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Polk Audio PSW111 review

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CNET Editors' Rating

3.5 stars Very good
Review Date:

Average User Rating

5.0 stars 2 user reviews

The good: 8-inch powered subwoofer; built-in 150-watt power amplifier; medium-density fiberboard cabinet with smoothly rounded corners; excellent connectivity.

The bad: The larger, more powerful 10-inch version costs $50 less.

The bottom line: The able Polk Audio PSW111 subwoofer delivers seamless bass despite its compact size.

The Polk Audio PSW111 isn't just a very good compact subwoofer, it's a excellent match with the brand's RM and SurroundBar speaker systems. Not that the PSW111 wouldn't jell with other Polk speakers, or those of any other manufacturer, for that matter, but its prime directive is to fill in the bass for the RM and SurroundBar Series. Based on our listening sessions with the SurroundBar 50, the PSW111's performance was beyond reproach.

At 12.1 inches high by 11 wide by 13 deep, it's small enough to hide behind furniture or tuck into a corner. The PWS111's softly rounded cabinet and nicely finished cloth grille add a bit of style, but it's otherwise an unobtrusive design. It weighs a manageable 20.3 pounds. The PSW111 is only available in a matte-black finish.

The sub's front-firing 8-inch composite woofer is mated with a 150-watt (300 watts on peaks) power amplifier. The rear panel houses an adjustable crossover, phase switch and subwoofer volume control. Connectivity options cover all the bases: There are stereo speaker-level and line-level inputs, plus a direct, LFE line-level input, and a set of speaker-level outputs.

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Quick Specifications

  • Release date08/20/07
  • Speaker type Powered subwoofer
  • Connectivity Technology Wired
  • Color Black
  • Amplification Type Active
  • Power output 150 Watt

Ex-movie theater projectionist Steve Guttenberg has also worked as a high-end audio salesman, and as a record producer. Steve currently reviews audio products for CNET and works as a freelance writer for Home Theater, Inner Fidelity, Tone Audio, and Stereophile. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. Full Bio

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