Even though I already own fairly large tower speakers, about two years ago I was bitten by the audio bug and decided to purchase a subwoofer that could reach the really low bass frequencies present in some music and many movies with 5.1 surround sound.
I decided to buy a Paradigm subwoofer that would match well with the rest of my speakers. The model that I chose is the PS-1000, which features a 10-inch polypropylene cone driver. I narrowed my choices down to the PS -1000 and the PS-1200, and listened to those two subwoofers extensively in a local dealer's showroom. While the PS-1200 had slightly deeper and more authoritative base, I eventually decided on the PS-1000. Here's why:
Appearance/Construction
Then it comes to appearance, the PS-1000 does not offer anything especially attractive, revolutionary, or amazing. The subwoofer is really just a large box with a black wood grain finish and slightly rounded corners. The PS-1000 was slightly smaller (16-3/4"H x 15-1/4"W x 20-1/2"D) and lighter (56 lbs.) than the PS-1200, which helped a little bit with the SOAF (significant other acceptance factor) of the sub.
The subwoofer seems to be very solidly constructed. The amplifier cranks out 200W RMS power, with a peak around 750W. The frequency range is from 22-150 Hz, at 0.9% THD.
The chassis is made from die cast aluminum to reduce distortion. The driver is made of polypropylene, which is very tough and durable material.
My PS-1000 has been used just about every day for the last two years, and has proven itself to be reliable. I have had no problems with the subwoofer.
Price
At the time when I bought by PS-1000, the retail price range was about $500-$600. While not inexpensive, I think this was a fairly reasonable price.
Sound
This was the main reason why I chose the PS-1000. Because of the 10-inch driver, I felt it could keep up with music better than its larger cousin. The PS-1000 can reproduce bass frequencies down to about 22 Hz, which is close to the lower end of the audible range (20Hz.) Truthfully, when paired with Monitor 9s, which go down to around 40 Hz, I did not notice a huge change in most music or movies. The sound matched well, and just seemed to be a bit fuller at the low end of the frequency range.
The PS-1000 did make a bigger difference in movies with a lot of loud lower frequency sounds, such as action movies. Explosions and tanks rolling by now have a lot more authoritative presence than before.
I was far more impressed when I paired the PS-1000 with a pair of Paradigm Atoms out on the porch for a barbeque. The subwoofer matched well with the sound of the Atoms, and really provided nice, tight, accurate bass, rounding out the frequency range.
Features
The PS-1000 has all of the features normally associated with a subwoofer in this class, such as variable 50 Hz-150 Hz cutoff frequency, a sub/sat phase alignment knob, and subwoofer level adjustment. There are both speaker level and low level inputs. The subwoofer automatically senses a signal and turns itself on within 15-20 seconds. It will also turn itself off after a prolonged period of inactivity. There is a small LED on the front of the unit which glows green when the subwoofer is active, yellow when it is in standby mode.
Overall
Do I recommend the PS-1000? That depends on your particular needs. If you already own large tower speakers which can go down to around 40-45 Hz, I probably wouldn't recommend the PS-1000, unless you are really craving the really low frequencies which are present in some 5.1 movie soundtracks. I also would not recommend it if you are looking for a ton of bass.
However, I would recommend this speaker to anyone who is looking for a moderate amount of tight, accurate bass to complement a nice pair of bookshelf speakers, especially Paradigm speakers like the Mini-Monitor or Atom.
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