Did I get scammed on this PSW125?

Wiltzor

Hi guys,

First I'd like to say hi to everyone. My girlfriend and I just bought our first house and I've decided to slowly piece together a home theatre for movies/music.

The first piece I purchased (aside from the Vizio soundbar I bought at [and plan on returning to] Costco) is a second hand PSW125 subwoofer. The price was right and I couldn't pass it up.

After taking a second look at it at home, I'm now thinking it's been tampered with in the past. I don't know what, if anything has been altered, and that's what I'm hoping you guys can help me figure out.

It sounds great to me (I'm very new at the home audio game), but I want to make sure I got what I paid for.

The PSW125 in all its glory

Looking at pictures of other PSW125's, this panel is different...

Additional holes from screws

Yellow electrical tape that is coming loose. The negative terminal is also quite loose.

Multiple types of screws used

This is a good sign though, right?

If anyone can shed some light or just throw some theories out there it would be greatly appreciated!

P.S. - I plan on keeping with the Polk theme and get some RTi floor standing speakers down the road :-D

DaveHCYJ

I assume this was bought used...

It look in rough shape, but if it sounds good I wouldn't worry too much. The parts look correct as far as I can tell (vice being counterfit). It just looks like someone had taken it apart before, perhaps to mod it.

ravaneli

Your house looks nice too.

Some RTi A7s will just snap on that wood floor

Syndil

Looks fairly obvious that the amp plate has been replaced with a non-Polk product. If it was Polk, it would say Polk Audio where it now instead says "Powered Subwoofer." The little barcode on it suggests that it was indeed made to fit a PSW125, but it is not original.

After a brief Google image search, it looks like there were two different amp plates made for the PSW125, each with different mounting hole patterns. Looks like your replacement amp plate used a different mounting hole pattern than the original.

Here are the two styles of plates:

This is what your sub would have originally had.



And this is what your replacement amp was meant to replace.
http://www.google.com/imgres?start=96&um=1&hl=en&safe=off&client=opera&rls=en&tbm=isch&tbnid=xoY1F_DE_j78aM:&imgrefurl=http://www.kaskus.us/showthread.php%3Ft%3D7922067&docid=o9bX2xi1rVnA4M&imgurl=http://cdn-u.kaskus.us/38/pd1mstiw.jpg&w=600&h=450&ei=r95TT93VNNSztwezw-3SDQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=978&vpy=295&dur=1593&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=134&ty=116&sig=102431480100189250897&page=5&tbnh=162&tbnw=230&ndsp=26&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:96&biw=1280&bih=904

Now the only pic I could find of an amp plate with the different mounting pattern was from an Indonesian forum. It may be that the so-called Polk PSW125 in the Indonesian forum is a counterfeit, and that the amp plate you have was intended for the counterfeit. That is just speculation, however. I can find no confirmation from Polk that they made two versions of the PSW125 with different mounting hole patterns. Maybe someone from Polk can help.

DaveHCYJ

You could be on to something. The psw111 back plate looks exactly like his except it says PolkAudio above powered subwoofer. Otherwise all the plugs and dials are in the same location as his picture.

scottyboy76

you see the kind of detailed help you can get from many members here, you just cant beat this place.

PSOVLSK

Wiltzor wrote: »

Hi guys,

First I'd like to say hi to everyone. My girlfriend and I just bought our first house and I've decided to slowly piece together a home theatre for movies/music.

The first piece I purchased (aside from the Vizio soundbar I bought at [and plan on returning to] Costco) is a second hand PSW125 subwoofer. The price was right and I couldn't pass it up.

After taking a second look at it at home, I'm now thinking it's been tampered with in the past. I don't know what, if anything has been altered, and that's what I'm hoping you guys can help me figure out.

It sounds great to me (I'm very new at the home audio game), but I want to make sure I got what I paid for.

The PSW125 in all its glory

Looking at pictures of other PSW125's, this panel is different...

Additional holes from screws

Yellow electrical tape that is coming loose. The negative terminal is also quite loose.

Multiple types of screws used

This is a good sign though, right?

If anyone can shed some light or just throw some theories out there it would be greatly appreciated!

P.S. - I plan on keeping with the Polk theme and get some RTi floor standing speakers down the road :-D

I'd look at it like this: Would you have bought it if the seller had been upfront and honest about replacing the plate amp?

Syndil

DaveHCYJ wrote: »

You could be on to something. The psw111 back plate looks exactly like his except it says PolkAudio above powered subwoofer. Otherwise all the plugs and dials are in the same location as his picture.

Was not aware of that, but after another Google search, you are right. Here is the PSW111 amp plate:



So it may not only possibly be counterfeit (since it doesn't say Polk Audio on it), it may also be a PSW111 counterfeit, which would mean it is a 150W amp instead of the 300W amp that the PSW125 is supposed to have. Even if it is a genuine Polk amp plate that Polk for some reason didn't print their logo on, it's still pretty clear that it's a PSW111 plate. Perhaps that Indonesian PSW125 I found also had a PSW111 plate on it.

The PSW111 amp plate may work fine for moderate listening, but if they sold you a PSW125 and didn't tell you that it had a PSW111 amp plate with 150 watts less than it was supposed to have, then I would be a bit upset. But then they could always claim that they bought it that way from someone else and had no idea.

skrol

Possibly a service replacement part.

Kex

A replacement amp was what jumped to my mind immediately when I saw the thread initially, but not being familiar with that model, I let others do the work more effectively, and so they have done.

Now that we know the amplifier has been replaced with an inferior model, what about the driver? Can you remove that to find the part number? I'd be suspicious of that also.

To answer the original question, though: you may have gotten what you paid for, depending on how much you paid ... :redface: ...

If this was an eBay purchase, there would definitely be grounds for a claim as significantly not as described, but you'd still have to pay return shipping if the seller insisted on a return of the item. If you like the sound, then that's another story (maybe a partial refund would suffice instead). If this is a craigslist purchase, or something similar, only a credit card payment could help you out at this juncture, as far as I know, and that's not common for such sales.

ysss

My guess is that plate may be polk's generic/replacement plate for 220v/int'l product.

Syndil

Hold the phone, I've found several more PSW125 photos with what appears to be a PSW111 plate, even an unboxing video of a PSW125 with the PSW111 plate.

http://youtu.be/4pdpYl3903o

Not sure what to think now.

Kex

The amp replacement (as described) wouldn't worry me in the slightest, except for the fact that it's not the right one, and only has 50% of the power output. That might make a big difference in performance, you would think. Still, if it sounds decent, then it's not really a scam if the price was low enough. It is working after all.

Wiltzor

Wow, amazing response. Thanks to everyone for all the help!

If you look at the last photo you can see a sticker on the amp that says PSW125.

I picked it off Kijiji, Canada's version of Craigslist. Paid cash, so there likely won't be any recourse.

I'm happy with it, but I'd be a bit ticked off if I learned that the amp is only producing half the power...

cnh

Welcome to Club Polk!

I'm pretty sure that the output, power wise, for the PSW 111 and the PSW 125 is exactly the same.

150 watts continuous and 300 peak. So it might well be possible to sub one plate amp for the other if the woofer impedances were the same?

Check the info on Polk product page!

Close inspection of the two photos reveal that both amps draw 1.6 amps--the same amount of current!

Perhaps some Polk reps can 'confirm' this?

http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/psw/specs.php

cnh

Kex

I think you may be right, cnh, in which case Wiltzor has even less to worry about. The PSW125 does NOT have a 300W amp, as stated earlier in the thread, according to those specifications, but a 150W amp with a 300W peak output capability (just like the PSW 111).

Also, the different screws would be explained since the original amplifier would have had four screws down each side of the plate to attach it to the cabinet, as well as three across the top and bottom (I'm counting the corners twice, so don't get confused!). The current amplifier has five screws down each side, as well as five across the top and bottom. It's a different pattern, hence all the extra holes and some screws that might not match the originals.

So ... how DOES it sound anyway?!

Syndil

Yeah I was reading and comparing the specs from the 110, not the 111. My bad! Does look like they have the same rating. May very well be the same amp plate.

Wiltzor

That's great to hear. I will rest at ease!

I have to admit, it does sound really good.. and it digs deep!

Now I just need my A7's and a decent receiver to fill out the rest of the range!

Thanks again everyone!!

gtaudio

I have two PSW 125s and while not the best they fit with my RTi setup (A7s and C6 and four A1s) nicely!

gp4jesus

[QUOTE=Wiltzor;[1736631]...PSW125 subwoofer. Yellow electrical tape that is coming loose. The negative terminal is also quite loose...
[/quote]
Get friendly w/a soldering iron (not a soldering gun*) or someone who is. Those taped connections hafta go.

At the risk of igniting debate & derailing this thread (no heat seeking missles please) IF this were mine or I was doing the the work I'd upgrade the wire to the driver*. If you don't have short piece of 12 ga or better, go to your local auto sound place.
* here you might need the gun's heat

P.S. - I plan on keeping with the Polk theme and get some
RTi floor standing speakers down the road :-D

RTi or RTi A? They ARE different; the "A" series offers subtle & not-so-subtle improvements over the RTi series.

Shalom, tony

Wiltzor

Sorry, I did mean RTi A - I've had the A7's in my sights for a little while now, just waiting for futureshop to put them on sale or if I see a nice second hand set for sale (I'll be more careful when buying this time!).

As for the wires, I like to think I'm handy with a soldering iron. I'll replace those wires

One more thing, and I'm a bit embarrassed to ask because it's going to show off my newb status. I've been having no luck figuring out how to get the audio from my computer to my tv, so right now I have my laptop headphone jack sending audio to the soundbar via 1/4" to rca wire. From the soundbar I have the subwoofer connected via LFE. Is the fact that the soundbar is getting its signal from the computer's headphone jack going to kill sound quality?

If anyone can help me figure out how to get the audio from my HP Pavilion DV9000 to my Samsung plasma via HDMI I will be most thankful!

steveinaz

Do you want us to pay the guy a visit and have Vinnie break his thumbs?

cnh

Wiltzor wrote: »

Sorry, I did mean RTi A - I've had the A7's in my sights for a little while now, just waiting for futureshop to put them on sale or if I see a nice second hand set for sale (I'll be more careful when buying this time!).

As for the wires, I like to think I'm handy with a soldering iron. I'll replace those wires

One more thing, and I'm a bit embarrassed to ask because it's going to show off my newb status. I've been having no luck figuring out how to get the audio from my computer to my tv, so right now I have my laptop headphone jack sending audio to the soundbar via 1/4" to rca wire. From the soundbar I have the subwoofer connected via LFE. Is the fact that the soundbar is getting its signal from the computer's headphone jack going to kill sound quality?

If anyone can help me figure out how to get the audio from my HP Pavilion DV9000 to my Samsung plasma via HDMI I will be most thankful!

Does your HP model have an HDMI out. Some newer models do! If so all you need is the right cable and a perusal of the audio menus your laptop has for "output".

cnh

Wiltzor

My comp does have an HDMI out, and I'm currently using my Plasma as my computer screen, conntected via HDMI, but for some reason I can't get the audio to follow suit. I've tried everything!

Do you want us to pay the guy a visit and have Vinnie break his thumbs?

I'm listening...