Polk Audio DSW PRO 500 10-Inch Powered Subwoofer (Single, Black)
by Polk Audio
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Category: Speakers
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Manufacturer: Polk AudioBrand: Polk Audio
Edition: Electronics
Model: AM5075-A
Color: Black
Publisher: Polk Audio
Studio: Polk Audio
Music Label: Polk Audio
Product features:
- A single 10-inch powered subwoofer unit
- Equipped with Polk Room Optimizer (PRO) and Feed Forward distortion suppression technology
- Power amplifier: 200 watts continuous, 400 watts dynamic
- Frequency response: 23Hz - 160Hz
- Downward radiating slot port to lessen turbulence, noise and distortion
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Polk Audio DSW PRO 500 10-Inch Powered Subwoofer (Single, Black)
Customer Review: Superb Low Frequency Enhancer (LFE) sub $1k.
Summary: 5 Stars
I like down firing subwoofers with a front / down firing port for the following reasons:
1) It's easily invisible in any system when crossed below 80hz.
2) Placement near rear walls not as critical or demanding as a rear ported subwoofer designs in smaller rooms.
3) Cloth grills on a front firing subwoofer is a pain. It will eventually attract a lot of dust, silverfish or children, & that adds to U'r system maintenance in the long run.
Background:
I was using the Onkyo SKW-150X subwoofer previously & it was the weak link in my HT system in Zone 1. The Onkyo subwoofer had a down firing 8 inch woofer with a front port. Placement was easy with that subwoofer but with a less than 100w continuous power built-in amplifier, it struggled to even touch the rated 30hz & I c'd feel it every time I watched an action packed movie. I sold it on ebay & started to look out for a new subwoofer. Being a budget audiophile, I wanted a 10 inch subwoofer under USD600, with a down firing design & possibly no port at the rear.
Down firing subwoofer designs are very common these days. Paradigm, Klipsch etc, to name a few, have very good down firing subwoofers. Unfortunately they all have rear ports, mostly to avoid port noise. Given my demands, I was left with only one choice - Polk Audio DSW PRO 500. The PRO 400 with 8 inch woofer was too small & the PRO 600 with 12 inch woofer was too big for my 15X14 living / media room.
The good:
1) Big bad bass that does not even distort at insane levels. I live in a 8 storied building & this thing is powerful enough to get complaints from the neighbors. Lol.
2) Down firing 10 inch woofer & down firing slot port with 200w continuous power. Good enough for a small / medium sized rooms. For bigger rooms, buying two DSW PRO 500s instead of one DSW PRO 600 (12 inch woofer) sh'd give better / smoother results.
3) A voltage selector on the back panel to choose between 110V & 220V. This function makes it a universal subwoofer.
4) The back panel has all the possible connections U'd ever want, including LFE In, Line In / Out, Speaker Level In / Out. The only connection missing is Balanced (XLR) In / Out. Which I'm sure, U will not find anywhere close to this price point.
5) Very good build quality & weighs almost 19 kgs / 41 lbs.
The bad:
1) Not as fast as other subwoofers I have heard from brands such as - HSU Research, Velodyne, SVS etc to name a few. But then again they were more than twice in either the price or the physical size & it w'd be an unfair comparison. For my taste, I liked this subwoofer a lil' more with movies than music. I can't complain much because I'm using it in a 'movies only' HT system.
2) Detachable Power Chord (PC) is something I want in all the electronics I buy. I like the idea of upgrading / trying new PCs. Unfortunately it's actually a pain here. The supplied stock PC keeps coming off, from the power socket at the back of the subwoofer, after a couple of hours of heavy usage. I have not seen anyone else mentioning this problem. I tried replacing it with another PC I had on standby & the problem still continued. I eventually stuck the PC to the power socket with a double sided foam tape. It w'd have been better if it had a locking PC like the ones used in Panasonic G series Plasma TVs. This is a design flaw that makes the Polk Audio DSW PRO 500 from being a perfect subwoofer.
3) The Remote Control (RC) is an absolute waste. The RC provided has the phase control & room optimizer. After the initial setup it's very unlikely to be used again. Polk Audio sh'd have instead kept the phase control at the back panel of the subwoofer. The HT system is already over crowded with RCs & who ever wants a subwoofer remote control? Polk Audio sh'd have priced this subwoofer a lil' more competitively by eliminating the useless RC.
4) Room optimizer is an eye wash. I c'd barely hear any difference between the 4 pre-set settings. Instead Polk Audio sh'd have offered something like the Perfect Bass Kit (PBK-1) from Paradigm, for an additional cost. That w'd have been the ultimate calibrator for a subwoofer this capable.
5) Annoying blue LED in the front panel of the subwoofer. Even more annoying is the fact that U have to turn it off with the included RC, every time U start the subwoofer. Polk Audio c'd have instead given a status LED On / Off switch like the ones found in Emotiva's Amps, that w'd have been more functional.
6) Can be used as front or down firing subwoofer. Sounds great but this is another eye wash. When used as a front firing subwoofer, the remote sensor on the front panel of the subwoofer goes on top, making the remote control less responsive to commands & the control panel at the back panel of the subwoofer goes down, making it a very unpractical way of using this subwoofer. It also jams the PC & the subwoofer LFE In cable. If I had to use it as a front firing subwoofer, I w'd have given it only 3 stars as this surely is a poor & impractical design.
7) If U choose to still go ahead & use this as a front firing subwoofer, U'll also have to buy a grill separately for USD50.
8) 'Made in Vietnam'. What difference does it make if it is made in Vietnam, Thailand or China? 'Made in U.S.A. or E.U.' w'd have been my choice any day. Lol.
Conclusion:
Anyone looking for a very good subwoofer below USD1000, sh'd put this subwoofer right on top of their audition list. There are far & few subwoofers out there that can offer this level of price / performance ratio. If it were not for the design flaws mentioned above, this lil' dynamite w'd have been the perfect subwoofer below USD1000.
I use this subwoofer with a Monster 600SW-2M cable Monster MC 600SW-2M Ultra-High Performance Subwoofer Cable (2 meters). I also upgraded the PC & found that the Pangea Audio AC-14 PC fits the Polk Audio DSW PRO 500 very well & does not become loose / come out easily like the stock PC as mentioned above. The Polk Audio DSW PRO 500 has never sounded this good until I upgraded the PC with the Pangea Audio AC-14 PCPangea Audio - AC-14 - Signature - Power Cable 3.0 Meter.
Just my $0.02.
Brgds.
Description of Polk Audio DSW PRO 500 10-Inch Powered Subwoofer (Single, Black)
Experience deep, thunderous bass with the Polk DSW PRO 500. It sports a 10-inch woofer driven by an efficient 200-watt amplifier. This advanced subwoofer features Polk's exclusive Feed Forward(TM) technology, which reduces audible distortion without limiting volume. You get quick, precise response throughout the sub's entire frequency range, even at ground-shaking volume levels. The PRO 500 also includes the Polk Room Optimizer(TM), an ingenious feature that lets you specify the location of your sub with one of four options ? corner, mid-wall, in-cabinet, or mid-room. The Optimizer then automatically equalizes the sub's response to ensure smooth, clean bass from that position. You can easily access this function, as well as the volume control and phase switch, with the included remote. Removable feet let you position the PRO 500 for either front-firing or down-firing operation, whichever you prefer. The all-new DSW PRO Series represents more than a significant step forward in subwoofer performance. Rather, with the incorporation of two proprietary Polk Audio technologies that offer clearly discernable benefits, you might want to think of the new DSW PRO Series as representing a new subwoofer performance standard. Loud & Low Specs(CEA2010): Low 118 db / Ultra 96 dbDigital Cameras & Photo Categories
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