Troubles With My PSW10 Subwoofer
Logan71
Posts: 3
Only about two months ago, I purchased a Polk Audio PSW10 Subwoofer as a quality replacement for a cheap-o, low quality sub that finally blew out after years of use. The Polk Audio Sub really made my home theater system go to the next level of quality, and I have thoroughly enjoyed it.
Unfortunately, however, today I have experienced a problem. I hope to fix it rather than replace it. I don't know much about subwoofers, so excuse me if I am not using the technical terms or something, but basically the problem is this:
First and foremost, the subwoofer isn't making any noise. At first I figured that it was not turned on (as I normally turn the sub itself off when not in use), so I went to turn it on. I saw that the light in the back was green, signifying that it was on. I then checked all the connections to the sub and receiver, and nothing was out of order. So, I went back to the Subwoofer, and noticed something strange; the sub was actually in the 'off' position, but somehow the light was still green. I then flipped the switch up, but still it did not make any noise. Also, when I switched the switch from on to off, it made a somewhat loud thud noise, as if the speaker kicked. When I tried turning it on and off, it continued to make the thud noise each time, and still the light remained green. I have not been able to get it to produce any noise yet this far, nor have I resolved the issue with the light remaining green.
I appreciate any insight into the problem you have to offer. Thanks in advance for all the help I may get, as I would like to resolve the issue rather than replace it, as I have stated before. :cheesygrin:
Unfortunately, however, today I have experienced a problem. I hope to fix it rather than replace it. I don't know much about subwoofers, so excuse me if I am not using the technical terms or something, but basically the problem is this:
First and foremost, the subwoofer isn't making any noise. At first I figured that it was not turned on (as I normally turn the sub itself off when not in use), so I went to turn it on. I saw that the light in the back was green, signifying that it was on. I then checked all the connections to the sub and receiver, and nothing was out of order. So, I went back to the Subwoofer, and noticed something strange; the sub was actually in the 'off' position, but somehow the light was still green. I then flipped the switch up, but still it did not make any noise. Also, when I switched the switch from on to off, it made a somewhat loud thud noise, as if the speaker kicked. When I tried turning it on and off, it continued to make the thud noise each time, and still the light remained green. I have not been able to get it to produce any noise yet this far, nor have I resolved the issue with the light remaining green.
I appreciate any insight into the problem you have to offer. Thanks in advance for all the help I may get, as I would like to resolve the issue rather than replace it, as I have stated before. :cheesygrin:
Post edited by Logan71 on
Comments
-
Hello Logan71,
Welcome to Polk's forum. Let's try a test to see if the sub is working or not. First turn the sub's volume all the way down and remove the sub-cable from the back of the sub. Now we need a suitable audio source to test the sub with. I'm going to assume you have a DVD player, if so disconnect it from your receiver and bring it over to where the sub is. Then take an audio cable and connect from either the right or left channel output of the DVD player to the input of the sub. Then start playing a CD in the player and turn the sub's volume up a little bit. You should hear the sub producing sound.
Let us know what happens.
Regards, Ken -
Thank you for the reply, Kenneth!
I followed your instructions, and after playing with it a bit, I found that the subwoofer did produce a sound, and I could even recognize the music from the CD it was attempting to play, so distortion is no issue.
However, the sound was extremely faint. At first I thought that nothing was happening when I ran the test. But then I heard some insignificant noise, and had to literally put my ear to the speaker in order to confirm that it was, indeed, the subwoofer.
A few more things that should be noticed is that the low volume could well be a problem with the DVD player, as it is probably one of the cheapest, lowest quality dvd players you could buy, and that I was only using RCA audio cables to make this connection. However, I don't think that is the case, because the volume did not increase when I adjusted the volume knob, nor did it increase/change when I played around with the low pass, or the phase switch. -
Thanks for doing the test, it seems that something has happened to the sub. There's really two parts to the unit, the bass amplifier and the 10" woofer, but don't worry both parts are covered by Polk's warranty. At this point give Polk CS a call at 1-800-377-7655 or send them an email to polkcs@polkaudio.com. They'll help you troubleshoot to find which part it is and then help get that part replaced as quickly as possible.
-
In the event that I cannot fix the subwoofer with the help of customer support myself, is the sub under warranty? I purchased it about two months ago from my local Best Buy. I am not sure if that qualifies as a Polk Authorized Dealer or not.
-
Certainly, you will be covered for five years on the woofer and three years on the bass amp. They'll give you some easy to follow instructions on taking either the woofer or the amp from the cabinet. You'll be fine, if you run into a problem let us know and we'll help out.
"No sub left behind!"
![[Deleted User]](https://w8.vanillicon.com/83b82048d67877ca27bbc25d5d38f9d3_100.png)