Keep the volume around half throttle and enjoy.

I purchased this sub knowing it probably wouldn't be great, but would probably get the job done. My fronts and rear speakers are 2 ways with 8-inch speakers which already put out ample bass, but I wanted something to round out the bottom end a little better. Music sounds good, but the LFEs during movies are quite weak.

My biggest annoyance with this sub is the auto-on function. There's no override on/off function. If I'm watching TV on a quiet evening, I rarely have the TV up enough for the sub to turn on. It turns on when it senses enough bass. That's the problem.

If you're watching something with no bass for awhile, the sub shuts off. I like to hear a constant range/timbre, even if there's only a little bass, so the sudden drop off in bass is quite annoying. For example, a male voice will sound normal, then when the sub shuts off I have a wtf moment because all the voices change timbre. Then, when there's enough noise to switch the sub back on, the timbre of everything changes back to normal. I would not buy this sub again for this reason.

Believe it or not, I had never owned a powered subwoofer until I purchased the "Onkyo SWK204" after researching what I might need to complete my sound system after adding a new Panasonic Plasma HDTV, a Sony Blu-Ray DVD, and a new Sony receiver. After a week of listening to the SW in my home, I am thrilled with the purchase.

The "Onkyo SWK204" Bass Reflex powered subwoofer has a built in 230 watt amp which is more than adequate for the home theatre system I have installed in my large living/family room. It is a 10" cone subwoofer that is attractive yet non intrusive in a basic black with silver cone and sturdy enough weighing in at 26 pounds.

I am NOT a techie so I will only say that with so many of the new movie sound tracks reflecting low frequency effect (LFE), I was astounded at the difference this SW made in my home entertainment enjoyment. It has a frequency response of 25 Hz to 150 Hz and a continuously variable crossover (50Hz-200Hz) controlled by a cross over frequency control along with the customary volume control and a lighted standy mode.

There are certainly better and more powerful subwoofers out there and you will, of course, pay for the advanced power or features. As a home audio/visual amateur, I found this unit to be an acceptable and efficacious choice based on performance and price.

Great sound and tight deep base. Only problem speaker is very sensitive to other electrical lines running near its lines and doesn't got to standby very fast . It hums for about 15 minutes.

The picture simply doesnt do this justice .. Its huge .. Very attractive unit made solid and obviously built to last .. Comes with everything you need ... Love the controls on the back .. Xrossover around 120 lvl around 3/4 max and prepare to be thumped .. I read others saying this rattles at high lvls .. dont believe it The only rattling will be the knick knacks on the shelves and the walls lol ... This is an awesome unit ... Just remember its MUCH larger than the picture suggests

I am a musician and really appreciate the bass capability of this speaker. It adds a lot to my studio sound system.

Talk about Power! This sub has it. Sounds great when playing music, and DVD movies. I played "U-Boat 571", and the windows shook (along with some other appliances). The explosions felt so real that I was dumbfounded. It sounds like the thunder god is in your living room, and he's there to stay. Of course, it helps when you have a great receiver to go along with it (I have an Onkyo). The sound is superb when playing most movies with DTS, and Dolby Digital.

Have to warn you though, you'll make crazy enemies out of your neighbors when they hear this bad boy holler. Too bad for them, eh?

Just a a note about the Onkyo SKW-204: The factory has choosen the dubious "Dynamic" power rating. Using the old engineer's "rule of thumb:" 60% of input power for the true RMS output power, I would guess this is really about 80 watts RMS. But this is a good low powered sub for acoustical music. I have the Polk PSW10 in another room, which I also use for acoustical music and consider it a better $$ deal. Remembering that it takes 10 times the power to produce a doubling of sound pressure(10 decibles), I would consider the Polk too. Neither sub will give you an "F-18 Hornet 'Fly by' with the after burner on" in a large room, but it is still an XLNT low powered sub. ENJOY !!

I bought this subwoofer in December of 2006 and tested it among 3 other brands. It was by far the best-performing of the 4 with very clean, tight bass, and a very smooth adjustment curve as I turned up the power. For the price, I think there is no better value out there right now. If I could change one thing, I would make the power control more accessible since it is behind my entertainment center and not easy to reach.

I absolutely love good bass, and love to turn the bass up! This sub-woofer handles even the most punishing bass (dubstep ftw) with ease. I have only heard the rattle others describe at very high volume, as in volume i would only personally submit this sub-woofer to during a party or some serious bass workouts. This sub-woofer has to be the ultimate value as far as electronics go on Amazon! I got it a year and something ago for like 130 bucks and what a deal! It kicks and it turns my surround sound system into a whole other beast. I recommend this sub to anybody who is looking to buy a budget sub. Definitely the best value out there.