Polk PSW505 Subwoofer - OfferUp $160 - MSRP $589

Polk PSW505 Subwoofer - OfferUp $160 - MSRP $589
Average Guy HiFi Rating - 38.5/50 = 77%
Demo Movie - Overlord (decided to use this move for all 3 of the Martin Logan Subwoofers that I reviewed)
Website:
www.paramount....
Amazon link:
www.amazon.com...
Polk PSW505
Polk website:
www.polkaudio....
Type - Slot ported
Woofer - 12” long excursion
Amplifier - 300 watt RMS
Frequency response - 28-125 Hz (-3dB)
Dimensions - 15 1/8"(W) x 16 3/16" (H )x 18 5/8” (D)
Weight (pounds): ~ 41 lbs (could only find shipping weight was 48 lbs so I took 7 lbs off for the packaging.
MSRP - $589
Price Paid - $250 (it was actually loaned to me by a subscriber but he told me he would sell it to me for $250)
Condition - 80% (not included in the Average Guy Hi-Fi score)
This subwoofer is in fantastic shape but the cabinet does have some wear.
Quality - 8.0
This sub has a nice quality feeling to it, especially the beefy woofer. The cabinet feels sturdy and pretty dense and I like the materials they used in covering it.
Nothing that really stands out, when compared to the competition but the woofer.
Bass - 7.5
It took me quite a while to get it setup correctly, more than most subs I’ve reviewed.
Once I got it dialed in, the bass was strong and deep. It started to struggle a little, when asked to hit the low notes at Reference volume. It starts fading at around 30 Hz but so do most subwoofers in this price range.
MSRP Rating - 7.0
At nearly $600, when it came out, there were better subwoofer options out. HSU, SVS and Reaction Audio (out of business) all come to mind.
With that said, this subwoofer could be found for under $275 during the right sales and at that price, this subwoofer is much harder to beat.
I ended up getting a brand new pair, back in the day, for around $500 total. At that price, I was just thrilled with the performance.
Aesthetics - 8.5
I like the looks and the size of this subwoofer. I’ve been hauling big subwoofers in and out of my place to review so I was pretty happy when it came time to review this sub.
Like I mentioned with some of my earlier polk reviews, I like the silver and black look. I especially like the looks of the thick surround on the woofer it’s self, makes it look mean.
Price Paid Value - 7.5
Not the greatest deal but I was quite pleased when this sub popped up. At $160, you’d be hard pressed to find a sub that performed better.
I regularly see this sub listed for $200+ and it usually sells quickly at that price so being able to grab it under $200, it was a score.
Final thoughts -
Spend time getting this subwoofer in the best position in your room, get it calibrated correctly and it will reward you with good clean bass down to around 30 Hz.
It has a slightly boomy note to it, which I couldn’t tame and it will give you some port noise when pushed too hard. At this price, these things are to be expected.
Quality, affordable subwoofer and a killer deal under $300 new.
Average Guy HiFi Rating - 38.5/50 = 77%
Other Equipment Used:
Speakers - M&K S-150 THX
Receiver- Marantz SR7013
Amplifier - Marantz MM7055
TV - LG C9 OLED 65”
Blu-ray Player - Xbox One X
Surge Protection - Panamax M7500-PRO
Subscriber Count At The Time Of This Video - 1,550 (amazing!)