The Polk Audio PSW505 produces high powered and high-quality sound as compared to its cost (under $300). It does have some shortfalls but overall is a good product for any budget-conscious audio enthusiast. This subwoofer is perfect for your home theatre system and is not designed to provide an earth-shattering boom like many other subwoofers on the market in this price range. This speaker could be a good option if you’re looking for something to fill out the sound of your system without overdoing it on the bass.
Pros
- Magnetically shielded
- High RMS power
- Cost-effective
Cons
- Noisy port and rattle at high volumes, unremarkable design, imprecise in the lowest compatible frequencies
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A strong point in the design of the Polk Audio PSW505 is that it is magnetically shielded. This means that you can place it near your TV or any other device that it could cause interference with.
Coupled with this, the subwoofer is relatively small and light at just 16”x15” x18” and 48lb so it can be placed easily in a convenient, sound quality improving position with relative ease.
The cabinet is built from MDF and covered in laminate which is pretty standard for a low-cost subwoofer. This sub sits on plastic feet so it is better suited to a carpeted floor as at high volumes it can move slightly across a wood or tile floor.
Sound
This sub can provide a lot of impact in the lower frequencies even when only driven to half of its full volume. Therefore, it is perfect for your home theatre system, however, when listening to music the lowest compatible frequencies can become a little muddy.
Driven to its highest volumes there can be a little distortion and rattle but it’s unlikely to be driven that hard often under normal circumstances. This is only really something to consider if you host a lot of parties or have a very large media room.
Specs
Dimensions – 16.125 x 15.125 x 18.1875 in.
Driver – 12″ High excursion polymer composite cone with hi roll surround
Frequency response – 23Hz – 160Hz
Built-in amplifier power – 460 watts Dynamic Peak, 300 watts RMS continuous
Impedance – 4 ohms
Magnetic shielding – yes
Polk Audio PSW505 vs Polk Audio HTS 12
The Polk Audio HTS 12 is a superior subwoofer offering from Polk Audio in terms of both the quality of build and sound. This subwoofer comes with a floor firing bass port which not only looks great but provides a more clear and present bass that the PSW505. However, the HTS 12 has lower RMS and max power at 200w and 400w respectively and a heftier price tag.
Polk Audio PSW505 vs Klipsch R-12SW
These two subwoofers are similar in many ways but the Klipsch has more output at 600w max so it can fill out a large room more effectively. The Klipsch is also an arguably more attractive unit with its classic copper speaker. The Klipsch also offers a wider frequency response range of 40-160 Hz while the Polk Audio PSW505 is capable of 60-125 Hz only. The Klipsch can cost up to twice what the PSW505 does though.
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Last update on 2022-03-01 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API