Home Theater Subwoofer Battle: Polk Audio PSW110 vs. Pioneer SW-8

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TinaisTina
TinaisTina Posts: 1
edited June 2014 in Subwoofer Hookup & Bass Management
Hello,
I am looking to spend <$200 on a sub. I do casual TV viewing with occasional movies--definitely not an audiophile by any means. I did some browsing on these forums and definitely can't afford the $500+ subs most threads discuss. I've narrowed it down between the below two sub woofers and would like any thoughts (casual or professional, light or detailed) on both before I go through with my purchase. I will be hooking up the sub to an Audiosource S3D60, so no...I do not have a dedicated amp. Thanks in advance!

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  • seabeerob213
    seabeerob213 Posts: 1,840
    edited May 2014
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    watch newegg and amazon for the psw 505, often in the 189-250 price range
    2 Channel(work in progress):DAC: Schiit modi 2 uberAmp:Parasound 1200 MK IISub:RBH 1010-SEP Speakers: Monitor 5A peerlesscurrently running some krk rokit 3g since the HK pre outs died and i need to start breaking everything down to move in a couple monthsHeadphones:Source: tidalDAC: schiit modius epre: schiit sysAmp: AQ dragonfly black/ schiit magni2 Cans: Velodyne V-True, Grado SR225i, sennheiser x drop gaming headsetPC:DAC: schiit modius e(over spdif)pre: schiit sysspeakers: prenous eris 5 xtSub: Earthquake Sound MiniMe-P63most of my comments are passing on of info, im a noob, im just trying to help how i can, if im wrong or out of place to comment, dont hesitate to let me know :)"WITH WILLING HEARTS AND SKILLFUL HANDS, THE DIFFICULT WE DO AT ONCE, THE IMPOSSIBLE TAKES A BIT LONGER, WITH COMPASSION FOR OTHERS. WE BUILD - WE FIGHT FOR PEACE WITH FREEDOM"Seabee Memorial, Arlington, VA
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  • felipe
    felipe Posts: 423
    edited May 2014
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    I can vouch for the psw110...great sub. Once broken in and tuned/placed properly, its awesome! I'm working on getting a second one ;-)
    My Setup: Denon AVR X3600h, Polk Signature S50 Fronts w/ S30 Center and S15 Rears, LG UBK90 4K Player, TCL 6-Series 65”4k TV

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  • Talon_Sr
    Talon_Sr Posts: 125
    edited June 2014
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    I agree with Seabeerob213, I got the PSW-505 for $200 on Amazon about a week ago. It is a great SW. Shakes the house.
    Pioneer SC-1523-K and VSX-1018AH-K; Polk Monitor 75T Fronts, Pioneer S-HF11C Center, Cerwin Vega VE-5M surrounds and backs; Polk PSW-505 with Mediabridge SW cable; Onkyo SKW-204 with Mediabridge SW cable; Oppo BDP-103; Akai GX-255 Open Reel.
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  • Nightfall
    Nightfall Posts: 10,071
    edited June 2014
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    That SW-8 mk2 was designed by Andrew Jones, the cheap bookies he designed are very highly regarded. I'd have to vote the Pioneer. Polk is not so much known for their subs...
    afterburnt wrote: »
    They didn't speak a word of English, they were from South Carolina.

    Village Idiot of Club Polk
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  • Nightfall
    Nightfall Posts: 10,071
    edited June 2014
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    Check it out, it's on sale for only $100 right now. Free 2 day shipping if you're a Prime subscriber.

    http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SW-8MK2-Designed-100-Watt-Subwoofer/dp/B008NCD2PC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402359162&sr=8-1&keywords=pioneer+sw8
    afterburnt wrote: »
    They didn't speak a word of English, they were from South Carolina.

    Village Idiot of Club Polk
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  • felipe
    felipe Posts: 423
    edited June 2014
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    I tried the pio sw mk2, and it is a great sounding sub. Its only flaw that I noticed..the HUM noise it makes from/the front vent. Could've been a defect, but looked it up online and its a recurring issue with those..so I returned it. I have no experience with the 505, but the BIC f12 is IMO the best bet for 200 or less. The psw110 isn't too shabby either..I own both;-)
    My Setup: Denon AVR X3600h, Polk Signature S50 Fronts w/ S30 Center and S15 Rears, LG UBK90 4K Player, TCL 6-Series 65”4k TV

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  • cnh
    cnh Posts: 13,284
    edited June 2014
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    I'm sure Mr. Jones did what he could with that 8" sub but the physics are not with him there. There's only so much you can do with that amount of amplification and small cab size. OK, for a smaller room but won't give you the thump you need for a larger room or even decent sized room.

    I will say that A. Jones worked a small miracle with the bookies and center, those are the best of the lot. The towers are also very good but not quite as impressive as what those 4"/1" bookies can do for almost no COIN! Have to hand it to him on those.

    From what I've read he spent months drawing up prototypes for drivers, crossovers, etc. Then having prototypes sent to him to test and listen to revising those and proposing better prototypes...(he did BOTH, again and again, and again till, well, till he got it as RIGHT as he could for the price).

    Those Polk subs are fine for HT, they have more power and hit lower than the Pioneer sub. They're not the best for two channel music, but they're not bad there either.

    Have fun!

    cnh
    Currently orbiting Bowie's Blackstar.!

    Polk Lsi-7s, Def Tech 8" sub, HK 3490, HK HD 990 (CDP/DAC), AKG Q701s
    [sig. changed on a monthly basis as I rotate in and out of my stash]
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