Psw1200

[chefkungfu]

Hey guys, this is my 5th post, but I,ve been on here for sometime now.

After owning my PSW1200 since 2003 I've never had anything go wrong with it. It's performed wihout a single hiccup since my acquisition, and has rattled my house apart. Just recently the amp took a trip down south on me.
The sub would power on, but no sound would come out of the drivers:(
When the sound was produced, it was very low, sometimes muted. If I was lucky if there was any house rattling bass emitted!
I removed the amp plate, it looked pretty normal (no melted capaciters) re-connected all the wires, and still the same! What a bummer. I sent it out to Polk in Vista for repair this past week...... They will contact me to let me what's wrong.
I know there are many newer, better subs out there, but it's just something about this one that I'm willing to keep around for a very long time!
Anyone else out there had/have the same amp issues as with thier psw1200?
Just curious if I should replace it with a DSW micro pro 4000, or keep it. Any thoughts are welcome.
Thank you fellow CP members!

Frank.

[jon s]

if it's repairable, keep it... but if it is not, then you would have to look for a new one. Sub amps fail a lot, more so if they are overdriven. I noticed you have similar stuff as me... RT2000P, PSW650, CS400 and RT55is. I had three PSW650s, one of them died and i ended up rebuilding it.

[pitdogg2]

you may also be able to get a new amp from parts express if it is not repairable ....just a thought
I'd take it to get it fixed anything less than 4 bills cause a new amp will at least cost that much.

[chefkungfu]

Thanks Jon, I sure hope Polk can fix it... I'll keep it. My psw650 still works without any problems and I purchased it back in '99!
It just doesn't have that "hit-in-the-chest-with-a-sledgehammer" feeling as the psw1200!
How's your psw650 after the rebuild? Was it the amp or the drivers? Interesting setup you have!!
My RT2000's are still nice, but I'm actively searching for the RT5000.

[chefkungfu]

Thanks pitdogg! I'll look into parts express, never even crossed my mind! So less than 4 bills, is the magic#? If it's more, I may look elseware... but that's going to be tough since the psw1200 has sentimental value in our household! My wife & I are big movie buffs!
We always have this giddy smile whenever the subs hit the low's!! Thank's for the heads up on the info!

[jon s]

Thanks Jon, I sure hope Polk can fix it... I'll keep it. My psw650 still works without any problems and I purchased it back in '99!
It just doesn't have that "hit-in-the-chest-with-a-sledgehammer" feeling as the psw1200!
How's your psw650 after the rebuild? Was it the amp or the drivers? Interesting setup you have!!
My RT2000's are still nice, but I'm actively searching for the RT5000.

It was the amp... I rebuilt the sub.. Link here.

BTW, can you take a picture of the inside of your sub since the amp is out? Also a picture of the vented port from the bottom? Thanks.

[chefkungfu]

That's excellent craftsmanship skills Jon, rebuilding that sub!! I'll read that post in more detail later on.
Here's the inside of the psw1200 sub. I myself may build one up, I'm a wood-wooker like my old man. (he designs and builds custom furniture). I can get the woofers and plate amp from parts express...

[Syndil]

I'd hate to see a unique design like that die. I like the older Polk subs with the down-firing power port.

[chefkungfu]

Yea, me too! That is a unique design, solid & heavy construction.
I actually had a good run with this sub! I purchased it back in 2003, and just now the amp went bye-bye! So almost 10 years is pretty good. I decided to send the amp to Polk for service and we'll take it from there! For now, my PSW650 will do. I always ran the two subs together, but one is fine... for now!

FT

[jon s]

Well, if you can't get the sub fixed, let me know... I may be interested in the parts....

[chefkungfu]

nincHallElala, I dont know what your trying to say! PLEASE use ENGLISH to communicate!
This is an ENGLISH forum.

Mods, please notify this person, and/or delete those four replies. Thank you.
FT.

[chefkungfu]

Sure no problem, I'll keep you updated, Jon. I checked the tracking number and Polk recieved the amp today, so maybe after the weekend I'll hear back from Polk. Depends on thier workload on a quick response.

Well, if you can't get the sub fixed, let me know... I may be interested in the parts....

[chefkungfu]

I don't know what happened to those crazy posts.... one second they were here, now it's gone! Mods, if you removed them that quickly, Kudos!!! Other wise I'm scratching my head as to what happend!?!?!?

[snake1]

Any ideas where one of these subs can be found???

[Syndil]

http://newhaven.craigslist.org/ele/3536480595.html

[chefkungfu]

Hello snake, You just have to look actively until one shows up. Syndil provided a link to a really nice one!
Keep in mind these are scarce and it's not often they show up.

Here's another one: http://portland.craigslist.org/clk/ele/3572781883.html.

[snake1]

Thanks for the links fellas! I'll check them out!

[Caineo]

I have to laugh. I found this thread yesterday by googling the PSW1200 to learn more about it- because I had seen the Portland ad, and I was going to Portland yesterday. Unfortunately, the ad had no phone number. I sent an email with mine, but never heard until late in the afternoon, and they called to say it was sold. So close, and yet so far. <sigh>

[Anthony Hinton]

Oh how well I know that feeling, sorry, keep looking though and one will pop up.

[chefkungfu]

What a bummer, I'm sorry you missed out on that opportunity to get that subwoofer up in Portland. I guess I posted that link a little tolate, if I only had it on a little sooner you could've had it. Just keep looking around, Another sub woofer will show up.

[jon s]

btw, if you do decide to rebuild the subwoofer, make sure the internal volume stays the same. If the new amp is bigger you have to compensate for that. You also have to consider the wall thickness as well. Some Polks use 1" MDF all around. If you add braces, you have to compensate for that too. If you reduce the volume the chances are the sub will peak at a higher frequency and slope down from that peak. When I was calculating the volume on my sub, a small reduction in the volume shifted the peak to 80Hz and it sloped down from there. You don't want that to happen. It would be best to keep the box size as close as possible to the original. You can remove the vent and base from the original cabinet. The grills and the grommets for them are a must save as well. You should build it with MDF if possible but MDF is a real pain to work with. It leaves a LOT of dust and it is not safe to inhale so wear a mask. MDF is also not easily paintable as it absorbs paint like a sponge. Even with primer/sealers you will end up spray and sanding several coats before you can even consider painting with your final color. That's why I used veneer.

Some sub amps have the capability of boosting the bass at certain frequencies. That may help as well. I don't know if Polk's amps boost the signal at any point but its possible as it is quite common. I know that Dayton's 1000-watt amp (from Parts Express) can boost the signal at various frequencies as well as the bandwidth which is pretty handy. Unfortunately, only the 1000-watt amp has that feature.

It might be easier to build it with a sealed cabinet but the frequency response will be severely impacted. It will probably slope down from 50Hz and be several dB down at 30Hz. You would thereby lose that "punch" which would be in the 25-35Hz range. Good luck.

Again, if you decide otherwise, let me know.

[chefkungfu]

Hey guys, still no news from Polk regarding my amp! I'll call them on Monday, I'll be on the road but I'll manage to call.
I'll keep you guys posted.

[chefkungfu]

Hi Jon, thanks for the tips, but I may just put this project on the back burner for now. I perfer the look of your veneer sub though!
As soon as I hear something from Polk, I'll let you know!

[dpowell]

It's likely the main power caps that finally gave out. Polk has replaced those in my (formerly owned) RT3000's and the cost wasn't bad. One other thing you can do quite easily if the amp is beyond repair is to make a cover plate that fits the area where the amp was, place a couple of banana plug jacks in the plate and use an external amp. You will likely find that the sub is more detailed and controlled with an external amp vs. using the old internal amp. All depends on where you want to go with it. The PSW1200 is an awesome sub that I also spent some time trying to find but didn't. Went with a dual 12" SVS which provides plenty of slam.

[chefkungfu]

I'm looking at parts express to find a new plate amp. I spoke with another CP member, Chris... He
gave me many ideas on what to with my sub! Very nice and helpful guy!
I'm going to take his advice and get a Dayton Audio plate amp And rebuild my sub!
After all, the PSW1200 is a somewhat rare sub! And I plan on keeping it longer, I'm not going
to let some inept workers at the carrier ruin my sub!
Time to start making plans on rebuilding, I may need some guidance from
some of you more expierienced CP members!
Any help will truly be appreciated! As soon as I get the plate Amp back from Art, I'll post pictures to show the extent
Of the damage! All I know is that the circuit board was destroyed:(
-Frank

[jon s]

If you are going to rebuild the sub, it would be a good idea to get DATS (it's a speaker analyzer) from Parts Express... You connect your drivers to it and run the application. It will give you the TS parameters for the subwoofers. From that, you can input the data into WinISD (free on the internet) and get a more accurate sizing for the cabinet. Usually, most designs are a compromise and will not give you an optimal frequency response.

I rebuilt my PSW650 with the same dimensions (16x17x18") as the original cabinet, only to find out later that the optimal size would be an 18" cube for a flatter response.

You can input the data and the vent info to determine if the cabinet should be larger (it usually does). When buying a replacement amp, get one with similar output as the original, don't go overboard as you will probably exceed the xMax (VC limits) of the driver. When you rebuild it, go with 1" thick MDF, 3/4" is too thin for 12" drivers. I recommend that you use 1/4" and 3/4" thick boards since you won't find 1" MDF panels available.. You can flush mount the drivers and amp into the 3/4" board with the 1/4" board glued above it. I found that to be a lot easier. I do not recommend you paint the cabinets as MDF is a real pain to paint. You have to seal and sand the MDF with some sort of surface like bondo as paint sealants won't work. MDF will soak the paint like a sponge, even after several coats.

Good luck.

[chefkungfu]

Hello jon s, you've been very helpful, and very knowledgable when it comes to rebuilding!! I'm going to re-read your thread on that beautiful PSW650 of yours, and take your advice on how to modify the back of my PSW1200 to accept a new plate amp! This forum has become an invaluable tool when it comes to other CP members who have hands on experience to fix, rebuild, modify, tinker or bring new life into worn out cabinets and components!!
Just wanted to say thanks to my fellow CP members!!
I'm going to go forward with my repairs, and will no doubt require some help from you guys!
-Frank.