Polk Audio PSW10 Review

[Big Dub Sounds]

I haven't heard this model, but I can say that KEF makes some great speakers but in subwoofer category many other companies offer better value.

Thanks, considering adding a 2nd sub and can get a great deal on it right now.

 

[rojo]

I don't know why anyone would expect data in a sub review. Very few professional subwoofer reviews ever provide any data, yet we should expect a post by a newcomer in the 'beginners' section to provide data? What kind of data could you possibly expect here anyway? CEA-2010-A measurements? The response to this guy's review has been absurd. My only suggestion is that this post would have been more appropriate in the 'write your own reviews' section rather than the 'Beginners' section.

You're not wrong. I'm normally not so critical of this sort of opinion post. It's just that I know the Polk sub to be mediocre, and I wanted to provide rebuttal for any rookies reading the review who might be in the market for an entry level sub. As j_garcia points out, there are better options in the price range. I would be just as critical, if not more so, toward an evangelist singing the praises of the amazing audiophile wonder of their Bose Acoustimass, or for a missionary preaching the gospel of luxury interconnects. Consider it a stitch in time. A little discourse now prevents sighs and explanations later to each new advice seeker down the road who has seen this thread and thinks there is nothing finer for the money than the Polk PSW10.

And that was supposed to be the end of it. Had Big Dub Sounds not accused me of insulting the intelligence of others, that would've been my final contribution to this thread.

Dude I'm a part time musician, I've learned to never take this kind of stuff personally.

That being said I was quite surprised someone would come in a Forum looking for a detailed review complete with scientific data. But there is always someone out there that needs to feel like a champ because they can use Google.

There are a ton of specialized review sites online that don't even give the information that I did.

That being said I'm new to the site and have learnt a lot just going through forums etc.

I overreacted. I'm truly sorry. I'm not normally so confrontational, but your comment that I was insulting the intelligence of others by disagreeing with you touched a nerve. I reacted badly.

 

[lovinthehd]

I apologize as well ... was home sick on a beautiful day and while I still feel the same, shouldnt have jumped on the newb.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

I think most of brouhaha could be easily avoided if title of thread would be called "My personal experience with Polk Audio PSW10 sub"

By calling it a Review your are setting yourself up for a very high bar. You see, we audioholics, love hard data and measurements and hate sweeping and baseless statements (like "best in class" or great value) without doing the legwork and actually comparing actual performance vs price. While I am not yet a big fan of wirecutter, they seem to actually do at least some of legwork required for such articles as "The best budget x"

Otherwise, welcome to AH and sorry for some (a bit too harsh imo) pokes. Chill, hang around and most importantly try to learn thing or two. Both main site and forums are treasure coves of great info... It pays to dig a bit deeper.

From personal experience I could tell you that early on I wanted to buy 5.1 HT on a shoestring budget and I was strongly advised against that idea and just start with solid 2.0 or 2.1. Trust me, 8 years later and I totally agree, that I should've done as I was initially suggested. I got somewhat lucky and I did picked up decent 5.1 on shoestring budget, but it also full of compromises...

 

[Big Dub Sounds]

Apologies accepted for both of you. No harm, no foul. I would only advise to be less aggressive/condescending to newbies as I've found this to be a great site and that type of attitude may scare others away when there is great information/advice on here they could benefit from.

I also feel you both may of misunderstood/misinterpreted parts of my initial review. I clearly stated my opinion was colored by 1. The fact I was skeptical to begin with and 2. I got a great deal (indicating I paid much less than the MSRP). I also clearly pointed out the limitations and downfalls of the sub and clearly stated it was an entry level product for an entry level system.

The one thing I would clarify is my last statement, I should of said it's hard to imagine a better option at that price point at the big box retailers in Canada. In limiting the comparisons to retail offerings in Canada I made a poor statement at the end.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Canada is home for many great Audio brands so speakers selection may not as wide as it your southern neighbours, but much better than most of Europe, Asia or Middle East.
There is also http://www.creativesound.ca/ , while not quite retail, their sub drivers designs would beat the living crap of any polk sub

 

[Big Dub Sounds]

Thanks man I'll check it out. Understand your point about a good 2.0 vs a crappy 5.1 but I also feel a person's expectations/budget is an important factor.

Just within my circle of friends and family I know people more than happy with their $300 HTIB or Soundbar while I have an inlaw with 5 different setups including a dedicated theater room that he has spent tens of thousands on. Not all that come in here are full fledged 'audioholics'.

I even saw one guy in a forum here swear multi channel stereo sounded better for movies than DTS HD.......but it's his ears and his system.......

 

[rojo]

Canada is home for many great Audio brands so speakers selection may not as wide as it your southern neighbours, but much better than most of Europe, Asia or Middle East.
There is also http://www.creativesound.ca/ , while not quite retail, their sub drivers designs would beat the living crap of any polk sub

Yep. My CSS SDX12 plays down in infrasonics without any apparent effort. My Canadian Paradigm sub puts out some authoritative SPL as well. There is definitely quality to be found in Canada.

 

[shadyJ]

The SDX12 is rather pricey for a single 12". If you can handle a larger enclosure size, there are better options for the same money.

 

[lovinthehd]

Apologies accepted for both of you. No harm, no foul. I would only advise to be less aggressive/condescending to newbies as I've found this to be a great site and that type of attitude may scare others away when there is great information/advice on here they could benefit from.

I also feel you both may of misunderstood/misinterpreted parts of my initial review. I clearly stated my opinion was colored by 1. The fact I was skeptical to begin with and 2. I got a great deal (indicating I paid much less than the MSRP). I also clearly pointed out the limitations and downfalls of the sub and clearly stated it was an entry level product for an entry level system.

The one thing I would clarify is my last statement, I should of said it's hard to imagine a better option at that price point at the big box retailers in Canada. In limiting the comparisons to retail offerings in Canada I made a poor statement at the end.

In a way that's a two-way street, sometimes you need to read more existing material on the forum to get an idea of the flavor of the forum so to speak.

Canada otoh seems to have a lot of sub lovers but not as much choice as we in the US have, frequently read posts from Canadians trying to get more bang for their sub $. You should look into DIY for better value....

 

[Big Dub Sounds]

In a way that's a two-way street, sometimes you need to read more existing material on the forum to get an idea of the flavor of the forum so to speak.

Canada otoh seems to have a lot of sub lovers but not as much choice as we in the US have, frequently read posts from Canadians trying to get more bang for their sub $. You should look into DIY for better value....

I hear what you're saying and I could of taken more time getting a feel for the forums but I also think you can disagree and express your opinion without being aggressive and condescending. It's completely unnecessary, I came in here after months of watching Gene and Hugo's informative (yet awkward) YouTube videos and have found a lot of great information/advice.

A few of my comments may have been a bit aggressive as well but I felt at that point the purpose of my review was completely getting lost (which is the disadvantage of this form of communication). I wasn't trying to tell people it was the greatest sub in the world, I wasn't trying to tell people to run to their local BestBuy and purchase it, and I wasn't trying to say I got the greatest deal in the world. I was simply sharing my experience with it so that other fellow newbies that might be considering purchasing it could have a realistic expectation of what it can/cannot do. I'd rather that than they go to the local store and have the salesperson either tell them it'll shake their whole house (I had a guy tell me that) or go for the upsell and tell them they need more juice despite the fact the buyer is in an apartment or college dorm room.

Although there are some very good speaker/sub makers in Canada, believe me subs/speakers are VERY limited on the retail level here. And it costs an arm and leg to ship if you purchase online from the US.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Thanks man I'll check it out. Understand your point about a good 2.0 vs a crappy 5.1 but I also feel a person's expectations/budget is an important factor.

Just within my circle of friends and family I know people more than happy with their $300 HTIB or Soundbar while I have an inlaw with 5 different setups including a dedicated theater room that he has spent tens of thousands on. Not all that come in here are full fledged 'audioholics'.

People expectations vs reality are often wrong. I understand that various people come from different environments and different budgets. You can definitely be audioholics, but necessarily an audiophile or like we usually call them here - audiophools. Spending many thousands on audio does not by itself mandate high quality. I have heard $100k Wilson Audio speakers and wasn't nearly as impressed as I was by "only" 8k Salk Soundscape 8 speakers. Yes, I can't afford either, but you get my point.

If you set to build 7.2 system and have tiny budget or massive room, just because you've set expectations, doesn't mean such solutions exists to meet all of your current and/or future criteria. Some of the things you may not thought of today, but will likely consider late - does the occasional music you would play sounds good? Can You connect larger, more powerful speakers, if You do - do can I use additional amplifier, Do You have ability to add seconds subwoofer and control it separately.. etc...
Failure to consider these (and probably few others) can and likely will cause you to spend more in the long run.

Gene and Hugo's informative (yet awkward) YouTube videos.

Ha - you can say that again

Although there are some very good speaker/sub makers in Canada, believe me subs/speakers are VERY limited on the retail level here. And it costs an arm and leg to ship if you purchase online from the US.

If you go to local bestbuy (ala Futurestore) here, I guarantee you - you won't find much better selection of products. Best value products currently made are by Internet direct brands.

You have sonicboom - they sell SVS, which are quite good subs by most standards. Paradigm was already mentioned above. There are also Totem, PSB and angstrom. All solid products at different price points.
If you can't afford new, try to look for 2nd hand on kijiji or even better canuck audio mart lots of good deals to be found.

and Finally, there is Amazon.ca which has tons of subs including this one:
https://www.amazon.ca/Dayton-Audio-SUB-1200-12-Inch-Subwoofer/dp/B00669L3HS/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Disregard the single review, instead check reviews here:
http://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-sub-1200-12-120-watt-powered-subwoofer--300-629

 

[rojo]

There's also the Monoprice 9723, which will hit 20Hz almost 13dB stronger than the Polk offering (90.3dB vs 77.6dB, 2-meter ground plane RMS values*).

* source | measurement method

 

[Big Dub Sounds]

People expectations vs reality are often wrong. I understand that various people come from different environments and different budgets. You can definitely be audioholics, but necessarily an audiophile or like we usually call them here - audiophools. Spending many thousands on audio does not by itself mandate high quality. I have heard $100k Wilson Audio speakers and wasn't nearly as impressed as I was by "only" 8k Salk Soundscape 8 speakers. Yes, I can't afford either, but you get my point.
If you set to build 7.2 system and have tiny budget or massive room, just because you've set expectations, doesn't mean such solutions exists to meet all of your current and/or future criteria. Some of the things you may not think today, but will likely consider late - does the occasional music I play sounds good? Can I connect larger, more powerful speakers, if I do - do can I use additional amplifier, Do I have ability to add seconds subwoofer and control it separately.. etc... Failure to consider these (and probably few others) can and likely will cause you to spend more in the long run.


Ha - you can say that again


If you go to local bestbuy (ala Futurestore) here, I guarantee you - you won't find much better selection of products. Best value products currently made are by Internet direct brands.

You have sonicboom - they sell SVS, which are quite good subs by most standards. Paradigm was already mentioned above. There are also Totem, PSB and angstrom. All solid products at different price points.
If you can't afford new, try to look for 2nd hand on kijiji or even better canuck audio mart lots of good deals to be found.

and Finally, there is Amazon.ca which has tons of subs including this one:
https://www.amazon.ca/Dayton-Audio-SUB-1200-12-Inch-Subwoofer/dp/B00669L3HS/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Disregard the single review, instead check reviews here:
http://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-sub-1200-12-120-watt-powered-subwoofer--300-629

But the Amazon review is horrible......just kidding man. Hopefully the wife let's me upgrade soon

Guys, what are the keys to a good sounding, musical sub at low to moderate volumes?

 

[lovinthehd]

I want accurate and capable subs with as low distortion as possible, not "musical" since I don't even know really what that means. Some think it lies in sealed subs but a well designed sub, ported or sealed (or other design) shouldn't matter if the content is music or movies. Do you need a sub to handle the lows of a movie soundtrack? Or don't have extension goals below the low 30hz range, as is typical of most, but not all, music? What about how loudly you expect the sub to play at the range you want? These all are more important IMO than "musical". Then there's budget, and WAF....

Thought about DIY? Can get you there more cost effectively if you have the time/tools (and of course don't charge for either ).

 

[Big Dub Sounds]

I want accurate and capable subs with as low distortion as possible, not "musical" since I don't even know really what that means. Some think it lies in sealed subs but a well designed sub, ported or sealed (or other design) shouldn't matter if the content is music or movies. Do you need a sub to handle the lows of a movie soundtrack? Or don't have extension goals below the low 30hz range, as is typical of most, but not all, music? What about how loudly you expect the sub to play at the range you want? These all are more important IMO than "musical". Then there's budget, and WAF....

Thought about DIY? Can get you there more cost effectively if you have the time/tools (and of course don't charge for either ).

Ha ha that is so true, have thought of it but never done it.

I'm a music guy at heart, my setup is used 70% for music and 30% for HT/TV. So super low frequencies don't interest me as much as others.

 

[lovinthehd]

Ha ha that is so true, have thought of it but never done it.

I'm a music guy at heart, my setup is used 70% for music and 30% for HT/TV. So super low frequencies don't interest me as much as others.

How about budget and WAF? Some of the pro style subwoofers can do really well at frequencies above 30hz...

 

[mtrycrafts]

So we should have an amateur review corner for you to express yourself in? A few posts and you're just going to start posting lame inexperienced reviews? Please don't.

Here's a good place to start: www.data-bass.com.

Actually, we do have a section all by itself here for such reviews.

 

[mtrycrafts]

...

Simply put if there are others out there considering the sub as an upgrade from HTIB that was simply my personal opinion based on my experience with it.

Well, that should have been mentioned that this is an upgrade from such a sub.

 

[j_garcia]

I don't know why anyone would expect data in a sub review. Very few professional subwoofer reviews ever provide any data, yet we should expect a post by a newcomer in the 'beginners' section to provide data? What kind of data could you possibly expect here anyway? CEA-2010-A measurements? The response to this guy's review has been absurd. My only suggestion is that this post would have been more appropriate in the 'write your own reviews' section rather than the 'Beginners' section.

I don't necessarily expect data either as I usually don't include measurements in my reviews.

I don't know that I would exactly call these "professional" reviews either, but the measurements are useful. Data, you know like Data-bass? It is sort of their fault, and this is the sort of data I would look at too if looking at a serious sub. This won't tell you how it sounds, but it WILL tell you if it performs and if a sub's claims are optimistic or has a glaring fault, the data will usually indicate that quickly.

M.A.U.L. High performance extended low frequency subwoofer for large venue, outdoor, fixed installtion
Specifications: (Based on outdoor ground plane measurements)
Drivers: 4x 19” extended linear throw with neodymium push/pull motor and 5” edge wind voice coil
Cabinet: Series loaded, opposed firing, 6th order quasi bandpass horn.
Dimensions: 47.5x47.5x30”/120.7x120.7x76.2cm
Weight: 550lbs (250kg)
Impedance: 4ohms mono (Min Z=4ohms@15Hz)
Recommended Amplifier Power: 1-20,000 watts
Frequency Response: 14.5-128Hz+/-8dB (Measured, raw response, 2m outdoor ground plane, no smoothing, no processing)
Recommended Operational Bandwidth: 12-90Hz(Highpass may be used but not required, Lowpass 100Hz or lower@24dB octave)
Sensitivity: 100dB SPL(Average SPL from 15-105Hz, 2V input, 1m ground plane)
Sensitivity Max: 107dB SPL@89Hz (2V input, 1m ground plane)
Sensitivity Min: 92dB SPL@14Hz (2V input, 1m ground plane)
Maximum SPL Long Term: 139dB SPL@89Hz (REF to 1m full space, measured 2m half space)
Deep Bass SPL Long Term: 120dB SPL@14Hz (REF to 1m full space, measured 2m half space)
Short Term Peak SPL: 147dB SPL@80Hz (Peak output, REF to 1m full space, measured 6.5 cycle shaped Hann burst,4m half space)
Deep Bass Short Term Peak SPL: 129dB SPL@16Hz (Peak output, REF to 1m full space, measured 6.5 cycle shaped Hann burst,2m half space)