Home theater nirvana....2 PSW505s

david6607

New here to the Polk Forum. Just got my second 505 and all I can say is WOW!. Not only can I know "hear" the bass I can "feel" it to. I have been wanting to get that feeling in my home theater affordably for a while now.
I had 2 psw10s and there is just no comparison. Got my second one off ebay for 195.00 with shipping. Wonder if I can buy an epik, hsu, or ryhmik for that price? :rolleyes:

leroyjr1

congrats !

tommyt21

david6607 wrote: »

New here to the Polk Forum. Just got my second 505 and all I can say is WOW!. Not only can I know "hear" the bass I can "feel" it to. Wonder if I can buy an epik, hsu, or ryhmik for that price? :rolleyes:

Welcome to Club Polk! As a former PSW505 owner i can attest that the 505 is a great sub for the price point, however my HSU vtf-mk4 will smoke multiple 505's so will some of the other ID subs you named epik & rythmik. The roll eyes on those ID subs is funny because after you hear one of them you will be thinking damn I should have put out the exstra coin for one of those bad boys..Just my honest opinion!

P.S. Those multiple PSW505's still will not dig as deep as most ID subs. By adding multiples your helping with bass nulls and increasing the bass loudness. You still do not change sound quality & depth of your bass.

david6607

tommyt21 wrote: »

Welcome to Club Polk! As a former PSW505 owner i can attest that the 505 is a great sub for the price point, however my HSU vtf-mk4 will smoke multiple 505's so will some of the other ID subs you named epik & rythmik. The roll eyes on those ID subs is funny because after you hear one of them you will be thinking damn I should have put out the exstra coin for one of those bad boys..Just my honest opinion!

P.S. Those multiple PSW505's still will not dig as deep as most ID subs. By adding multiples your helping with bass nulls and increasing the bass loudness. You still do not change sound quality & depth of your bass.

Can you compare a $525 sub to a $200 sub? Isnt that like comparing a new Mercedes to a 10 year old Ford? If I had a $525 budget I would have considered one of those subs. Technology always gets better with new products. Hell my first cell phone was a bag phone that cost me 400 dollars. My current smart phone was free. Is it better than my 400 bag phone? Of course it is.

piker

If one already has a PSW505 and is thinking of getting a second, consider parting with the existing one first. You could sell the first one and then go after the $500 sub with the extra money you gained. This is what I did. I'm so glad I went that route instead of the second Polk. The HSU VTF-2 MK4 is a beast, and easily outperforms the 505 in every category!

Instead of only feeling the bass, why not have better quality bass, as well as be able to feel and hear notes hit 20hz and lower. A second PSW505 won't accomplish that.

I have learned that Polk is a wonderful speaker company, but they cannot make a stand-out home theater sub. When it comes to subwoofers, I will stick to the companies that specialize in making them from here on out.

tommyt21

david6607 wrote: »

Can you compare a $525 sub to a $200 sub? Isn't that like comparing a new Mercedes to a 10 year old Ford? If I had a $525 budget I would have considered one of those subs. Technology always gets better with new products. Hell my first cell phone was a bag phone that cost me 400 dollars. My current smart phone was free. Is it better than my 400 bag phone? Of course it is.

No offense, I only made the comparison because you were being implicit in comparing them yourself. Two Psw 505's will cost roughly $400-575 depending what sale price you can get them for that is a equivalent price for some entry level ID subs. Since you are declaring two PSW 505's then posting a rolling eyes emoticon mentioning ID subs I thought my post fair. Like I said never intended to offend just offered my opinion. In all honesty if your happy with what you have more power to you.
Again welcome to Club Polk

david6607

tommyt21 wrote: »

No offense, I only made the comparison because you were being implicit in comparing them yourself. Two Psw 505's will cost roughly $400-575 depending what sale price you can get them for that is a equivalent price for some entry level ID subs. Since you are declaring two PSW 505's then posting a rolling eyes emoticon mentioning ID subs I thought my post fair. Like I said never intended to offend just offered my opinion. In all honesty if your happy with what you have more power to you.
Again welcome to Club Polk

None taken. I really originally thought HSU did not have any subs less than 800 dollars till I actually looked. You are right though
both my subs together cost 425 and had I spent that much at one time and not on two different occasions it would have made more sense to spend the extra 100 bucks on the superior sub. Keep in mind I went from a PSW10 to the 505. So Im thinking the 505 rocks and that is my frame of reference. On another note I did recently demo 3 different brands of speakers at Best Buy, Def techs, B&Ws and Martin Logans and you know what, none of them sounded 1500-3000 dollars better than my vintage Cerwin Vega VS100s in my home theater setup. Actually the slightly off axis really affected the sound of the Martin Logans to the point I would NEVER buy those.( I am placing a percieved value on the quality of sound) So along with my new 505s, my CV CMX25c center, My CV XLS-6 surrounds and little cheap azz Insignia height channels ( they will be improved sooner or later),powered by my Onkyo NR609 I think my home theater system just ROCKS!

david6607

BTW..... I am still tweaking my 505s much to my wifes dismay. Gain up gain down . Bass up on the AVR bass down :cheesygrin: I did leave one of my PSW10s in my setup so I actually have 3 subs. I just keep it turned down so it does not get overdriven. All my old gear gets put in my sons room so none of what I buy ever goes to waste :cheesygrin:

steveinaz

Maximum bass depth is not everything---I'd much rather have accuracy at 28Hz, then boom at 20Hz. Enjoy!

tommyt21

david6607 wrote: »

BTW..... I am still tweaking my 505s much to my wifes dismay. Gain up gain down . Bass up on the AVR bass down :cheesygrin: I did leave one of my PSW10s in my setup so I actually have 3 subs. I just keep it turned down so it does not get overdriven. All my old gear gets put in my sons room so none of what I buy ever goes to waste :cheesygrin:

I had the PSW10 also, LOL. You could turn the PSW10 into a sort of Midbass/Nearfield bass module. It does not go as deep as the 505 so what you "could" do is find where the psw10 has it's -3db rolloff and find a in line high? pass filter and block any frequency below that roll off to the PSW10 then put that bad boy next to your seating area.
Just an idea for someone who likes to tweak!

tommyt21

steveinaz wrote: »

Maximum bass depth is not everything---I'd much rather have accuracy at 28Hz, then boom at 20Hz. Enjoy!

I'd rather have accurate bass then boom also, however with many of the ID subs you can get the best of both worlds. P.S. Dave I'm selling my 505 to my bro/law for a measly $80 bucks I only used it for 6 months. He's a lucky dog LOL.

david6607

tommyt21 wrote: »

I had the PSW10 also, LOL. You could turn the PSW10 into a sort of Midbass/Nearfield bass module. It does not go as deep as the 505 so what you "could" do is find where the psw10 has it's -3db rolloff and find a in line high? pass filter and block any frequency below that roll off to the PSW10 then put that bad boy next to your seating area.
Just an idea for someone who likes to tweak!

Funny you should say that because thats kinda exactly what I did with the PSW10. I have a sectional sofa and one of the 505s is in the front facing the seating area and the other is to the left of the sectional facing the seating area. I thought what the heck am I going to do with this PSW10. So I put it right on the right side of the sofa facing forward right next to where I sit. I really dont understand what you mean though with the rest of your reply about the 10 . Can you translate in laymans terms lol. I just have the low pass turned all the way up and letting the AVR crossover the frequencies.

david6607

Damn lol . Ya thats all I figured i could get selling either one of the 505s now. Not even half of a new HSU so I will just be happy with my new 505s

tommyt21

It?s kind of like this. -3db roll off is where at that given frequency you start to lose loudness at -3db. If I have a speaker that has a -3db roll off at 40 Hz that means that when it plays 40 Hz it starts to go 3 decibels quieter than at the other frequencies. When you look at subs stats you may find that the 505 will go as low as 28 Hz before it starts to get significantly quieter and the psw10 most likely gets quieter higher up the frequency range. Since that is the case if you find where the psw10 starts to struggle you can find an in line filter that will block frequencies below that point. This helps the PSW10 focus on what it can do well reinforcing more of the midrange bass and keeping it from distorting on the lower frequencies that it can't handle. By putting it nearfield by your seating you are attempting to reinforce tactile bass responses ( stuff you can feel).It is a controversial setup tweak. However some companies have specifically designed the Midbass Module concept.

http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/mbm-12mk2.html

david6607

tommyt21 wrote: »

It?s kind of like this. -3db roll off is where at that given frequency you start to lose loudness at -3db. If I have a speaker that has a -3db roll off at 40 Hz that means that when it plays 40 Hz it starts to go 3 decibels quieter than at the other frequencies. When you look at subs stats you may find that the 505 will go as low as 28 Hz before it starts to get significantly quieter and the psw10 most likely gets quieter higher up the frequency range. Since that is the case if you find where the psw10 starts to struggle you can find an in line filter that will block frequencies below that point. This helps the PSW10 focus on what it can do well reinforcing more of the midrange bass and keeping it from distorting on the lower frequencies that it can't handle. By putting it nearfield by your seating you are attempting to reinforce tactile bass responses ( stuff you can feel).It is a controversial setup tweak. However some companies have specifically designed the Midbass Module concept.

http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/mbm-12mk2.html

Ok ...an in line filter??? Can u post a link of one? This link is my setup on AVS. Not as extravagant as some of those dedicated rooms . Its just my living room.

http://gallery.avsforum.com/showgallery.php/cat/502/page/2

tommyt21

I think something like these http://www.parts-express.com/wizards/searchResults.cfm?FTR=fmod&search_type=main&WebPage_ID=3&searchFilter=fmod&AID=1457538&PID=3640931&SID=skim690X1299X78803e1bdad8a4c208c046dd15b13c12
I had cerwin Vegas also, now my dad has them. Great party speakers

david6607

tommyt21 wrote: »

I think something like these http://www.parts-express.com/wizards/searchResults.cfm?FTR=fmod&search_type=main&WebPage_ID=3&searchFilter=fmod&AID=1457538&PID=3640931&SID=skim690X1299X78803e1bdad8a4c208c046dd15b13c12
I had cerwin Vegas also, now my dad has them. Great party speakers

Ok. Which one of those would you recommend for the PSW10? The 50Hz low pass??? Help

steveinaz

What are you trying to achieve?

steveinaz

The PSW10 is down 3dB @ 40Hz, so you're gonna insert an in-line 50Hz low pass filter for a total "sub-woofer" range of 40-50Hz? I'm confused.

tommyt21

steveinaz wrote: »

The PSW10 is down 3db @ 40Hz, so you're gonna insert an in-line 50Hz low pass filter for a total "sub-woofer" range of 40-50Hz? I'm confused.

I guess it should be a High pass filter? @40 HZ to block LFE signal below 40 HZ . I get confused on which is which high pass/Low pass.

steveinaz

Why block what can't be reproduced in the first place? It's already down 3dB at 40Hz, and it's likely falling like a brick after that. Why the 3rd "nearfield" subwoofer? (if you can call 40Hz "sub" bass).

Dave--give the PSW10 to your favorite cousin, and work on those 505's. That 3rd sub is just gonna muck-up the works.

tommyt21

steveinaz wrote: »

Why block what can't be reproduced in the first place? It's already down 3dB at 40Hz, and it's likely falling like a brick after that. Why the 3rd "nearfield" subwoofer? (if you can call 40Hz "sub" bass).

I was basing that tweak off of some other forum threads and the concept of a midbass module, like the one HSU sells thought about doing it myself. Blocking the LFE signal under the rolloff was to help with distortion at high volumes since the other two subs were more capable. Nearfield placement was for more of a tactile response ( vibrate your seat) I guess it would probably be better to look at something completly different like butt kickers.

steveinaz

For a real "visceral" type feel, you'd probably need something that digs into the low 30's---I would think. I don't think the 10 has the output to do much, both power-wise and low freq tuning-wise. Just my 2 cents.

david6607

steveinaz wrote: »

Why block what can't be reproduced in the first place? It's already down 3dB at 40Hz, and it's likely falling like a brick after that. Why the 3rd "nearfield" subwoofer? (if you can call 40Hz "sub" bass).

Dave--give the PSW10 to your favorite cousin, and work on those 505's. That 3rd sub is just gonna muck-up the works.

Ok lol PSW10 off to my third cousin

steveinaz

I think you'll be a lot more satisified with your sound (especially for music) by just concentrating on tweaking the 505's. Again, just my opinion. I think trying to integrate that 3rd "sub" is gonna have you both dis-satisfied, and pulling your hair out. You'd likely have some flaky phase-issues as well.

tommyt21

steveinaz wrote: »

I think you'll be a lot more satisified with your sound (especially for music) by just concentrating on tweaking the 505's. Again, just my opinion. I think trying to integrate that 3rd "sub" is gonna have you both dis-satisfied, and pulling your hair out. You'd likely have some flaky phase-issues as well.

I agree was just throwing out some crazy ideas earlier. But Steve is right just getting the two subs calibrated correctly is probably the best way to go.

PS hey Steve how is that PF60 treating you? Mine shows that my voltage likes to bounce between 119-123

steveinaz

I don't check it much, but seems to be about 111v to 117 generally. I like it, so far, so good. It's interesting to watch the amp draw when the plasma is on. When a screen goes from dark to a bright scene, you'll see the amps jump from 1.4 to like 4.8 amps in a second.

tommyt21

steveinaz wrote: »

I don't check it much, but seems to be about 111v to 117 generally. I like it, so far, so good. It's interesting to watch the amp draw when the plasma is on.

I plugged a space heater in the front socket on mine.... Holy cow space heaters are nasty.

david6607

Tommyt . This link is a review of HSU s 5.1 speaker systen including the sub you like. Thought you might like to read it. Seems they are branching out to more than just subs. Its in Widescreen Review magazine


http://www.hsuresearch.com/reviews/vtf3mk4WSR.pdf

dekuda

david6607 wrote: »

None taken. I really originally thought HSU did not have any subs less than 800 dollars till I actually looked. You are right though
both my subs together cost 425 and had I spent that much at one time and not on two different occasions it would have made more sense to spend the extra 100 bucks on the superior sub. Keep in mind I went from a PSW10 to the 505. So Im thinking the 505 rocks and that is my frame of reference. On another note I did recently demo 3 different brands of speakers at Best Buy, Def techs, B&Ws and Martin Logans and you know what, none of them sounded 1500-3000 dollars better than my vintage Cerwin Vega VS100s in my home theater setup. Actually the slightly off axis really affected the sound of the Martin Logans to the point I would NEVER buy those.( I am placing a percieved value on the quality of sound) So along with my new 505s, my CV CMX25c center, My CV XLS-6 surrounds and little cheap azz Insignia height channels ( they will be improved sooner or later),powered by my Onkyo NR609 I think my home theater system just ROCKS!

I had the PSW505 and for the price they are a good value. Good for home theater but a little too boomy for my taste. But that was good for movies but not music. What many of us here find out as we go is that getting one really good sub is better than getting two mid level subs. And it is a good starting point for getting a second good sub down the road. But what counts is if you are happy. Now, regarding the Martin Logans you mentioned. You are right, they are very directional but you can create a unbelievable 10-12 ft sweet spot area. In my room in which I have a hard time with room acoustics the ML's fit the bill .Many times in stores these will not sound right because of the acoustics in the store and how they are set up. But I am becoming a ML believer and there are some great prices on used ML speakers......but they are still pricey. I have two Epik subs made right here in Illinois and they are great values because you are buying a well built sub right from the manufacturer. HSU,Ryhmic,Epic,SVS and even some Velodyne's all have big followings for a reason. In my opinion most of Polk's subs fall short in comparison.:sad:

david6607

Kudos to Polk Audio CS. My sub did arrive with a broken grill. I was just going to live with it but upon further research I have found that this happens quite frequently with this sub and that Polk would replace it. So I contacted Polk and they have happily put a new grill for me in the mail. Thank you Polk Audio! Great customer service!