PSW-150 proper setup!

Shellback

Hello everyone, I am new here to the Polk forum but need some help and or guidance with my PSW-150 setup. I bought this sub woofer at the amazing price of $15.00 (fifteen) from our neighbor. I am sure you herd the story before:”I want to get it out of my house. It was my ex and he is no longer around so I am getting rid of it”. She even went as far as to tell me that it has not been used in the last 5 years, so she did not know if it worked and I took the chance. Walla! It works like a champ. Anyway, the reason I am writing is because I have been out of the stereo/HiFi loop for many years. Let me give you an idea, I use to own a pair of JBL Century’s hooked up to a Dinaco 70A tube amp., using a Teac 7010 GSL 10 inch open reel to reel, (no CD’s in those days) etc. In those days there may have been subwoofers but I had not herd of them or the theory. Could any of you please take a minute to up date this old man on proper placement, theory and where to set the speakers adjustments in back of the unit for the best sound? By the way, I am not into the heavy base thumping sound that is very popular today. Natural base sound please. Thank you for any help I can get as the net has really not helped me yet.

thehaens@cox.net

You must be Navy, or prior. I have two of these subs in my Theatre. And you are right you got a ridiculous deal on that one. I will tell you, in my opinion, this sub doesn't really give you "natural" bass. I tend to turn mine off when I listen to music, as I don't particularly like the boom either. However, in a H/T environment I have found them satisfying. As far as the placement goes, you can literally place the sub on the floor where you will be listening. You will have to move the couch, but place it on the floor, then play something you like. Walk around the room and listen to where you feel you are getting the best bass response. Then place the sub in that area. Not a real science to this, but it seems to work. That will more than likely be in a corner in your room. I have mine placed behind the front main speakers in each corner. Works well with me. I have the crossover set at 80 hz. But you can fiddle with it a bit if you have a sweeping tone you can pass to it. Such as one with the THX set up on some DVD's. The 80hz seems to work best for me, with the level about half way. If you haven't used a sub before you are going to find that there are trinkits and nick nacks, doors on cabinets, or whatever that are going to need some tending to, as they can permit some annoying rattling. I have even dynamatted the inside of my heater vents. There really isn't a "right" way to listen to your music or movies in your home, like you said, you don't like the boom, but some do. Play with it and find the balance you are looking for. Plan on spending a couple hours fidgeting with the level, as well as the crossover, you'll find out how you like to feel/hear that sub.

Shellback

thehaens,

Thank you for the advice, as I really have been out of the stereo loop for many years. Yes I am retired Navy, Nam vintange so I was into the stereo equipment of that era. The 7010 I got at the Navy exchange, the JBL's I got at a place in Hawaii called the Audio Center, an old Navy buddy sold me the Dynaco that was his dads and the woman who was to be my furture wife (still is) bought me a Thorns Turntable. In those military days money was an issue so I saved and bought one unit at a time. There was about an 8 year time span in the mid 70's thru the early 80,s that I had them all together. Today my computers hard drive blows away my poor Teac in sound, (I know there are many that will argue that) time spent recording, and even the 10" reels at the poor 33/4 recording speed do not last near the hours a 120 gig hard drive will give me in recordings. Anyway, thanks again.

Shellback

I got no instructions (who can complain for 15 bucks) and I have questions concerning the two switches in back of the sub woofer. The auto power and the stand-by switch. My guess is the stand-by switch is when you put it in stand-by, it bypasses the bass speakers in my book shelves and uses only the bass in the PSW-150. The auto switch is used so when the power is turned off at your main amp the sub woofer detects the power loss and powers down?? Did I guess right or am I way off? Also someone disconnected the power cord at the speaker terminals inside the speaker cabinet. My guess is the ex did this so she would not use it. I pulled out the insulation to make the connection and I forgot how it went back in. Should the two open ends of the ininsulation go behind the speaker or should I reach in there and swing the insulation around and have the closed end behind the speaker with the open ends backed up against the built in amp? Thanks again for any help I can get.

thehaens@cox.net

Oh boy. The power cord wouldn't go to the speaker terminal at all. It is going to the amp that you will see once you take the back panel off. The auto on switch will enable the sub to turn on when a signal is applied to it. When a signal is not applied the sub will automatically turn off after about 10-15 minutes. You are going to have to get a receiver or pre/pro that has a sub out connection on it. If you don't have a set up like this, you can use the line level inputs, run the speaker cable from your receiver to the L/R input on the sub, and take two more speaker cables and run them from the output on the sub to the input on the two full range speakers you are using, this however, is not the optimum way to go....If I were you I would stroll down to the nearest A/V store and spend some time with a salesperson, make him work to explain everything. Then walk out with a cheap pair of interconnects for his time...

Also try downloading one of polks PSW line of subs from here:

http://www.polkaudio.com/home/library/manuals.php?category=7&speaker=418

You should be able to look over the other models and find similarity in yours...

Shellback

Right now I have the speaker wires running into the input terminal in the back of the speakers from the stereo amp but I am going to look into a way around this or do as you suggested. Thanks.

Actually I was talking about the speaker wire that ran through inside the speaker cabinet from the amp to the speaker, not the power cord going into the amp. Either the vibration from the speaker itself, during operation, vibrated the positive wire off the back of the speaker terminal or the owner got in there and disconnected it. In making the reconnection of the wire to the speaker I removed the acoustic insulation in the speaker cabinet, as it was in my way. It was factory installed in what looked like an acoustic manner or design to it. During this repair, I got distracted with something else and forgot how I took the insulation out. So my question is; do you know how that insulation would go back into the speaker cabinet or is there anyone out there that would know the answer to this? Thanks again for your help.

michael_w

What kind of insulation is it? White and foofy?

Shellback

Yes it was white and foofy and about a yard long by two feet wide and about 2 inches thick. It was rolled in half in the sub woofer and I pulled it out with out thinking how to put it back in!!!!

I also have another question that may be to much outside the box for some hard core Polksters but I noted that the wire going from the amp to the speaker was not as high of guage as my Monster Cable. Would I compromise the acuostics of the speaker disign if I soldered a straind of my Monster Cable from inside the amp to the speaker in place of the factory cable that is in the sub woofer now? I have a back ground it these type of repairs. Thanks. Shellback

thehaens@cox.net

Just stuff it in there trying to keep it off the front driver as well as the amp. So basically create a U shape with it.....you wouldn't compromise the acoustics by putting in a larger guage cable. Just ensure it isn't some run of the mill "larger" cable, whether it be monster, or kimber it should be OK, but if you have any cables laying around that have kimber on them let me know. I am looking for a pair.....I'll even give you two times the cost of what you paid for that sub:D

Shellback

I thought I would let you know that I worked with Marines for about 5 of my 21+ years in the Navy and I made some lasting friends. I learned some good lessons about loyalty and camaraderie from those friends. That is something I am sorry to say that the Navy does not do as good of a job teaching its people that the Marines do. Anyway, I think I have a much better understanding of my new speaker (I went to that thread you provided) than I did and thankyou for your help. Shellback

thehaens@cox.net

Thanks for the kind words. I am due to retire myself in about 4 years. Take care of yourself and get that sub working.....if you would like a reprint, copy of the manual for that sub, PM me your address and I'll burn a copy of mine, (I am pretty sure I still have it), and I'll mail it to you..

scott