Sharper Image SA251 Subwoofer Speaker

Pros: Obscenely loud. (Relatively) pretty.
Cons: The connection is horrible, the documentation is wrong, and it's overpriced.

As I get older and wiser, I have come to realize that most Sharper Image electronic products are not as high-quality as I thought they were. Sure, their products have nice claims and nifty little diagrams/graphs, but I think the Sharper Image sells ...

Pros: PORTABLE. Good quality subwoofer speaker. Amplified. Can be connected to any audio system.
Cons: "BOOM, BOOM, BOOM" sound may not be for those more critical. Lacks auto on/off feature.

I owned the Sharper Image SA-251 subwoofer. I bought it re-manufactured from Sharper Image for around $20. At that price it was worth it. Personally, I would not pay the full price of $99 for it, especially after owning one myself. This unit is ok, ...

Pros: Attractive design. Small size.
Cons: With bass comes distortion and noise.

I had high hopes for this little guy. I bought it "as new" from the Sharper Image (SI) ebay store. I had intended to use the SA251 to augment the bass on a Panasonic shelf system I had recently purchased. When I hooked up the 251 and started to increase ...

Pros: Good Sharper Image return policy
Cons: Just a bad product, 'nuff said.

I wanted one of those wall mounted stereos. I purchased several that were horrible. Horrible sound, ergonomics, etc. I finally found one that worked good, just that, good. It's of all brands a Durabrand! Wally world's house brand. And speaking of ...

Pros: great sound
Cons: have to buy it with the slim sharper image stereos

We bought the sharper image slim one CD stereo and love it - but you have to have the subwoofer with it. The sub adds almost all of the base to it!! Together we love the sound!

Pros: Good bass support, designed with aesthetics in mind, compact
Cons: Down-firing bass mechanism releases bass into the floor

I bought this subwoofer from the Sharper Image to give some added bass to my mini stereo system. I purchased it on Sharper Image's eBay website for $45, a relatively good deal.
The subwoofer has a very nice looking shape and silver finish. The audio inputs include System level ( red and black wires ), and line level ( digital ) input, which makes for an easy hook up to your system. It is powered by a non-grounded wall electric plug. The unit is a little over a foot tall.
The unit has a bass volume knob in the back, and can produce a rather substantial amount of bass when put on maximum output.
The unit fits all of my needs and is a very high quality product, typical of the Sharper Image. ( Also, the brand screams cool to all Yuppies. )
The only downside to this product is the downfiring bass mechanism. The bass producing cone on the unit is cleverly hidden on its bottom side, aiming at the floor. I didn't want the bass to be absorbed into the carpet, so I slid a book under the unit.

Pros: Good price. Narrow cabinet is designed to fit into tight spaces.
Cons: Speaker faces down; however the cabinet design elevates speaker an inch off the floor.

I got this subwoofer on an E-bay auction directly from Sharper image. It hooks up easily and really adds a good bass foundation to my system, which consists of a Pioneer 100 watt receiver, two small KLH speakers, CD player, and tape deck. The adjustable volume control on the back of the subwoofer makes it easy to tailor the bass response. The speaker faces downward toward the floor, thus making the cabinet narrow and easy to place in a confined area. I placed a piece of plywood under the subwoofer to avoid having the sound absorbed into the carpeting. Overall, I'm very pleased with the performance so far.