PSW505

by Frank, December 30, 2012

Strengths:

Ability to do both music and movies. I like that it can start and stop quickly.

Weaknesses:

Port in back which limits placement flexibilty.

Review:

One of the hard things to do in my business is find a sub that does both well in music and home theater applications. That's why you hear audiophiles say they don't use a sub when they play their music but have full range speakers that cost way more than the average person could afford. You could use a smaller 8" or 10" sub that is usually more musical but really doesn't delve deep or have that impact that a larger sub has. Or you can have two different subs, one for music and one for movies. Then you can switch them back and forth for the application you are running. For my findings with customers, they want things simple and easy but with great sound and picture. I'll leave the rest I mentioned to those hardcore listeners. The PSW505 sub has the musical finesse that most listeners will like and hits hard and clean for home theater applications. Like with all speakers and subs, you must play with the set up of where it sounds the best. You can have the best speakers and sub in the world but if you don't take the time to set it up properly, it will sound terrible. All subs should blend in with your main front speakers so it is not localized but sounds like the bass is coming from the main speakers. I never corner load the sub because this tends to give it the boomy sound that you hear with the cars that play their hip hop music really loud. I usually keep the sub out about two feet from both walls. Once dialed in, this sub will give you that musical sound that is clean and not boomy. The PSW505 distinctly hits bass notes which is separate from each other not sounding the same. I could not tell where the bass is coming from when listening to two channel music. For home theater, this sub really shines. Remember, that there is a lot of music in movies, so usually a good musical sub will do well in home theater. Three movies you must try with the PSW505 are Peter Jackson's King Kong, U571, and Tom Cruise's War of the World. In U571, the dept charge scene really hit deep but each charge was distinct. One of the reason why this scene is demanding on subs is the ability to make most subs lose steam or what professionals call dynamic output. Dynamic output is the ability to handle action sounds one after the other with out losing its power. The PSW505 had no signs of strain and plenty of dynamic output. In War of the Worlds, one of my favorite scene is the electrical storm scene. This scene has wind, lightning,and thunder sounds. It really lets your speaker system shine with multiple sound coming from all directions. The PSW505 really helped in making the storm real in the room with clean bass output from the deep wind to the thunder. King Kong's fight with the T-Rex scene has music, yelling, deep roars and stomps of the big prehistoric creatures. The PSW505 did a wonderful job of blending in the deep bass with the rest of the sounds. It felt like the creatures were right there stomping in the house. If you want a sub that does both music and movies well, this sub should be at the top of your list for the price it is being sold for at Amazon. You have to remember, this sub sold for $600 when it first came out and at that price it still would have been a great deal. At $200, it's a steal and I'm surprised they're still around. I know there are a lot of negative reviews but you also have to realize the speakers are subjective. One person may like the sound of speaker while another doesn't for the same speaker. It's all on what you like. There are many good speaker companies out there with great products. The Polk PSW505 happens to be one of them. Once dialed in, it will give you the reward in bass you might like.

by mike workman, March 28, 2013

Strengths:

strong sound even with vega 150-15' mains,the polk sub brought out the mid and hi like i have never herd in them before, even when they were new,..great build quality inside and out ..you just cant touch this sub for the money ill recommend this sub to everyone.. better snatch one up today before there all gone..you wont b disappointed..movies or music cant go wrong !!

Weaknesses:

a little picky on placement but once you get placement figured out you'll have a friend for life..

Review:

i have an ok system.. onkyo tx-sr700..100-wpc-6 chan,also 2 cerwin vega vs 150, 15 ' woofers mains,hoping that a sub would add a little more depth to my system and i did allot of research on subs read 1000 reviews on subs polk,infinity,cerwin vega,bic,jbl and other internet subs,saw a few bad reviews on the polk but there was 600 reviews so a few out of 600 wasn't bad when the others had about the same bad reviews but there was 20 to 50 reviews so that tells me polk has a much higher quality .even thought its an older model i took the chance ..and WOW i never thought my system could sound so good..very impressed it kept up with my vega 150's with ease ..made them much clearer.. herd sounds Ive never herd before , totally rocking bass now even at low volume,clear as ive ever herd!! for a 189$ on sale of course sub woofer this polk can not b touched.i liked the sound so well im ordering another and try 2 for movies..if its to much ill keep it for a back up .money well spent.,i don't think you can match quality or sound from polk. paid 189 ..free shipping. nothing for twice as much can touch polk's psw 505. i found out to turn your source bass down, sometimes way down for music for cleaner sound it keeps the low end bass without the rumble...

by Ed, March 14, 2006

Strengths:

Great price. High quality bass. Impacting, deep bass. I love how it brings my DVD's to life! The driver can keep up with fast, pounding musical bass as well. Sounds great.

Weaknesses:

A hard-core listener might be able to bottom out this sub, but at the cost of some ear drum damage! A full degree phase knob would be a nice addition.

Review:

For the price (paid $495 CND) it is difficult to find a better sub. Yes, you can spend more and find something that will hit harder and lower, but I couldn't find an equal at this price. If you'd rather listen to great, hard hitting bass instead of spending countless hours researching the "frequency charts" that are out there on other more expensive subs, then look no further. If you're like me and want a sub to get that chest pounding, theatre like bass, take a serious look at the PSW505. It hits very hard on my ears, my couch, my body and home walls when playing DVD LFE at around 60% gain, receiver set around -20dB +/- 5dB depending on recorded volumes (listening room is 17'x14'x8' with a large opening to rest of house). Throw in a CD, like Bob Marley or some good old electo and it really fills in the bottom end (45-50% gain works for me). Overall, I can't complain about this sub. It is truley a best buy for a middle end subwoofer. Just take your time in setting it up properly in your listening environment and you shouldn't be dissappointed.

by crazyeggs, November 18, 2010

Strengths:

Tight Defined Bass, with flexible management features & inputs.

Weaknesses:

The same as most everyone else, MY WIFE HATES IT!!!

Review:

This is one of the best subs I have ever heard, it sounds as good if not better than subs costing four or five times as much. I bought it about one month ago, and went right out and bought a second one. Unsurpassed by most other subs.

by Dennis Jacobus, May 12, 2003

Strengths:

The 505 produces great bass for the money, is easy to set-up, and lets the neighbors know that you're home.

Weaknesses:

Have not found any.

Review:

I'm very happy with the 505, but I couldn't give it a five star rating as I believe there is always room for improvments, and because it's not a Sunfire Sub. For the $499 price tag I paid, and in addition getting a free 202 sub with it, I really can't complain.

by Toby M, September 24, 2003

Strengths:

Works great with hard hitting rap music or movies. No Distortion.

Weaknesses:

none.

Review:

This sub is fantastic. I'm using an Onkyo 700 receiver to power it. I can literally shake my entire house. The sub is being used mainly for movies, but also for rap music that has a lot of bass. The sub is setup in my basement theater room. I configured the sub a few different ways, and came back to the way Polk recommended, which is running the speaker wires from the receiver to the sub, then go from the sub to the front speakers. This is definitely the way to go, so the sub gets used all of the time. The sub sounded very different in various locations. It ended up sounding the best, to the right of the TV, about a foot away from the wall which has a spare room on the other side. You will not be disappointed by this sub!!

by PUREmass, March 27, 2003

Strengths:

fomr the solid construction, to it's unsurpassed quality, no distortion, and low bass were enough to open my wallet

Weaknesses:

i haven't found any yet

Review:

I?m probably one of the first consumers to review this sub probably because I bought it 10 minutes after the store put it on display!! There is no point in me listing the positive and negative?s about this beautiful sub, go take a listen for yourself!! It?s completely in a class of it?s own, for not only clarity but it?s ability to hit nice low notes with absolutely no distortion.. Cerwin-Vega, Velodyne, JBL? nothing touched it in my opinion.

by Blain Reinkensmeyer, January 10, 2004

Strengths:

Nothing short of amazing... great for making your seat shake during a movie or your walls rumble during a rap song.

Weaknesses:

None

Review:

Just awesome, I have never heard such quality. I run my two Polk RTi38s through it and the sound is amazing. The distribution is perfect and nothing compares. I have used Sony, KLH, and even Infinity and still nothing came close to this sub! I recommend it for anyone no matter what type of listener you are!

by Chuck Robbins, January 19, 2004

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

Review:

You need to remove Luke Rochon's review. Have you verified by serial number if he even really ownes a 505? His experience is so inconsistant with the other reviewers and my experience. I will write another review later, but something is just not right about his. Even the name Rochon sounds like "Rock on". If he is serious about poor performance, then he either did not hook it up properly or get the volume balanced or something. If your policy is to print all reviews, did you call him to see what the real problem was? Does he work for Infinity or something? And the comment, "About the same but better." What does that mean -- 1.5 stars for Infinity? Something is just not right here.

by Brandon, February 2, 2004

Strengths:

Powerfull amplifier. Long-throw wolfer gets bass down to impressive levels. Sharp cabnet. Polk does it again, GOOD JOB!

Weaknesses:

I purchased this subwolfer, and about a month later I returned it defective. I got another PSW505, and its been running strong with no problems yet.

Review:

Very clear sound, Polk quality is shown with this subwolfer. Plenty of earth shaking bass, with clear highs even at minimum volume. Quality product for the price.

by LG, August 29, 2003

Strengths:

It is powerfull, very powerfull! Clarity Quality Easy and flexibility of usage Best unit regardless of price Excellent value

Weaknesses:

Non whasoever

Review:

This is a wonderfull unit. Would you like to feel the movie and be part of it?, there is no unit for this price or any price that can do this....It is Excellent...a steal! I have a big room with lots of windows and High ceilings... not a problem. If you have the means, test it and take it home. You will not be dissapointed. ... and if you need more than what this unit produces, you need help!

by Øystein Sund, October 12, 2003

Strengths:

Brutal power bass, really fast to be a 12"

Weaknesses:

None

Review:

This sub is simply an earthquake! My whole house is shaking and everything falls down from my livingroom shelf..

by Luke Rochon, January 15, 2004

Strengths:

none

Weaknesses:

Not much power and sounds bad.

Review:

The first thing I did was hook It up to my H/K 7200 and put in a U2 DVD. Turned it to DTS and cranked it. Poor sub and Way Over priced, Best bet is the Infinity PS12. It's about the same but better.

by Brad Coolman, April 22, 2004

Strengths:

lots of power and it get down and gets the hz that the jbl's donts play

Weaknesses:

none at all

Review:

you can't beat it it doen't mater how loud or long i play it it still sounds great. i have it hooked up with 2 15 inch jbl pro series and my whole house shakes

by dennis hickey, May 20, 2004

Strengths:

MORE POWER THEN ANYONE NEEDS,GREAT LOOKING,FAST "AUTO" TURN-ON,GREAT BUILD QUALITY!DETACHABLE POWER CORD,LOTS OF INPUT OPTIONS,BINDING POSTS,ETC.

Weaknesses:

AFTER SITTING IN FRONT OF MY COMPUTER FOR FIVE MINUTES, I HONESTLEY CAN'T THINK OF ONE?

Review:

I'VE RECENTLEY BOUGHT THE PSW 505, AND IM EXCITED TO SAY "IVE GOT RATTLES!" THIS IS SET @40% VOLUME! IM VERY PLEASED WITH ITS PERFORMANCE, ITS MUSICAL ACCURACY AS WELL AS ITS ABILITY TO BLEND IN WITH MY POLK #RT1000i POWERED TOWERS"SET TO SMALL" IN MY BASS MGMT. AS WELL AS MY #CS400i CENTER CHANNEL. NOT ONLY DOES IT ADD INCREDIBLE PUNCH AND DEPTH, MY FRONT SOUND STAGE MID RANGE IS CLEARER AND MORE OPEN.I CAN CLOSE MY EYES, AND THE SUBS SONIC LOCATION DISSAPEARS. HATS "BLOWN" OFF TO POLK!IF YOUR IN A SMALL ROOM, LOOK AT THE PSW 404, AS THIS WILL SHAKE YOUR NEIGHBORS WALLS AS WELL!LOOK NO FURTHER, THIS IS TRULY SUBSONIC WALLFLEXING, BONE SHAKING POWER, THAT CANNOT BE EXPLAINED, ONLY EXPERIENCED...

by Richard, August 3, 2004

Strengths:

Loads of bass, without distortion and looks great.

Weaknesses:

None

Review:

This sub is awesome! This speaker seemed a little high priced until I heard it. Its worth every penny. Get one and enjoy.

by DWB, October 31, 2004

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

Can't find any.

Review:

The PSW505 did the job for me! Started with the PSW 303--they were too small for the room & they chirped at past half volume. The 505 can handle anything you throw at them and distortion free! Highly recommend them. Personally I believe you should buy a sub that is probably larger than you need. Remember you can always turn them down. If it is too small you can't turn it any higher!

by Alexander Pablo, November 15, 2004

Strengths:

Tons and tons over boneshaking, wall rattling, floor rumbling, furniture loosening BASS. Zero distortion at any volume point. Handles perfectly in any sort of music genre. Sounds Subtle in classical music, and monsterous in rap music. Outrageous power in movies. I LOVE THIS SUB. It's INSANE... Anyone needing more than this sub has to have their minds checked.

Weaknesses:

None to mention. BUY THIS SUB!!!! It's SICK!!

Review:

This sub is SICK!!!. I have them set at 30% volume and picture frames fall of tables. I live in an apartment building and you can hear the subsonic vibrations at the end of the hallway; not only that I live in the 2nd floor and I went to the staircases, your can hear it on the 5th floor @ 30% volume. Try watching UNDERWORLD or Van Helsing with these you will not be disappointed. On the other end of the spectrum Beethoven comes alive with this sub, Fur Elise--my wife's favorite has now a new life. You can hear the plucking of strings in Bach's concierto; subtley was achieved. Zero distortion.

by Scott Cook, March 11, 2005

Strengths:

Boom boom boom

Weaknesses:

No such thing

Review:

I am now mr polk. I have Rti 10 for the fronts, I have CSi5 center, the FXi5 for the surrounds and now the 505 for the sub. I used it for the first time and the sub was great. I am so pleased with my polks and wish I would have discovered them earlier but hey, patience has paid off.

by chad ramirez, May 8, 2005

Strengths:

the slot where the air comes out is a slot and not a circle in the back so there is no whisle like i have with my pws12 but because of where i have it placed in my room i dont hear it any more!heaven so chill!

Weaknesses:

gets me grounded cause i broke a window twice and shakes the house lol!

Review:

this is a great sub i love it it work well with my psw 12 they are a great team now that i got a new dvd player man heaven if you know what i mean and i also got some FXi3 it al work together with my onkyo thx certified 6.1 reciver!

by Larry F., May 11, 2005

Strengths:

Full rich sound and I just got it! I will definately be tweaking it as far as position in my room, settings, and so on! As of now, I am really pleased already!!!!! Long Live Polk!

Weaknesses:

My neighbors are already complaining!

Review:

Wow! I'm impressed to say the least! I just upgraded my sub and couldn't be more happy! The 505 is some awesome sub!

by Peter van Velzen, May 14, 2005

Strengths:

Price,Value,Big Bang for the Buck and great looking too!

Weaknesses:

I just wish the foam surround was rubber(my opinion) and perhaps an overload circuit.

Review:

Having spent the last few months listening to and comparing a lot of subs,I knew this was the one. This sub rattles the walls,blurs my vision and shakes my brain! This sub rocks for home theater and rolls for music with amazing finesse.With its huge foam surround, this sub moves air! It can also be gentle and subtle when required. I was also impressed that this sub incorporates BASH technology. Mr. Polk you made a fine subwoofer!!!!!!!!!

by Mike Jones, May 25, 2005

Strengths:

Nive deep rumble with great punch for a large woofer.

Weaknesses:

Shakes pictures off the wall!. None to mention. I'm very happy with this bad boy!..

Review:

I got this sub for $450CDN funds, A-1 bang for the buck. Very powerful without overkill. Good sounding speaker. Woudln't trade it for nothing. Nice job Polk.

by Luis G Puga, August 18, 2005

Strengths:

Best out there for the price.I would have paid more for it.

Weaknesses:

Afraid of buying another for the front of room and my head exploding

Review:

I suggest that the guy who gave a negative review change amps or something because this is the best bang for the buck out there.I am glad I let the sales guy talk me into buying it,it rocks the room with movies or music.I have it behind the couch and it makes the whole couch and the wall shake.

by Pierce, August 25, 2005

Strengths:

PURE QUALITY SOUND

Weaknesses:

What weakness............. not at my house

Review:

If you want a sub that that can handle some serious home theatre and make the bottom end of CDs come alive then this is the one that can handle the task.

by sjdave, August 30, 2005

Strengths:

Great Bass! No distortion below 90% volume. Placement is important, but no matter where you place it, it reproduces excellent bass.

Weaknesses:

It would be nice to be able to go down to 30hz on the crossover -- but for the price I am NOT complaining!

Review:

This subwoofer is one of THE best out there. Lots of vibrations. If you're on hardwood floors or if the box vibrates too much, buy yourself 4 racket balls, remove the 4 feet from the sub, place the four balls on the floor, and balance the sub on the four hand balls. You can't imagine the difference in clarity... Talk about crisp, clear, reverberating bass!

by Warren Valentine, September 21, 2005

Strengths:

Power, clarity, no distortion, easy to setup, monster woofer

Weaknesses:

my plastic bathroom door & glass windows in my room. I think i might need to upgrade them.

Review:

I am simply amazed at the power and distortion free sound from this sub. It took me only 10 minutes at the shop to make up my mind and buy it on the spot. I spent a lot of time reviewing various subs but not satisfied me. Trust me this one really ROCKS !!! absolutely no regrets

by Jerry, November 6, 2005

Strengths:

A very solid sub woofer, it has a tight base responce and well deliver a booming deep base when needed. By far the the BEST sub woofer for under grand!!!

Weaknesses:

I have been playing this sub now for about six months and I can not think of any weaknesses!!

Review:

I have used seveal subs in the past but this sub really does rock... It really raddles the walls when playing it in surround sound for movies and when playing it with music it really delivers a great balance of bass notes. This PSW505 can be as soft as a kitten or when it is needed, well roar like a lion... Great job on this PSW505 series Sub Woofer...

by Dave, December 20, 2005

Strengths:

no distortion , it plays good on anykind of song, it lacks nothing. GET IT IF YOU CAN

Weaknesses:

I found that speaker placement was important once i had the right placement this sub just shook the whole house. get

Review:

I recently purchased the psw505 and I already have a psw12 so I was really waiting for this specific sub because I thought that my psw12 did a excellent job so I knew this one would be better. This sub really shakes everything in my basement and 1st floor. It does not matter if it is a playing music or watching a movie. THE LOWS ARE LOW. THATS WHAT I LIKE ABOUT IT. A GREAT BUY

by Rich, January 10, 2006

Strengths:

Drops low, extremely powerful, very clean sounding. Even at low volume this does wonders for music and dvds or whatever.

Weaknesses:

NONE

Review:

I bought the PSW505 a while ago and I remember the first day I received it I cranked up the volume and started tweaking and messing around with it. The following day I got a call from the manager of my apartment complex telling me that there were some complaints and if I ever played my stereo that loudly again they would evict me. Apparently, some girl in my building had a bunch of stuff on her walls and on shelves that fell off and broke on the floor. Anyone who says this subwoofer isn't powerful should try plugging it in. Either that or they are deaf and paralyzed from the neck down because they can't hear or feel vibrations.

by Pierre, January 31, 2006

Strengths:

Bash AMP Lots of power

Weaknesses:

Naigboors complaning all the time

Review:

I went through many subs tring to find the right one. I bought an Infinity,Quest,2 Sony's,and a valodine but not one of those hit as hard or as clean as my PSW505.

by Chris, February 17, 2006

Strengths:

Read the specs, they dont lie.

Weaknesses:

The box didnt fit in my attic crawl space.

Review:

I couldnt find a place in my room where this sub did not rock the couch! I have it placed right next to where I sit for maximum thmump for movies and I cannot hear the port to save the life of me.

by Mike Jones, March 8, 2006

Strengths:

Nice clean DEEP bass with what I think 0 distortion..

Weaknesses:

Hearing my wife wine about me having to get another one!, but lets face it these subs are cheaper than a devoirce.. No I can barley hear her at all.

Review:

Well I did it again! As you can see my review from May 15th 2005, I just added a second PSW505. Think I'm crazy!? Well I sure was no way did I did a second PSW505 but I picked one up anyways. I can't tell ya how crazy and awsome all at the same time they sound. Jurasic Park!.. Gimmie a break! Awsome subs! Thanks Polk

by Korie, March 9, 2006

Strengths:

SOUNDS AWESOME!!!...compared to anything for the $....so BUY IT!!

Weaknesses:

NONE!!

Review:

Just buy it!!..it gives and awesome rumble to those awesome action movies and all others, and when you want to listen to music it definately has the bump!

by Rohan, March 16, 2006

Strengths:

Great Look,colour , Powerful output.Great feel

Weaknesses:

Absolutely None.

Review:

i compared Polk Subwoofer and audio systems to all different mid range systems (Canton,JBL,jamo,YES,pioneer,Wharfedale)and to the costly brands (Bose,crystal,Anthony,KEF)and found that polk audio reallyu sets high standards at a very affordable price.Best Bargain in terms of value for money for one and all.Much better BASS system than most other brands .I highly recommend these for optimum output .Believe me i have been to all stores in my city.!!!!!!!!!!no better bargain !!!!!!!!!!!

by Chris Garner, June 3, 2006

Strengths:

It helps me fight the world with heavy metal, and in the words of Manowar, "blow your speakers, with rock n' roll!"

Weaknesses:

Review:

This sub is a winner! A whole lot of bang for the buck, I never thought I could actually say that a sub actually shakes my whole house, but thanks to the PSW505, I can (my neighbors will back me up on that one).

by Glenn Clark, August 28, 2006

Strengths:

amazing accurate response. Well balanced an powerfull sound that will shake your walls.

Weaknesses:

My eardrums are toast. My cats are now deaf.

Review:

I have been living with this sub for 1 year and it is absolutly the best I have owned. I have always owned polk products in the past and they continue to improve perfection. I live in the sticks and can crank up my Polk 505 and all of his Polk speaker friends as loud as I want.

by Mike, October 27, 2006

Strengths:

Very powerful. I'm laying with my head 3' from it and I can't tell where the bass is coming from. Just "mysteriously" fills the room, way nice. Very nicely built, heavy, looks good.

Weaknesses:

I live in a 1st floor apartment... even the people on the 3rd floor hate me because of this thing and I've never taken it over half volume

Review:

I love it! Good bass for a big room? No. Great bass for an entire house...

by Brandon Parnell, January 13, 2007

Strengths:

This sub is really powerful for its size,eazy to find placement do to its size and weight.

Weaknesses:

This isn't really a weakness but it could look a little nicer.

Review:

This subwoofer is hands down the most powerful sub that you can buy at any retail store for the price. And don't befooled by the size of it because, it really puts out a LOT of sound just make sure you set it up properly because any sub can preform poorly if not setup properly.

by H. Freeman, April 13, 2007

Strengths:

Just the right size. Very powerful. Looks great. Sounds great.

Weaknesses:

none

Review:

This sub is a badass. It WILL handle anything you throw at it and it'll sound awesome doing it.

by Mark Ramos, May 26, 2007

Strengths:

Good bass in movie theatre and not too heavy for music listening. It blends suprisingly well. Best Value for Money Well Built Subs

Weaknesses:

Possibly too Loud & too Boomy. Cranking up the volume will shudder the house - inside & out. The neighbours complain, but at least we can drown out thier complaints with our bass.

Review:

It's been a while that i have want a pair of the PSW-505 subwooper for my living Room. I have just replaced my Front Velodyne CHT-15 and Rear Energy S8.3 with two PSW-505's. In my opinion these speakers are well built for bass management. For those who have 7.1 high end Reciever these are the best choice for high quality home theatre sound. I have also installed 3 pair of RTi-6's and a center speaker (CSi-5). These complement and blend well with the bass output from my PSW-505's. I compared these to the Klipsch RB-51 and the RTi-6's blow the Klipsch away. Don't even bother making a comparison yourself, you'd be wasting your time. The clarity of the CSi-5 meet the 3 "C's" that sound should be: crisp, clean, & clear. When watching movies, this is what shapes & defines the sound so you can enjoy every last detail of theatre entertainment.

by Daniel Hammond, June 30, 2007

Strengths:

Excellent in keeping up the low bass frequency & power.

Weaknesses:

None

Review:

I've tried the PSW 404 and was disappointed with the base response so I upgraded to this one. I am extremly pleased with this one.

by Kyle, July 12, 2007

Strengths:

Great bass. Hits hard. Great for movies as well as music. Tons of power. Movies are a pleasure to watch now

Weaknesses:

None to speak of.

Review:

This subwoofer is great. It is very powerful. I have it in my 20x12 theatre room in the basement. Upon opening the box, there were no scratches or dings on the sub, which is great to see, great look and finish. This sub can really push out alot of bass. I watched Lord of the Rings and Star Wars using this sub, and my walls were shaking. I now have the volume at only half and it still pounds like crazy. I highly recommend Polk Audio, and their products, and their long warranties show that they care about their products and customer satisfaction. In terms of this sub, its awesome, I wouldn't want it anymore powerful as it already rumbles the house. I suggest getting one, you won't be disappointed. Great sub guys, good job.

by Peter M, July 12, 2007

Strengths:

Strong presence but not overwhelming More musical than products in this price range

Weaknesses:

Some concerns about the foam fabrics of the woofer

Review:

I paired the 505 with the RTi6 in front, CSi3, FXi3 as surround and R15 as surround back in a 7.1 setup. The 505 really brings the depth to the setup. Having auditioned some more expensive brands like Martin Logan, JM Lab and B&W, you really have to pay a lot more to marginally increase sound quality and definition. This sub is a good investment because you can get better gear and still keep the 505.

by Paolo De Berardinis, July 12, 2007

Strengths:

Excellent bass, clear, distortion free and ever flowing. Little to no reverb, that's amazing!!!

Weaknesses:

Would of liked a little improvement on the look.

Review:

I have to say that this PSW505 is amazing. When I finally decided to replace my old TEAC receiver the usual snowball effect occured. I could no longer bare the old 10-year surround system I had, It was time for the upgrade. After many visits to all the high-end retailers across Southern Ontario and Nothern New York, Polk Audio made it happen. My final system is a Pioneer Elite VSX-84TXSi receiver coupled to RTi10's (2) in the front, FXi5's (4) in the surrounds, CSi5 for the centre and the PSW505 for a sub. All I have to say if WOW!!! The highs and mids are so sweet. Their balance and precision are so harmonious. Rich in detail and the sub simply and easily fills in the lows without breaking a sweat! Thank Polk Audio...

by evan Mather, July 17, 2007

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

Review:

this beast is great! i was lookin for car audio bass and i found it. i listen to music more than anything and this sub paired with my rti series floor speakers make thunder. ultimately, im planning on doubling the entire system and hooking it up to my 4 channel amp for some serious bass. by far this is the best sub ive ever heard. you should get two.

by John, August 2, 2007

Strengths:

Tight Bass....

Weaknesses:

Haven't found one yet

Review:

MONSTER....I have a Onkyo SR504 pushing it, I have the sub about half way up and a large size living room and this shake's my couchs and my stair railings to my basement. Play rainbow six vegas and use the shotgun, you'll see what I'm talking about. People who have bad things to say about this your nuts our you don't have the right equipment to push it, it's a 300 watt cont. speaker.........I punish this speaker

by Brad, August 26, 2007

Strengths:

Great Bass , Looks Great , Powwwwerfulll , The Cat and I are now deaf.

Weaknesses:

Absoulutley nothing.

Review:

I first found the sub on a store flyer . Web only sale I. I wasnt sure how it was going to sound . After i had hooked it up and played some good bassy music , I damn near shot off in my pants . ITS AWSESOME . (((Buy It)))

by David M, November 26, 2007

Strengths:

Shakes my couch with ease at only 35% volume!

Weaknesses:

So strong that it angers all of my neighbors on the cul-de-sac.

Review:

Two words. SIMPLY AMAZING! I was skeptical at first because I was dissapointed with the looks and found it on sale for a rediculously low price but I figured what could go wrong, it is Polk Audio after all. Sure enough it was OUTSTANDING. I live in a large one story house in a nice neighborhood, and my neighbors complain daily about it shaking their houses, and its only running at 35%!!!!!!!

by dave, December 25, 2007

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

Review:

i've read the reviews and did the research for the lst few months, and i found this polk is the best deal, i have the rti10's in the front and the big ass center channel, and the tr8's in the rear and i'm really happy with them so why not go with a polk sub?

by Dan Caruso, January 15, 2008

Strengths:

smooth, powerful, affordable

Weaknesses:

wish it came in cherry finish

Review:

my first subwoofer; purchased to complement a Surroundbar-50 and doing the job quite well. The subwoofer selection page on this site and a desire to feel the base led me to choose this unit. Easy to set up and easy to listen to. Sounds nice with music, awesome with home theater. A nudge to the volume level and I can hear it in every room in the house.

by charles thacker, January 20, 2008

Strengths:

Deep ground shaking bass great power. perfect for the realy low freqs.

Weaknesses:

not quite as acurate as my velodynes.

Review:

Lets start with the fact that i am runing 3 subs in my system. Yes i said 3. I use 2 Velodyne DLS-3750s and 1 PSW-505 they are crossed over at diferent feqs. while the velodynes are extreamly tigth and acurate they did not hit that realy deep base that some media calls for that is why i purchased the PSW-505. And for deep ground shaking bass this thing is a monster. it added a whole new demention to my system. I am runing a full polk audio LSI suround system and i love it. i thought it sounded perfect untill i bought this sub and know i know it sounds purfect. Some may wonder why i run 3 subs. its simple i run them at lower volums than most do. i have learned that they actuly perform much better that way. literly no distortion.

by DUEY, April 5, 2008

Strengths:

12 inch woofer, strong amp, Very strong!

Weaknesses:

N/A

Review:

I almost passed on purching the 505,mainly due to its cost. I am very pleased that I chose to buy it. The 505 sounds great & feels great! What I have powering this bad boy is A MARANTZ PM-7000 Integrated Amplifier. I believe that the sub loves the clean power,and I enjoy what the 505 gives back! Yet another great purchase on my part. THIS SUB ROCKS!

by Frank Harper, April 17, 2008

Strengths:

Clear Clean Bass , Big , Nice Looking , ECT, ECT

Weaknesses:

Cherry Finish and maybe a Remote for us FAT people

Review:

I am in love with this sub as a few people have already said I am a Bass junky and I want that Car Bass. Well this Subwoofer puts that bass out. Altho I have a Frankinstein 7.1 HT it does everything i want it to do

by Bob Gong, May 27, 2008

Strengths:

Powerful enough for 99% of the audio/video systems and audiophiles out there. Crisp, clean bass.

Weaknesses:

Not the best looking case/grill combination. The case is ugly, but the bass is beautiful!

Review:

One word... AWESOME! This sub has PLENTY of power. I have it in a medium-sized family room (20x15) with extra space taken up by the kitchen, so the total space is about 30x20. There is so much power that I have it turned down to 40%, and my wife still complains! The bass response is phenomenal. Bottles, vases, glasses, etc vibrate well before you 'hear' the bass. I'm hearing nuances in movies (this setup is primarily for an AV system) I did not hear before with my old, junky Sony sub. It carries all the bass of my surround sound system, since the speakers are too small to carry the bass, and does it without being boomy.

by tmac23, February 25, 2009

Strengths:

I listen to a wide collection - rock to classical, raggae to jazz, but primarly hip-hop; if you know anything about that style of music and you can see that I gave this a 5/5 you would buy this

Weaknesses:

well the sub is so powerful that it rotates on my dorm's linoleum floor, but is that really a weakness?

Review:

I am a college student living in a dorm room no bigger than 10X10 feet, why is this relevant? This subwoofer, along with my polk audio speakers, gets me bit**** out like no other!!! My roommate, the people living next to me, the people down the hall, as well as the people who live below and above me constantly yell at me because of how powerful and Godly this sub and my polk audio speakers are! I found this for a great deal and I would call you a dumba** if you were not smart enough to buy this subwoofer. My dad has purchased subwoofers that cost much more than this sub and I can honestly say that this sounds better and it produces more power. Although my guarantee means nothing to you, because of the fact that you don't know me, I still guarantee that you would not regret purchasing this subwoofer! If possible, BUY IT!

by Richie Mata, March 8, 2009

Strengths:

Strong,powerful. True and clean lows!

Weaknesses:

Not the most attractive.

Review:

Wow, what a powerful sub. I started with a PSW10, then I got a PSW111 and yes I returned it and went with a PSW505 and have never regeretted it since. I'm sticking to this one. Has a lot of ummff, solid, clear, and true! My neigbor listed to it and had nothing but raves for it. My home theater is a Onkyo S5100 and couldn't be happier! I'm sold on Polk subs. This sub will give you the earth shaking bass some look for. My setting is only half and I get plenty of that. Much more room for more .. half of the subs volume control, the amps volume increase.. wow nuff said!

by pallpoul, November 20, 2009

Strengths:

Excelletn for the price:

Weaknesses:

None, what so ever

Review:

I f ou're looking for base, you just found it.. I have 2 psw505 complimenting my HT setup: 4 M-70, 2 M60 and a CS2, Pioneer vsx1019. I am glade my neighbours are old folks and use hearing aids, if not I would have been receiving complaints daily, as these baby rock the house. Clean tight punches, absolutely amazing effects while watching BD movies or listening to music.. Can't say enough about them. Use the unfiltred input to connect to my A/V receiver, set the X-over to 80 hz, and just enjoy...

by John Elmore, December 26, 2009

Strengths:

High power and low bass ,Large extrution on the woofer.

Weaknesses:

Could have came in cherry.The upper bass is not as tight as I would like it to have been.

Review:

If you want to shake your windows and your neighbors windows then this is a sub for you.It has plenty of power for low rumblem bass.It has plenty of connection LFP and Right and left rca's.A gain and 180 degree phase control .as well as a built in cross-over.

by Aaron, January 28, 2010

Strengths:

Sounds and looks great. perfect subwoofer for me.

Weaknesses:

On low frequencies the port has a flutter noise from the air but its only on the really low stuff Like 25 herts so its no big deal.

Review:

This subwoofer moves alot of air and plays very low. sounds amazing on movies. it can play stiff notes like a knock on the door or the loud low stuff like the nuclear bomb on terminator 3. Ive had alot of different subwoofers an this one sounds the best. Most sounded good but You just cant feel them like you can with this one. Im one of the people who would like to know the singnal to noise ratio and damping factor because im jus into stereos like that.

by Shayne, February 11, 2010

Strengths:

12", serious bass, plenty of connectivity options, nice finish.

Weaknesses:

Not a weakness in my opinion...but when I unpacked it, the wifey kinda freaked out. "I didn't know it was going to be so BIG!" Heheheh.

Review:

Provides far more bass than the 8" or 10" models the goons at Best Buy try to recommend. And at around $250 online (newegg), it's well worth the money.

by Ronman, March 9, 2010

Strengths:

BOOM; Fit and finish; Long-throw woofer; BASH amplifier; good RMS power for the $;

Weaknesses:

To me, the front plate doesn't look all that good without the cloth grill on. But, with it, I think it looks really good.

Review:

WOW!!! What a sub! I'm sure there are more refined pieces out there, but for what I paid ($249.99), you cannot beat it! This thing is amazing. I've had several subwoofers myself, and this thing rocks out. So, I bought a second one. I haven't totally tweaked the system yet. I'm running them a little low right now, to break them in more properly. But, it's been tempting to let em boom from time to time. Absolutely and totally satisfied!

by powerguymark, June 16, 2010

Strengths:

Everything! ( Price, connectability, end result was excellent for both movies AND music.)

Weaknesses:

Read some pro test reviews that tried to be positive, but only gave it average marks. (You would have to spend 4 times this price to see any appreciable improvement, so pro test results I feel are skewed towards audiophile-grade ratings.

Review:

Splendid! A TRUE bargain and a breeze to set up. Started with HTIB (Onkyo HT-S6100) Replaced loose Onkyo sub with the 505 and it was a dramatic improvement. Was/am running as 6.1 with: Vintage Polk 10a's (FL/FR), Polk R50's (SL/SR), Polk CRS (center) & Onkyo HTIB speaker for the single rear surround. Connected via the sub pre-out on the Onkyo & to the unfiltered connection on the 505 with the Onkyo sub gain set to -3 & 505 volume set at about 40 percent. Ran the Audyssey set-up & it lowered the sub down to -7db. Tuned to the Smooth Jazz digital channel (Comcast) & immediately enjoyed a much deeper & cleaner bottom end.

by jwiles, August 4, 2010

Strengths:

plain and simple......ONE MEAN SON OF A BITCH

Weaknesses:

my wife hates it..........but i cant hear her.

Review:

i have a psw111 as well as the psw505. i have the psw111 hooked up w/ left and right channels(also polk) and the psw505 as acting sub. crossover at 100hz. the sound is incredible. Amazing sub.....hows yours hooked up?