PSW650

by John, February 28, 2002

Strengths:

Great looks, front volume control, all the input options that anyone could ever need, never breaks a sweat!

Weaknesses:

Very heavy (which is not a real problem unless you feel the need to move it around).

Review:

Very solid performance. If you have a large room with high ceilings, you will need this sub. It can absolutely shake the foundation of your house, yet produce clean deep bass at low volume levels when asked. We searched many other brands and models including Velodyne, but none matched the 650 for features and performance.

by Tunisiano, March 20, 2002

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

Review:

by timmy p, May 22, 2002

Strengths:

high current amplifer, VERY solid cabinet structure, dual 10'' inch radiators working in harmony, who could ask for anything more?

Weaknesses:

you can see your weakness when starring at the high gloss mirror like finish.

Review:

this is one awesome sub! this sub produces ultra clean tight powerful bass when listening to music, and explosions like i never heard or felt before when watching movies!! this beast rivals subs costing hundreds or even thousands of dollars more!!!

by Steph, October 4, 2002

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

Review:

this sub thumps! i absolutely love it. it's worth the money. it makes you cds, radio, dvds, ect. sound amazing! kudos to polk for makeing such an amazing sub.

by Justin Palmer, October 14, 2002

Strengths:

Unbelievable quality bass reproduction. Looks like a coffee table (that's a good thing) Pounds, Pounds, Pounds

Weaknesses:

I have to look at myself when I change the volume.

Review:

Bravo Polk! This subwoofer can re-locate your house quite efficiently yet sound amazing at low volume. The bridge between loud and clean has been surpassed. At first I thought it was boomy, but then after a few days it cleaned up. Don't doubt the power of this sub, it's better than the 1200W Infinity IL120.

by jeff salerno, November 23, 2002

Strengths:

It uses the LFE from DVD movies very well to hit the lowest of audible notes.

Weaknesses:

For music listing to most types of music the sub does great. For rap music it didn't perform as well as I expected. It didn't bottom out but it sounded like it was pushing out the bass you would expect it too.

Review:

When I ordered the subwoofer I imagined it would be heavy, but when I went to pick it up it nearly threw out my back. Bigger magnets mean a heavier sub and a heavier sound. The sub is great a hitting extremely low notes on movies. I like the banana line inputs because if you mary the sub with smaller speakers the built in crossover will make the sound blend smoothly. The volume control on the front is very nice because it can be a pain to reach around the back of the sub if you are lazy like me.

by Tim G, June 12, 2003

Strengths:

The dirt settling around my foundation.

Weaknesses:

We wanted a Home Theater System that our daughter's friends would love to come and enjoy... this Sub-Woofer adds the punch that EVERYONE has enjoyed and admired. It adds that extra dimension to visual imagery - THUMP!

Review:

Clean, clear, precise BOOMING base. Excellent construction quality and details making this a fine addition to any room.

by jim mcgee, July 24, 2003

Strengths:

front volume control great sound

Weaknesses:

none to think of

Review:

the RTI-2000,CSI-40,and the RTI-800 is an excellent combination for which i thought there was no improving upon until i saw and heard the psw-650 IT'S ABSOLUTLY GREAT CAN SAY NO MORE

by Charles Rose, September 1, 2003

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

Review:

This sub has exceeded my expectations in every way! I have owned it for about three weeks now, and I have thoroughly enjoyed this thing. It was ordered on line from Crutchfield's. It took about twenty four hours to burn in, once I got it(what a great day that was) and a fair amount of tweeking to get the best sound, but I've found a very good blend with my RT7 mains. An Onkyo TX-SR600 provides the signal. The RT7s sound very good alone, but with the bass extension (to 25 Hz) offered by the PSW650 the system is absolutely fantastic both musically and as an HT unit. I have nearly gone through my entire collection of music listening ti the imorived bass response. The sub has moved the speakers up to a very good higher level! I just wanted to test out the bass performance of the sub on some very heavy bass techno stuff done by a group called the Bass Connection (the best of). The song played was "feel the bass". Believe me-the PSW650 was stunning. It made the entire house shake and breathe as the low frequencies pumped out. No kidding, and the bass was clean and undistorted at 108 dB from ~10 ft at measured with a sound level meter (C weighted fast). Doors, cabinets, dishes, the hardware in my fireplase and the walls were vibrating and shaking in this weird kind of rythmic movement. Very impressive. I am very pleased and give two thumbs up to Polk!

by Donovan, February 12, 2004

Strengths:

Extrene bass for a home theater system. Sounds great at all volumes. No thump when it kicks off and on.

Weaknesses:

Bulky, need an open corner. Can't put close to a sofa or chair, unless you like the feel of being kicked in the back.

Review:

I was looking for a sub that would rattle the walls. I got exactly what I wanted. This sub was purchased along with the RM-6700 series. The system rocks. All movies sound great. The THX excerpts on movies will make your hair tingle. Had this sub for a year with not a problem one. If you can find it, buy it!!

by richard reynolds, June 19, 2004

Strengths:

WINS EVERY CRANK IT UP CONTEST WITH THE NEIGHBORS DOG

Weaknesses:

CAN'T KEEP PEOPLE FROM TOUCHING THE SHINEY BOX

Review:

WHEN I ORDERD THIS SUB I ALLREADY HAD TWO OTHER 10 INCH SUBS AND WAS GOING TO ADD ON THE 650. I LISTEND TO THE SUB BY ITSELF AND WAS SO IMPRESSED THAT I SOLD THE OTHER TWO SUBS.

by Ryan, January 4, 2006

Strengths:

Very clean sound and high quality construction and components.

Weaknesses:

Few, but a large box and side fireing woofers make location a factor to play with to find the best sound.

Review:

I was looking for a sub to produce clean low frequency bass reproduction and all volumes. This sub surpassed expectations. The spects on the sub do not do justice the true capability within this shiny box.

by michael c. evans, February 4, 2013

Strengths:

Beautiful cabinetry and wonderful bass performance.

Weaknesses:

It is heavy... but no more than the norm.

Review:

I have 3 of these subs in different systems within my home. They are truly remarkable with powerful bass frequencies in both stereo and surround sound applications. They really have great bottom end in movies and have lasted for over 10 years in these applications.Thanks for such a great subwoofer! Polk makes products that last period!

SoundStage.com, August 1999

"...this is one great little inexpensive subwoofer...the PSW 650 did an excellent job with music and really came alive in the theatre where I never did get it to say "uncle!"

[ Open Review ]

etown.com, June 1999

"Oh yes, the PSW650 is certainly capable of pumping out mass quantities of low-frequency energy. It can, when overdriven by its owner, rattle your teeth as well as your room. And yet, when properly tuned, the 650 is also capable of seamless integration with one's main speakers and of a remarkable degree of musical accuracy."
"The Polk PSW650 proved to be something of a revelation to me. I didn't expect it to be as tuneful or as satisfying as it proved to be. Given all that it offers for $699, this has got to be one of audio's best values (but be careful, you may find yourself feeling a sudden urge to indulge your, er, baser instincts)."

StereoTimes.com, May 2000

"When it comes to home theater applications, the PSW650 rises to the occasion. This is one powerful subwoofer. It adds a foundation of deep bass to movies that you can feel. The PSW650 brought my home theater to life."

[ Open Review ]

Widescreen Review Subwoofer Buyers Guide Fall/Winter 2000

—Richard Hardesty

"The Polk PSW650 is a great-looking, great-performing powered subwoofer that costs less than $800. It rivals the performance of the best home theatre subs and is among the better vented subwoofers for music reproduction, too. If your budget for a subwoofer is under a thousand bucks, this one should be at the top of your short list. It's a darn good subwoofer and an excellent value."

Consumer Guide

"...an attractively priced subwoofer than can certainly hold its own against much more expensive units." A "Best Buy."

[ Open Review ]

onhometheater.com, February 2002

—Wes Phillips

"The PSW650 is flat-out the most impressive subwoofer I've ever auditioned, whether for home theater or music. It's so powerful in its reproduction of bottom-end special effects, it could probably stun a terrier at 10 yards, yet it's capable of producing tight, tuneful music when Paul Chambers walks his acoustic bass behind a Coltrane solo.

Not that the LSi15s aren't capable of deep, solid bass. They are. But reinforced by the PSW650, they reproduce a bottom end you could crack an egg on. I mean solid!"

[ Open Review ]