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Polk PSW-10: Great, with some reservations,
February 3, 2006
This review is from: Polk Audio PSW10 10-Inch Monitor Series Powered Subwoofer (Single, Black) (Electronics)
I purchased this subwoofer about 2 months ago and since then have given
it an extensive listening test. Following is a list of things I would
do to improve sound quality as well as some reservations I have toward
it.
Before I start off, I would like to clarify one thing about
the PSW-10 that might unjustly turn off potential buyers from it: it
runs at 50 watts RMS. In the world of music and sound systems, one of
the biggest misconceptions out there is that wattage directly correlates
with how loud a speaker is. THIS IS NOT NECCESARILY TRUE! The
efficiency of the driver determines how loud it gets at a certain
wattage, not only the amount of power you're pumping into it! This is
why you can buy, for example, computer speakers that boast 400watts of
power and have them easily massacred in terms of volume by speaker set
ups with half the power (for further examples, compare computer speaker
systems to shelf systems to a true sound system. You will find the
volume, at a given wattage, tends to increase as you go down the
spectrum).
I found the PSW-10 easily competed in terms of volume
with every other sub in it's range, including those running at twice to
three times the power RMS. If you want to prove it to yourself, run
down to your local Circuit City (who sells Polk subs) and sound test it
yourself.
Now, onto the guts of the review.
1. As far as
entry subwoofers come, this is probably the best bang for your buck that
you can find bar none, especially considering the quality of the build.
Built around high quality medium density fiberboard and using a highly
efficient 10" driver, the PSW-10 manages to bang as well, if not
louder, than other subwoofers in this category, despite running at 50
watts RMS.
2. The sound quality is excellent, with very little
distortion at high volumes above 50 hz or so, with full excursion easily
being reached because of the ported design. In the 40hz - 50hz range,
the polk begins to show the limitations of an entry level sub, the sound
becoming slightly more muddied (though not horribly so) with extended
length sounds(ie. a hellicopter landing slowly) while still staying
crisp for burst noise (ie. a gunshot or bassdrum). Below the 40hz, it's
pretty much non-functional as a subwoofer. I should also stress that
no entry subwoofer has any redeeming qualities below 40hz.
3.
Music is where this subwoofer really shines! It's bass is perfect for
every genre of music (my tastes tend to be a bit ecclectic and as such I
tested it with Classical, Hip Hop, Electronica, Rock, and Jazz) you can
throw at it. I was most impressed when playing The Chieftans "Ballad
of the Irish Horse" album and could have sworn the drums were playing in
the room (a testament to the quality of polk's design). Deep bass is
99.9% of the time is limited to above 50hz, right in the sweet spot of
the polk, and as such, the bass lines in every Rap song I tried (the
extreme being Wolfpak - Gangsta Rap and Kanye West - Golddigger) was
quite impressive, accurate and crisp. When playing the 1812 Overature,
the cannons were well produced, if very slightly muddied (as it is one
of the few songs that ventures below 50hz) but overall very good. I was
very impressed with the sound quality of the polk in music.
4.
That being said, this subwoofer is ideal for music and will be
disappointing for those who wish to use it for movie watching. While it
is beneficial to add it to any non-subwoofer setup, the 10" driver
struggles to hit the low lows with the sound becoming muddied with deep,
deep bass of any length. I found this to be a problem with all entry
subwoofers I've tried, not just the polk, so take this with a grain of
salt.
Overall, this subwoofer is probably the best entry subwoofer you can get bar none.
TIPS FOR MAKING IT SOUND BETTER!!!
1.
First thing of note: Like all quality entry level subwoofers, great
sound comes with the sacrifice of volume. This sub works best in
smaller rooms, say 20x10 maximum. Any larger and the sound will begin
to get lost in the room and sound strained.
2. Most subwoofers
work the best along the front wall of your sound system, in the corner.
This however is not a cardinal rule. To find the best location for the
subwoofer (this works for any sub for your information), place the
subwoofer where you would normally be sitting, listening to it. Play a
song and walk around the room until you find place where the bass sounds
the best. Move the sub to that location and it should be ideally
placed!
3. One shortcoming about the Polk is the lack of an LFE
input: you only get RCA and speaker line inputs meaning that there is no
way you can bypass the internal crossover of the sub. Considering the
market it's aiming for, this shouldn't be too big of a problem for most
people, but owners with good receivers might be a bit vexed by this.
Also, do not hookup the sub through the speaker line: it'll lose a fair
amount of sound quality from forcing the bass through small gauge wires.
Hook it up through the RCA if at all possible and you will be greatly
rewarded.
In summation, despite the reservations inherent of the
entry level subwoofer class (and LFE port), this is an excellent
subwoofer which warrants all the praise it's been getting.
