69 of 73 people found the following review helpful:
Great sound from a Great company
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...
21 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
Good but short-lived
I bought this sub based largely on reviews I have read online (Amazon included). I listened to one in a home theater store and it came down do a Velodyne model and this Polk one. It arrives, I set it up, and let it go. Don't get me wrong, I know I had set it up properly and never "stretched" the sub to its maximum capabilities. It sounded great in virtually all areas...
This review is from: Polk Audio PSW505 12-Inch Powered Subwoofer (Single, Black) (Electronics)
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.
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This review is from: Polk Audio PSW505 12-Inch Powered Subwoofer (Single, Black) (Electronics)
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!!!!!
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This review is from: Polk Audio PSW505 12-Inch Powered Subwoofer (Single, Black) (Electronics)
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!
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This review is from: Polk Audio PSW505 12-Inch Powered Subwoofer (Single, Black) (Electronics)
I have been in the process of slowly replacing my speakers, going from an old set of conventional 3-way Altec Lansings (w/Bose surround satellites and a Boston Acoustic center channel) to an all-Polk Audio 5.1 configuration. Over the last few months, I purchased a set of Polk Audio RTI A7s for my fronts, a Polk Audio CSI A6 Center Channel, and a pair of Polk Audio RTI A3s which serve as rears. The new speakers offer great clarity and response across the mid- and high-range (they are all voice matched so it sounds great) but they are a bit lacking in terms of bass as compared with the old Altecs, which featured a 12" woofer and a lower -3db limit of ~30Hz, rendering a subwoofer unnecessary. I needed that little super low-end "thump" I used to have (the A7s, the most responsive speakers I own at the low-end of the sound spectrum, have a lower -3db limit of 35Hz), and after reading the reviews here this sub seemed like the best combination of performance and value. I purchased this item from Amazon and it arrived in 3 days' time. Plugged it in and all I can say is wow. I have a medium-sized room, and this product has no problem providing the low-end bass I need without breaking a sweat. The PSW505 is self-amplified, and I have it set at less than half of max volume. At its current setting it is more than suitable. When I crank it up, it makes the entire room shake, and literally rattles my teeth.
The PSW505 features level control, phase control, adjustable crossover setting (from 60Hz to 125Hz) as well as a standby switch and the ability to manually turn it on or off or set it to auto, which automatically looks for a signal and if it doesn't find one shuts the sub off within 15 minutes. You can hook it up using dual inputs (banana plug capable), unfiltered LFE, or filtered line-level input, which I am using. The item looks sharp too, with a sleek black wood-grain finish, a silver front faceplate, polymer composite cone, and a stylish dark grey molded grill to direct the bass to the listening area. It's also magnetically shielded so it won't affect other nearby A/V components if it's front-placed, like mine is. The quality and craftsmanship are evident even before plugging it in.
Tooth-rattling notwithstanding, the bass is extremely clear, with very distinct bass reproduction for both music (plucked strings, bass notes) and entertainment (booming bass for those Hollywood blockbusters). I have not been able to push it to the point of distortion, even at max volume it easily handles the load (Running on a Yamaha RX-V1800 with a PS3 handling the Bluray/DVD/SACD duty). I am completely satisfied and would recommend this sub to anyone with a high-performance system and the necessary space. At this price you can't go wrong with this item, as you can scale it to any size room you need short of a concert hall. I don't see myself needing to replace this item for a very long time, if ever. Highest recommendation.
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This review is from: Polk Audio PSW505 12-Inch Powered Subwoofer (Single, Black) (Electronics)
I tried a couple of other subs before I finally broke down and bought this one. Not the least expensive one, but definately the loudest one I've owned! My listening area is 16' X 18' with a large opening into the Dining Room. This sub really hits hard and lets you feel the bass the way it is meant to be. I have it stationed behind my wifes chair, and the first time I had it on with her sitting in place she kept leaning forward and looking behind her chair to see what all the rumbling was. I just laughed when she asked me if I did something to the Surround System. Spend the extra dough, you won't be disappointed.
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This review is from: Polk Audio PSW505 12-Inch Powered Subwoofer (Single, Black) (Electronics)
I know there are huge audio philes out there that might turn a nose up to big brands like Polk Audio. I just got this PSW 505. Good price. Took a little while to ship but I guess these big daddies are in demand.
Simple set up. SOUNDED GREAT!!!!! It really does hit your chest. Sold wood build. I like the auto standby feature that puts the subwoofer to sleep. When it detects a signal it will wake up and run. Subwoofer connects via an RCA cable. Get a nice long one, about 15 feet. I coupled this with an Onkyo 605.
The front grille was cracked. Called Polk Audio and they replaced it no questions asked. Just gave my name, product #, and address. Didn't even ask for the serial #. They'll send it out to me.
All this taken into consideration, I'm gonna buy the CSi5 center channel.
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This review is from: Polk Audio PSW505 12-Inch Powered Subwoofer (Single, Black) (Electronics)
This is by far one of the best additions to my entertainment system... the 505 has a low-hard hit that puts you in the middle of the action... well worth every dollar.
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This review is from: Polk Audio PSW505 12-Inch Powered Subwoofer (Single, Black) (Electronics)
More than enough power. No wiring and min.instructions with speaker. I tied it in with a Polk SurRound bar on my 70 in.Sony tv. Great item.
I use it in a room 18/20 feet with a 17 foot ceiling. i use only about
30 % power.
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This review is from: Polk Audio PSW505 12-Inch Powered Subwoofer (Single, Black) (Electronics)
I bought this sub based largely on reviews I have read online (Amazon included). I listened to one in a home theater store and it came down do a Velodyne model and this Polk one. It arrives, I set it up, and let it go. Don't get me wrong, I know I had set it up properly and never "stretched" the sub to its maximum capabilities. It sounded great in virtually all areas I used it for. However, 3-4 months into its use I begin to hear the unmistakable death rattle from the box and it quickly gives out. Thankfully, I purchased the warranty and a new one is on its way. I am not yet ready to give up on this purchase. For now, the rating will be what it is but may change after the arrival of the replacement.
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This review is from: Polk Audio PSW505 12-Inch Powered Subwoofer (Single, Black) (Electronics)
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.
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