DSW Pro 500 vs DSW Micropro 1000

jolax73

Hi Folks,

I was debating between the two of these(refurbished) subwoofers as it sells about the same price on ebay. Can anyone tell me which one is a better buy in terms of sound quality?

Thanks!

jolax73

come on, someone please post their comments, don't tell me no one owns any of this sub........:(

kawizx9r

Hmm...don't get me wrong here when I say this but to be honest, when it comes to sub hunting and asking for recommendations on subwoofers people will always tell you; do your homework, do your homework, audition, and do some more homework. Polk's made some fine subs with this later dsw series for people more on a budget, trust me I've been eyeballing that 1000 micro pro because of it's small footprint. But I think others will come in and ask what type of room you're using it for, what your needs are, how large the room is, and based off of that one of the most recommended solutions is....save some more money....spend a little more in the end and you'll make an even greater investment. Just my .02

kawizx9r

Like I said, don't take it the wrong way I'm still considering a micropro but if I got one finally I think I will wait until I have some coin for a refurb/used 3000/4000 if I can find one. As far as the dsw series, several people have chosen the 600 as a cheaper alternative to Epik and SVS subwoofers.

jolax73

My room is about 300-400 sq ft. My concern is whether the 10" DSW Pro would sound betterh than the 8" Micropro. If anyone has any chance of auditioning both subwoofer, please throw in their two cents.

Thanks....

5829bmg

I dont know about the 500 but I have a 600 and a 1000 and I prefer the 600 over the micro. The 600 sounds very good to me for music and HT but on very loud action scenes it will shut off if I run the volume much past 28-30. As for the 1000 it just doesnt have the guts for the room I HAD it in about 500-600 sq ft with very high ceilings so I took it out.I think in a much smaller room like a bed room it would do fine.I never could get it to play very loud or feel it unless it was close to my seating.

jolax73

Thanks polkie for the input. I definitely will consider the DSW Pro then in that case. But hopefully more polk mania will chime in their experience with polk subs.

Matt34

The Micro line, why capable, are still limited by Hoffman's Iron law.

Hoffman's Iron Law states that the efficiency of a woofer system is directly proportional to its cabinet volume and the cube of its cutoff frequency (the lowest frequency it can usefully reproduce). The obvious implication is that to reduce the cutoff frequency by a factor of two, e.g. from 40 Hz to 20 Hz, while still retaining the same system efficiency, you need to increase the enclosure volume by 2^3=8 times! In other words, to reproduce ever lower frequencies at the same output level you need an extremely large box!

However, box size isn't the only variable… You can continue to use a small box by accepting a much lower efficiency. In order to retain the same sound pressure level (SPL, meaured in dB's), though, this requires both a very large amplifier and a driver that can handle a lot of power and move a lot of air (requiring high excursions). Furthermore, it must be able to do so with minimal distortion. This is exacerbated by power compression, a phenomenon where the power heating of the driver's voice coil results in a non-linear relationship (read "distortion") between the electrical power in and the acoustical power out. Another variable not often mentioned is bandwidth… You can provide the perception of violating Hoffman's Iron Law by using a bandpass design, which can provide a lot of bass primarily across a very limited bandwidth. In all too many bandpass designs, the impressive bass is produced around a single frequency. This is often referred to as "one-note bass". It can rattle the furniture and impress your friends, and may even be OK for sound effects in action movies, but don't expect too much accuracy when listening to music with a lot of low bass content.

Summarizing, Low-frequency capability, box size, and efficiency form the three key aspects of system design. To increase any of the three, you have to give up something from the other two, with box size being the most sensitive. The often unpopular bottom line is therefore to plan on using the largest box you can comfortably live with. This partially explains the popularity of subwoofers, which can be both large and hidden from view, and often include their own built-in high power amplifier.

The only reason to really go with the Micro line is if WAF is a factor or severe space limitations limit the size of the subwoofer.

Polkitup2

I have the Micropro1000 and use it for 2 channel and it is a fine sub, but in my opinion it would be too small for HT in a room your size. I would look for a 12" sub for a 400 SF room.

ls7z06

I ordered both with plans to keep the one I preferred. (Gotta love Crutchfield.) I ended up keeping the DSW Pro 500. They both sounded fine but the Micro 1000 was a little weak for the big boom movie scenes. I thought the Micro 1000 was fine for music, maybe even a little better at least for the classic rock, soft rock, instrumental, and classical I listen to. (No rap/hip hop) But since the Pro 500 did best on movies and that is the primary use for my HT, that's what I went with. Have now had it running for about 6 months with no regrets whatsoever. The rest of my system is a Onkyo TX SR806, Polk RTiA7 fronts, CSiA6 center, FXiA6 surrounds. My room is about 20X15.

bar1

similar predicament, room a little smaller (about 14x20), but 10 ft ceilings, wanted to replace old large cerwin-vega sub. here's what i did: bought a micropro 4000. my thought is if i'm considering spending $5-600, and can handle the size of the larger sub (still quite small compared with hsu or other 12" subs with large boxes), why not just spend $999 at j&r (w/ no tax and free shipping, authorized retailer) and get it overwith and have the best one. i couldn't be happier. it's overkill for this particular room, but i feel like i have plenty of upgrade potential for the room (if i move or add dedicated theater) and the performance of the 4000 is really unbelievable. you can push it and actually sense that it has plenty of headroom to spare, and it really is smooth across its freq response (by ear; no measurements here).

granted, i live in an area where i do not have infinite brick-and-mortar shopping options to listen/demo to my heart's content, so i have not listened to hsu, svs, or similar other high-end brands (or other micropro line subs). this definitely beats the dsw subs though. have not read one review of anyone with this sub that has said "not worth the money" or went back and bought something else though.