Polk Audio PSW10 10-Inch Monitor Series Powered Subwoofer (Single, Black)

by Polk Audio

Product Features

• Single 10-inch subwoofer in black with built-in high-current amplifier for big bass
• Equipped with one 10-inch polymer-composite dynamic-balance cone driver
• Laser-based Klippel measurement technology for improved linearity and deep, precise sound
• Non-resonant all-MDF enclosure construction with 0.75-inch-thick baffles and internal bracing
• Measures 14 by 14.38 by 16.12 inches (WxHxD)

Product Details

• Item Weight: 30 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 31 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B0002KVQBA
• Item model number: AM1055-C
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (980 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #475 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
  • #2 in Electronics > Home Audio & Theater > Stereo Components > Speakers > Subwoofers
• Date first available at Amazon.com: December 9, 2006

Product Description

Size: 10 Inch | Color: Black

From the Manufacturer

The PSW10 subwoofer fills in the bottom end of your home theater system, so your main speakers don’t have to perform bass duty, instead having only to reproduce the mid and high frequencies. If you’re looking for your first subwoofer, look no further than the PSW10. It’s a great solution for completing your sound system and will take your viewing experience, movies, games and TV to a higher level of enjoyment.

key features

• 10- inch Dynamic Balance^® woofer delivers both the deep pounding bass demanded by action movies and the speed and finesse required to bring music to life.
• Intelligent amplifier is designed to deliver gobs of power when your music or movie needs it, and consume very little power at low volumes or standby mode.
• Compact non-resonant cabinet easily tucks out of the way, yet its forward firing design produces maximum impact at all volume levels, so you’ll always feel the PSW10’s big bass presence in the room.

take a look inside this product

technology

Dynamic Balance^® Woofer Design. Polk perfected the method of analyzing a speaker’s microscopic behavior with laser interferometry. With that information in hand, Polk engineers select the ideal combination of materials, geometry and construction techniques to literally “tune out” unwanted resonance. The result is a subwoofer that delivers pure, distortion-free deep bass.

Klippel Optimized Woofer. Using a state-of-the-art Klippel distortion analyzer, Polk engineers optimized the woofer’s motor structure, voice coil alignment and suspension, bringing you the best possible performance even at the most extreme listening levels.

Composite Polymer Cone. We don’t use cheap paper cardboard woofers. This is the real deal and part of why the PSW10 subwoofer outperforms the competition.

why you should consider this product

If you’re new to the excitement of home theater audio, or looking to complete your first serious sound system, the PSW10 is the perfect subwoofer to bring heart pounding big bass thrills to your movies, gaming and favorite TV programs without breaking the bank.

technical specifications

Driver Complements
Subwoofer	10" Diameter (25.40cm) Dynamic Balance polymer composite cone
Electrical
Total Frequency Response	35Hz - 200Hz
Upper -3dB Limit	160Hz
Lower -3dB Limit	40Hz
Subwoofer Crossover	Variable 80Hz - 160Hz
Inputs	Speaker level, line level
Outputs	Speaker level
Dimensions
Cabinet Size	14 3/8" H x 14" W x 16 1/8" D (36.51cm H x 35.56cm W x 40.96cm D)
Subwoofer Encosure Type	Vented via front panel flared port)
Product Weight	26 pounds
Amplifier Specs
Distortion	<1%
Bandwidth	40Hz - 200Hz
220 Availablity	Yes
Amplifier Type	Subwoofer
Continuous Power	50 Watts
Dynamic Power	100 Watts
Shipping/Other
Unit of Measure	Each
Total Shipping Weight	30 pounds
Warranty*
Speaker Warranty	5 Years Parts and Labor (Original Purchaser)
Subwoofer Amplifier Warranty	5 Years Electronics (Original Purchaser)

*To ensure a valid warranty, Polk loudspeakers must be purchased through an Authorized Polk Audio home or car loudspeaker Dealer (such as Amazon.com). (If you're not sure a dealer is "authorized," call Polk Audio at 1-800-377-7655, and ask us.) The warranty is not transferrable, that means it applies only to the original purchaser. If you purchase your speakers from a private individual, that product is considered "used" and has NO factory warranty, no matter what the seller implies. The warranty is VOID if the serial number of the speaker has been removed or defaced. If you have any questions about your warranty coverage, or you think you need service, call Polk Customer Service at 1-800-377-7655. We’re here to help you get the most from your new speakers!

in the box

• PSW10 powered subwoofer
• Owner’s manual
• Online registration card

use with these products

Polk Monior series of freestanding loudspeakers

Polk TSi series of freestanding loudspeakers

Polk RM series loudspeaker 5-packs (4 satellites and a center channel)

downloads

Manual

Product Description

PSW10 fills in the bottom end of your home theater system. Relieve your main speakers from performing bass duty and let them work on the mids and highs. PSW10 is a great addition to any subwooferless system and will bring your movie watching experience to the next level. All woofers feature a floor coupled downward firing port. This configuration brings you maximum bass impact while keeping the front of the cabinet as low profile as possible.All Polk products are made using the best materials and the most advanced manufacturing techniques. They pass the industry’s most exhaustive quality tests, including drop testing, extreme signal response and UV & salt exposure testing. Polk loudspeakers are built to perform for a lifetime. The voltage of the item is Standard US Voltage / 120 volts.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1,278 of 1,300 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Polk PSW-10: Great, with some reservations February 3, 2006

By Ref Stanton

Color Name:Black|Size Name:10 Inch

I purchased this subwoofer about 2 months ago and since then have given it an extensive listening test. Following is a list of things I would do to improve sound quality as well as some reservations I have toward it.

Before I start off, I would like to clarify one thing about the PSW-10 that might unjustly turn off potential buyers from it: it runs at 50 watts RMS. In the world of music and sound systems, one of the biggest misconceptions out there is that wattage directly correlates with how loud a speaker is. THIS IS NOT NECCESARILY TRUE! The efficiency of the driver determines how loud it gets at a certain wattage, not only the amount of power you're pumping into it! This is why you can buy, for example, computer speakers that boast 400watts of power and have them easily massacred in terms of volume by speaker set ups with half the power (for further examples, compare computer speaker systems to shelf systems to a true sound system. You will find the volume, at a given wattage, tends to increase as you go down the spectrum).

I found the PSW-10 easily competed in terms of volume with every other sub in it's range, including those running at twice to three times the power RMS. If you want to prove it to yourself, run down to your local Circuit City (who sells Polk subs) and sound test it yourself.

Now, onto the guts of the review.

1. As far as entry subwoofers come, this is probably the best bang for your buck that you can find bar none, especially considering the quality of the build. Built around high quality medium density fiberboard and using a highly efficient 10" driver, the PSW-10 manages to bang as well, if not louder, than other subwoofers in this category, despite running at 50 watts RMS.

2. The sound quality is excellent, with very little distortion at high volumes above 50 hz or so, with full excursion easily being reached because of the ported design. In the 40hz - 50hz range, the polk begins to show the limitations of an entry level sub, the sound becoming slightly more muddied (though not horribly so) with extended length sounds(ie. a hellicopter landing slowly) while still staying crisp for burst noise (ie. a gunshot or bassdrum). Below the 40hz, it's pretty much non-functional as a subwoofer. I should also stress that no entry subwoofer has any redeeming qualities below 40hz.

3. Music is where this subwoofer really shines! It's bass is perfect for every genre of music (my tastes tend to be a bit ecclectic and as such I tested it with Classical, Hip Hop, Electronica, Rock, and Jazz) you can throw at it. I was most impressed when playing The Chieftans "Ballad of the Irish Horse" album and could have sworn the drums were playing in the room (a testament to the quality of polk's design). Deep bass is 99.9% of the time is limited to above 50hz, right in the sweet spot of the polk, and as such, the bass lines in every Rap song I tried (the extreme being Wolfpak - Gangsta Rap and Kanye West - Golddigger) was quite impressive, accurate and crisp. When playing the 1812 Overature, the cannons were well produced, if very slightly muddied (as it is one of the few songs that ventures below 50hz) but overall very good. I was very impressed with the sound quality of the polk in music.

4. That being said, this subwoofer is ideal for music and will be disappointing for those who wish to use it for movie watching. While it is beneficial to add it to any non-subwoofer setup, the 10" driver struggles to hit the low lows with the sound becoming muddied with deep, deep bass of any length. I found this to be a problem with all entry subwoofers I've tried, not just the polk, so take this with a grain of salt.

Overall, this subwoofer is probably the best entry subwoofer you can get bar none.

TIPS FOR MAKING IT SOUND BETTER!!!

1. First thing of note: Like all quality entry level subwoofers, great sound comes with the sacrifice of volume. This sub works best in smaller rooms, say 20x10 maximum. Any larger and the sound will begin to get lost in the room and sound strained.

2. Most subwoofers work the best along the front wall of your sound system, in the corner. This however is not a cardinal rule. To find the best location for the subwoofer (this works for any sub for your information), place the subwoofer where you would normally be sitting, listening to it. Play a song and walk around the room until you find place where the bass sounds the best. Move the sub to that location and it should be ideally placed!

3. One shortcoming about the Polk is the lack of an LFE input: you only get RCA and speaker line inputs meaning that there is no way you can bypass the internal crossover of the sub. Considering the market it's aiming for, this shouldn't be too big of a problem for most people, but owners with good receivers might be a bit vexed by this. Also, do not hookup the sub through the speaker line: it'll lose a fair amount of sound quality from forcing the bass through small gauge wires. Hook it up through the RCA if at all possible and you will be greatly rewarded.

In summation, despite the reservations inherent of the entry level subwoofer class (and LFE port), this is an excellent subwoofer which warrants all the praise it's been getting.

218 of 236 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Polk Audio PSW10 Powered Subwoofer June 1, 2007

By zinm

Color Name:Black|Size Name:10 Inch

While I was looking for sub-woofer I was comparing PSW10 and PSW404. PSW404 sounds better but for the price $110 vs. $250 at J&R I opted for PSW10. The sale representative dropped the price for me even though they still selling PSW10 for $200 here. Those of you who worry about no LFE input, that shouldn't be a problem. All you have to do is connect the sub-woofer output of the receiver to either the right or left input on the sub-woofer. And then set the variable low pass filter on the sub-woofer to the highest setting. This will set the internal low pass filter above the low pass filter frequency given by your receiver and create an LFE input. Or you may use a RCA cable to provide a connection to both inputs on the sub-woofer from the LR pre-out from the receiver. Then adjust the cross over frequency from the woofer as desired. It sounds a little louder and better for me. I bought Monster sub-woofer cable and it sounds no better than RCA cable. Try not to waste your money on this. It has 7.4 out of 10 in CNet rating and it is #6 in editor's top list for sub-woofers. I matched PSW10 with R300, RTi4, R150, CSi3 and Denon 1906 receiver. Mainly used for HDTV over the air, DVD movies and some FM. It sounds a lot better than the sub-woofer from RM6750. It carries 5 years warranty but make sure you buy from Authorize dealer. For the price I paid I am more than happy with it. I hope this helps to your decision.

217 of 235 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent sound May 15, 2009

By Frank J. Perricone

Color Name:Black| Size Name:10 Inch|Amazon Verified Purchase

I'm using this with an Onkyo TR-606 alongside a Toshiba 62" DLP HDTV and a full set of Polk speakers, and the sound quality is remarkable.

The only caveat is that the subwoofer input has two connectors, but you really only need to connect one of them. The manual is far from clear about this, and plenty of people will probably spend extra on a Y cable, or worse yet, put in an adapter which will add both cost and loss of fidelity. But just connecting to the left input works fine. Subwoofers are mono anyway, and the double inputs are primarily there to make certain wiring configurations easier, not to add more sound fidelity.