PSW111 vs. PSW110

Jonathan Wood

I'm comparing the PSW111 against the PSW110 for a home audio system I'm putting together for video and music.

I really don't understand the positioning of these two products. On the one hand, the PSW111 has greater power handling and is more costly, on the other hand, it has a smaller speaker, which has led some to comment that the PSW111 doesn't handle deeper tones as well as the PSW110!

Why on Earth wouldn't Polk Audio put the bigger speaker on the higher watt model, and the smaller speaker on the lower watt model? That would make the decision easy. As it is, I just can't tell which will provide better performance.

(Do Polk Audio engineers follow these forums?)

domflane

Bigger woofers don't always mean better bass. There are some great performing subs out there that have massive power handling and relatively small woofers. The Sunfire True Sub is a good example. Even Polk's micropro series use relatively small woofers compared to other subs with similarly powered amps (except the 4000). If bigger was always better we'd have have 18" subs in our rigs.

Jonathan Wood

domflane wrote: »

Bigger woofers don't always mean better bass. There are some great performing subs out there that have massive power handling and relatively small woofers. The Sunfire True Sub is a good example. Even Polk's micropro series use relatively small woofers compared to other subs with similarly powered amps (except the 4000). If bigger was always better we'd have have 18" subs in our rigs.

Thanks, but this states the obvious without addressing the point I raised. The difference between the two is unclear as far as which performs better. And I have read at least one reviewer that stated they preferred the sound of the less expensive one with the larger speaker. At this point, I really don't know which one will provide better performance.

tonyb

The difference between the 2 is a matter of personal preference, some like lower boomy bass, some like tighter faster bass. The differences between these 2 subs is not that great but personally I'd look into the micro pro subs or subs from another maker such as HSU, SVS, Epik, to name a few. No shortage of sub makers out there so don't limit yourself to 2 choices.

Lietuvis91

Well, the msrp alone tells you that the psw111 is a little more expensive, which probably means you are paying for competetive performance from a small sub relative to the bigger subs, which likely requires more power to achieve. The specs and the price point make sense to me.

In general though, I have found that smaller subs are better for music while bigger subs are better for HT. For a dedicated 2 ch music rig, I would go with an 8 inch no doubt, for a 50/50 multi purpose system a 10 inch is a good balance, and a dedicated HT rig will sound great with a 12inch.

I would go along with moving up to the next series of dsw micropro subs, unless your wallet really can't stretch that far.

Jonathan Wood

Lietuvis91 wrote: »

Well, the msrp alone tells you that the psw111 is a little more expensive, which probably means you are paying for competetive performance from a small sub relative to the bigger subs, which likely requires more power to achieve. The specs and the price point make sense to me.

Yes, I mentioned in my original post that the PSW111 was a little more costly. It's just that, in this case, I don't see a clear division between products and when a person should pick one over the other. So I'm not sure I agree with your last point above.

Your point about smaller subs just producing a slightly different sound makes sense though. Different people have different needs and tastes. Amazon has an offer for a free PSW111 when you purchase $500 or more of qualifying speakers. Looks like that's the route I'll take for now. Getting everything (including TV) is expensive. I can always upgrade a component down the road if needed, even if it means trying a different brand.

Thanks.

Lietuvis91

You can agree or disagree, it really doesn't matter. It all comes down to how something fits into your system based on the purpose of your system, and I think we gave you the basics on how to evaluate this. I for one, think those two subs have slighly different objectives, and I would chose based on my goals. Anyway, there are so many good products out there that if you REALLY want to be able to form a meaningful opinion, you are going to have to do some homework and legwork, as you won't really know unless you hear and see for yourself. That's actually the best part of this hobby, if you have time for it. Good luck! :cheesygrin:

BlackHawk

Jonathan Wood wrote: »

Thanks, but this states the obvious without addressing the point I raised. The difference between the two is unclear as far as which performs better. And I have read at least one reviewer that stated they preferred the sound of the less expensive one with the larger speaker. At this point, I really don't know which one will provide better performance.

I am one that through a certain experience found a cheaper sub with a 10" woofer and a 100 watt RMS amp to be almost as good as a sub with three 8" woofers and a 300 watt RMS amp. The MSRP price difference between these two subs was $600.00! The other sub was not at all worth it at that price. IME, a sub with the bigger driver is better in almost every case even if it has a lower powered amp. I"m not a big fan of any manufacturers "micro" subs. I have a M&K sub from the early 1990's with two 12" woofers and a 100 watt amp that stomps subs made today claiming 1,000 watts RMS. Figure that one out.

Tbone289

BlackHawk wrote: »

I have a M&K sub from the early 1990's with two 12" woofers and a 100 watt amp that stomps subs made today claiming 1,000 watts RMS. Figure that one out.

"Stomps" in what way? Cleaner sound? Deeper bass? More efficient output? Higher sound pressure? More musicality?

tonyb

Nobody is going to be able to tell you which one sounds better. The associated gear and the room have alot to do with it. Plus they are so close, that one may sound better than the other on one system, and totally opposite on another. You can read reviews until your head spins, try both and send the one back you don't like.

BlackHawk

Tbone289 wrote: »

"Stomps" in what way? Cleaner sound? Deeper bass? More efficient output? Higher sound pressure? More musicality?

You name it. Cleaner more accurate sound for sure... sealed cabinet with two 12's in a push pull configuration, deeper bass, higher SPL, great with both music and movies. Overall IMO the best subs I've come across. Not sure what else to say. I picked up another one used just last year because I like them so much. Hope this helps.

gudnoyez

I Listened to the 110 and the 111, the 111 is the one I brought home, I thought it sounded much better compared to the 110.

Tbone289

I can't speak for the 111, but I've owned a 110, and I'm not a fan. The older psw202 is better. I would choose the 111 between the two.