Polk PSW250: Sometimes 8 inches just isn't enough.
Written: Jan 25 '02 (Updated Jan 26 '02)
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Pros: Tight and accurate bass, small size, sturdy construction, reasonable price.
Cons: Relatively small woofer and power amplifier.
The Bottom Line: See Overall Below. If you have questions or comments, leave a comment or e-mail me.
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| symbiosis's Full Review: Polk Audio PSW250 Subwoofer Speaker |
When could you possibly need more than 8 inches? When talking about subwoofers, of course. (What were you thinking?)
Why would anyone need a subwoofer?
If you know the answer to this, feel free to skip to the next section. If not, read on.
There are two main reasons to get a subwoofer. This first reason would be that you have bookshelf speakers and want to add some of the lower bass that you have been missing. A nice subwoofer and a pair of good bookshelf speakers, such as Paradigm Atoms or Mini-Monitors, will actually provide a surprisingly accurate and full sound.
The other reason is for home theater use. Most DVDs offer 5.1 channel surround sound. The .1 is intended for your powered subwoofer. If you have large tower speakers, you could turn the subwoofer off using your receiver’s setup, and the tower speakers would handle most of the bass. However, without a subwoofer, you are not getting the full movie experience.
Is the Polk PSW250 the subwoofer for me?
The Company
With speakers, the manufacturer often makes a huge difference. Polk Audio is a company that specializes in, well, manufacturing speakers. Sometimes doing one thing, and doing it right, is better than doing many things and doing them only decently. (I’m talking about you Sony, and I’m screaming at you RCA.)
Polk Audio was started in 1974. From the start, they tried to make innovative, high-quality speakers that sound great. Over the years, they have built a reputation for building good speakers at reasonable prices. These are not the greatest speakers that you can find, but they are extremely competitive in their price range.
The PSW250
Important Specifications (From www.polkaudio.com)
Power output: 50 watts continuous average, high current.
Size: 12-3/4" H x 11-1/2" W x 18-1/2" D
Driver: One 8-Inch polymer composite driver
Frequency Response (+/-3dB): 40Hz-160Hz
Low Frequency Extension: 30Hz
Appearance
The PSW250 is a nice little black rectangular box with rounded corners and edges. The front has a circular grill cover and, of course, the Polk Audio logo. Overall, I think it is a nice looking little subwoofer.
Construction
For its size, this is a fairly heavy subwoofer, weighing in at 33 pounds. The overall construction seems sturdy. The grill, as well as all the knobs and inputs on the back, look like they are good quality.
Inputs/Outputs
This subwoofer has both line level and speaker level inputs. The line level is the input you would use to hook up to a receiver with a dedicated subwoofer output. If your receiver does not have this, you could use the speaker level inputs. The only outputs are speaker level.
The Warranty
There is a 5-year parts and labor warranty on the speaker, and a 3-year parts and labor warranty on the subwoofer amplifier.
Other Features
This subwoofer is magnetically shielded, so it is safe to position it near a television or video monitor. There is also an automatic on/off feature, which automatically turns on the subwoofer when it detects a signal. The subwoofer will turn off within 15 minutes when there is no signal.
Sound/Performance
For its size, the PSW250 puts out a good amount of bass. The bass is tight and accurate. However, because it only has an 8-inch woofer, you can only expect much bass down to about 40Hz. This means you will be missing out on the lowest audible frequencies, in the range of 20Hz to 40Hz. Also, the amplifier is not terribly powerful. So while the PSW250 might be a good choice for a small to mid-sized room, folks with large living rooms should probably look elsewhere.
This sub does do a nice job when matched with bookshelf speakers. When my tower speakers were being repaired, I used my Paradigm Atoms as fronts. Combined with this subwoofer, they did a very nice job. When adjusted properly, the PSW250 complimented the Atoms exceptionally well. In fact, the sound matched so well that it seemed like the extra bass was coming from the Atoms. When watching DVDs, this subwoofer does add to the overall effect. However, I find myself wishing that is was more powerful and could reach the lowest frequencies.
How much can you write about a subwoofer?
About this much.
Overall
This subwoofer provides tight, accurate bass down to about 40Hz for a reasonable price. It would be a good choice if you have a small to mid-sized room and want to add more bass to your surround setup, or want to compliment a pair of bookshelf speakers. If you are looking for a really powerful subwoofer that can reach the lowest frequencies, look elsewhere.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 250
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symbiosis
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