Polk Audio PSW505 12-Inch Powered Subwoofer (Single, Black)

by Polk Audio

Product Features

• Single powered subwoofer in black for use with stereo or home theater speaker systems
• Equipped with one magnetically shielded 12-inch long-throw woofer
• Slot-load venting minimizes turbulence, noise, and distortion
• Rated to 300 watts of continuous power (460W peak)
• Measures 16-1/8 x 15-1/8 x 18-3/16 inches (HxWxD)

Product Details

• Item Weight: 43 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 48 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: B000092TT0
• Item model number: AM5050-C
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (709 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #483 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
  • #1 in Electronics > Home Audio & Theater > Stereo Components > Speakers > Subwoofers
• Date first available at Amazon.com: March 28, 2005

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Have a big room? Have the need for BIG, life-like bass impact? Then the PSW505 is the subwoofer for you. More than a mere brute, the PSW505 is equally at home reproducing all the subtle nuance of a plucked string bass as it is belting out a rocket's roar. Full-featured and over-powered, the PSW505 will rock your world.

Key Features

• Slot Load Venting improves bass response. The wide, long slotted vent dramatically lessens turbulence, noise and distortion, creating precise, thunderous bass!
• Polk subs sound better because they're built better. Rock-solid MDF construction (including a 1 inch thick front baffle) suppresses enclosure panel resonance for distortion-free, accurate response.
• Big 12-inch Long Throw Driver for longer excursion and better linearity.
• Adjustable low pass crossover, phase switch and volume control allows perfect blending with any main speaker.

Why you should consider this product

Big subwoofer performance pure and simple. If you’re ready for room filling, chest-thumping high impact high performance bass, the PSW505 is the perfect choice.

Take a look inside this product

• Huge Hi-Roll Surrounds that support a true long throw driver.
• Most powered subwoofers are good for just gut-rumble and boom. Polk understands that you listen to music too so our subs are tight, precise and accurate.
• High current 300 Watt Continuous (460 Watt Dynamic) power amplifier.
• Adjustable low pass crossover, phase switch and volume control allows perfect blending with any main speaker.

• Auto on/off circuit that automatically turns your subwoofer on when it senses a program signal. When no signal is present, the amplifier turns off within 15 minutes.
• Unfiltered LFE input for use with low pass filtered subwoofer output jacks.
• Pro-grade 5-way binding posts speaker inputs and outputs.
• Magnetically shielded for safe, flexible placement next to a TV or video monitor.

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 Long Throw Woofer Using a state-of-the-art Klippel Distortion Analyzer, Polk engineers optimized the woofer's motor structure, voice coil alignment and suspension for longer excursion and greater linearity bringing you the best possible performance even at the most extreme listening levels.

Slot Load Venting improves bass response. The wide, long slotted vent dramatically lessens turbulence, noise and distortion, pouring out a tidal wave of precise, thunderous bass!

Rock-solid MDF construction (including a 1 inch thick front baffle) suppresses enclosure panel resonance for distortion-free, accurate response. Polk subs sound better because they're built better.

In the Box

• PSW505 subwoofer
• Owner's Manual
• Online Registration Card

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Downloads

Download the Manual

Technical Specifications

Driver Complements
Subwoofer	1 - 12" Diameter (30.48cm) High excursion polymer composite cone with hi roll surround, shielded
Electrical
Overall Frequency Response	23Hz - 160Hz
Lower -3dB Limit	28Hz
Upper -3dB Limit	125Hz
Crossover	Variable low pass 60 - 125Hz, 4th order
Inputs	Speaker level 5-way binding posts, line level (filtered) and LFE (unfiltered)
Outputs	Speaker level
Dimensions
Cabinet Size	16-1/8" H x 15-1/8" W x 18-3/16" D (40.96cm H x 38.42cm W x 46.20cm D)
Enclosure Type	Vented via slot loaded port
Subwoofer Amplifier Specs
Power Output	300 watts Continuous Average Output
Dynamic Power Output	460 watts
Shipping/Other
Shipping Unit	Each
Shipping Weight	48.00 lbs. (21.77kgs)
Speaker Warranty1	5 years parts and labor
Subwoofer Amplifier Warranty1	3 years parts and labor
1To ensure a valid warranty, Polk loudspeakers must be purchased at 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!

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

259 of 272 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Dripping with bass September 22, 2009

By Money Leaker

Amazon Verified Purchase

Bass is clear, deep, oh, and LOUD! If you really want your HT to sound like an IMAX theater, then I whole-heartedly recommend this sub. It fills in the low end seamlessly. It also takes the burden of reproducing low lows off of your other speakers (which aren't nearly as capable as the PSW505). This is not a cheap "rumble box". The first movie I watched with this sub connected is Peter Jackson's "King Kong". The raptor/bronto chase through the gully is off the hook! The 30-ton bronto's gallop will set up a standing wave in your intestinal tract!!! But loud does not mean muddy or rumbly with the 505. I was pushing the sub to about 50% volume and I thought my house's windows may break. And like I said, that was only at about 50% volume. Besides, you want to be a good neighbor and not max this thing out cuz it can be heard clearly from a good 50 feet away. I find that it performs exceedingly well at about 15% of its capability in my medium/small sided living room. At normal/reasonable volumes, this sub recreates the super lows that truly make the difference between listening pleasure and listening rapture. No HT is truly complete without a sub and this one fits the bill to a tee.

a) I definitely WOULDN'T recommend this product if you live in a dorm/apt/condo/townhouse. This thing has the sonic capability to really anger your neighbors.

b) This sub is one of the few in its price range that actually has an LFE input (Low Frequency Effects) in addition to LL & speaker-level. I you didn't know, LFE & Line-Level (LL) inputs both use an RCA connector. The difference is that the LFE channel carries only low freqs from source whereas LL carries the entire sound spectrum.... The LFE goes straight to your sub's amp whereas LL first goes through your sub's built-in crossover and then from there to your sub's amp. If you plug LL into the LFE input, you'll be asking the sub reproduce the full sound spectrum. Not what you want, of course. Probably not a big deal whether you use one or the other. The Polk's built-in crossover is fine, i'm sure, but I'd rather do the crossing-over at the A/V unit level.

c) Apparently, a good powered sub has an ON/OFF/AUTO switch, a 180-degree phase-change switch, a volume control, a cross-over level control (this control is not functional if you are using the LFE), a LL input (or two), an LFE input, and a Left/Right channel speaker-level input and corresponding outputs (for a total of 8 speaker wire connectors).

d) The unit seems very well built with what feels like sturdy wood (or MDF) and is somewhat heavy. Which is a good thing. It feels reassuringly sturdy/massive.

e) Would I buy this sub again? Well, I've discovered that many of the wonderful items that are for sale at Amazon are no longer being produced. IE, they are discontinued by the manufacturer. Do a product search at polk.com and you will no find this sub (you can do a search in the product support section to find its corresponding literature pdf). I just guess that that is the nature of the beast. Great products sooner or later get replaced with even newer & greater products. The older and merely "great" (not "greater") products still need to get cleared out of the inventory so they wind up at amazon.com or other e-tail sites. So, despite the fact that this sub is no longer in production, no longer supported, and is probably a year or two or three (or more) old... would I still buy it again? HELL YES! Read more ›

126 of 136 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Low and Tight November 7, 2008

By Balashark

Was very iffy on this sub since I was going from a $1,000 Velodyne to this, but let me tell you I am not disapointed.Low tight bass with no distortion or rumble, sounds much better playing music than the Velodyne did,even though I use it mainly for movies.In my opinion you are getting a high end sounding subwoofer for $300, there is no way you can beat that!Tried to see how loud I could take it to see at what level it would start to distort, but could not get there because my windows were about to pop And my nose started to itch from the tremendous vibration, teeth rattled a little too! trust me I am not exagerating! BUY THIS SUB!!!!!

Update: YES March 10 2012 and this sub is still going strong....Amazing!

133 of 145 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great sound from a Great company October 30, 2007

By Harry Bulgari

Amazon Verified Purchase

Polk Audio is still making great speakers. I bought my first pair almost 30 years ago in 1978, had them for almost 25 years till I replaced them with smaller ones with a Velodyne sub. When my overpriced Velodyne sub went out on me last month, I decided to give Polk Audio a try since my first experience with Polk was so good. All I can say is that I'm glad I went with the 12" and for the approx $300 price tag, it sounds as good if not better than my high end $800 Velodyne sounded. For the extra $75 or so, get the 12" as opposed to the 10", you'll be glad you did.

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Holy Cow!!! December 10, 2009

By M. Schrage

I set this subwoofer up in my basement home theather. It took me a while to get the settings right on my Pioneer 1019 AV receiver to fine tune the sound, but now that I did - HOLY COW!!! This baby is so clear and powerful it's shocking. This is my 3rd subwoofer. I have a cheap Yamaha, and decent Sony 12", and now the Polk 505 and it absolutely blows the others away. The Sony sounded pretty good and could certainly shake the floor but the bass isn't particularly clear. There was a good low rumble but you couldn't hear definition of what exactly was happening. I thought that was all I should expect. With the Polk 505 the bass is very clear (not boomy if that's a word) and distinct. The sound quality is not only much more distinct, but it FAR more powerful. Sometimes you actually feel like it "hits" you. Awesome. I'm grinning from ear to ear.

I probably wouldn't recommend this subwoofer unless you live somewhere it won't bother your neighbors. If you live in an apartment your neighbors will hate you and you will be evicted. :)

Technical Note: When I hooked up the subwoofer using the single coaxial cable to my subwoofer (filtered) output on the receiver, my Pioneer 1019 did an auto sound check and setup. It set the crossover filter to about 60. That was too low for my system. I wasn't getting anything out of the sub until a super low frequency would trigger it, and then it would blow me away. I used the Pioneer's menu to manually calibrate the receiver's crossover up to 120 so more sound from the slightly higher frequencies would come through to the sub and it was much better. Note that plugging the coaxial cable into the filtered jack on the sub bypasses the crossover frequency dial on the sub.... It then assumes your receiver is doing the filtering - which it is - so you might need to adjust that level on your receiver.

Polk actually recommends not using the coax cable and instead running your front speaker wires first to the subwoofer and then from the sub to the front speakers. This lets the sub's crossover do the work of filtering which frequency the sub uses. In that case you turn off the "subwoofer" on your receiver which puts full frequency to front speakers. The Polk crossover then separates the lows to the sub and sends the rest to front speakers. I didn't do it that way because my front speakers are wall mounted and the wiring is inside the walls. It would be difficult to access that wiring, run it to the sub and then back to the fronts. Read more ›

66 of 75 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Budget Subwoofer January 7, 2011

By Michael Clevenger

This is a great budget sub for those looking to get their feet wet with home audio, for someone that has never had a sub before, or is upgrading from a HTIB (Home Theater In a Box). I currently have this sub and have been using it for 2 months. Polk has a longstanding reputation for building quality products and for excellent customer service. If you're considering the PSW10, don't as for a little more money this sub is in a completely different league and I have owned both.

Pros:

- Price
- Good sound for the money
- Decent looking sub
- Decent sound quality for home theater or music
- Provides a good amount of bass for a medium size room (20x15)

Cons:

- Doesn't go very low. I believe this sub is tuned at 35Hz from reading reviews, and it drops off sharply after that. Unfortunately, this is where a lot of the sound is in movies where you'd want a sub to perform well. For music, it's less likely going to be an issue. In my own experience, I played a couple of bass test songs (Bass, I Love You and a frequency sweep) and found the same to be true. On the lower notes this sub simply loses it's composure under the tuning frequency, which is to be expected as there's no acoustic load for the driver under that. The end result is that the driver flaps freely and there is concerning port chuffing (noise) and simply a lack of output.

Suggestions:

- At this price point there are few competitors to this sub. The BIC America F12 12-Inch 475-Watt Front Firing Powered Subwoofer has gotten better reviews than the PSW505 and will play lower and likely sound better doing it.... If you catch it on sale it will cost less than this sub, otherwise expect to pay a little more. Another option would be the Lava Subs 12" 250 Watt Home Theater Powered Subwoofer which has gotten great reviews on the A/V forums and is a new contender, but costs a bit more.

- If you have more money to spend or can wait, and you care about true performance, save up and buy a better sub. Some internet direct companies (Elemental Designs, Hsu, Epik for example) all offer great values and will provide performance in a completely different league from this sub. Read more ›