Dead Polk PW650 Subwoofer...

jon s

One of my Polk PW650 subwoofers died on me... The amp powers on with a thump but none of the inputs work. I just called Polk's customer service and they told me that the amplifier is not repairable nor is it available. They gave me the option of buying a new subwoofer at a substantial discounted price, but the problem is that I live in Hawaii and shipping a sub will probably be expensive (e.g. I paid $300 to ship a 50lb amp from Missouri via Fedex, and subs ain't light).

So I am looking at options... (BTW, I have no issues against Polk, their customer service is terrific and the subwoofer is an old model (11yo) and things happen).

Is there an easy way to replace the plate amplifier with a non-Polk unit? The amp faceplate dimensions are about 9"x11" and I could not find a suitable on at Parts Express. I'd hate to see the sub go to waste as the drivers are still fine and the cabinet is near mint. Also, this sub is one of three 650s I have in my home theater so it looks kinda nice with the matched set (My belief is more subs will mean less dead spots, also three subs driven with less power will equal the same volume as one overdriven sub, thereby less distortion).

Is there any other options I could consider? Thanks in advance...

:question:

ambiophonics

What about converting the sub to a passive unit? If the amp portion is unrepairable anyhow all you would need to do is hardwire the speaker to a pair of banana plugs on the rear of the dead plate amp...

Then you could use whatever amp you want to power the sub - I've done the same thing with JBL SUB-10's which are known for failing prematurely. Just a thought :cheesygrin:

Serendipity

I wouldn't replace the plate amplifier with a non-Polk unit, because the Polk amplifier is specifically made to be matched with the driver in the sub.

jon s

Question... I am having my sub amp looked at by someone... If the prognosis is negative, I am thinking of using the drivers to make a new subwoofer using a isobaric cabinet design. The advantages are lower distortion and tighter bass, but disadvantage is lower efficiency.

But even before I can consider that, I have to get the Thiel and Small parameters of the 10" drivers so I can figure the volume and port vent size of the cabinet. Does anyone have any ideas how I can get the specifications of these drivers?