PSW300 problem - Please help!

Steve Chalupka here. I'm a new member (have owned Polk Audio RM 7300 system -- including PSW 300).
I'm glad I reviewed this thread because I too am experiencing the same problem with my PSW 300. I purchased my PSW 300 from United Audio (now Tweeter) back in '96 (reg. card should be on file). Just last week I noticed (heard) a "rattling" sound coming from the PSW 300. It didn't sound normal. I immediately took it to Tweeter and the tech said "no question your woofer is blown". He further stated that he has replaced many of these and it is a common problem. My question is has there been a recall that I'm not aware of? The tech further stated to call Polk directly to find out if this can be replaced free of charge (eventhough it maybe out of warranty).
As a side note. When I first purchsed the Polk system (that was professionally installed by United Audio along w/ all my other Denon components) I spoke to a guy by the name of Ken Swauger. I notice his name appears here as the moderator. Kudos to this man. He is without question one of the most knowledgeable and CUSTOMER FOCUSED individuals I have EVER spoken to. I have left an email on line to try and get in touch with him to discuss the problem I am having with my PSW 300.

Thanks.
I already did Monday morning. Ken cut me a GREAT deal on a new woofer. This man is a great asset to Polk Audio. I should be back in business by Friday!
S -

Originally posted by bingofuel
Definitely coming from the sub, and it almost sounds like something is loose. It's not a pop, more like a distorted rumble. The speakers seem to be operating normally as well.

all that sounds familiar....:rolleyes:

I realize this is a very old thread but I am now experiencing the same problem with my PSW300. When I look at the actual speaker (MW1081) it looks like the orange/brown paper cone that is attached to the black speaker cone has come unglued from the metal frame. I also purchased this subwoofer bundled in a Polk Audio Home Theater Surround Sound system (RM 7300V, I think) back in the mid-90's. Any advice on where to go from here?

Thanks,
Ron

Hello Ron,
It sounds as though the glue bond linking the voice coil former and the cone has separated. The woofer would have to be replaced. We no longer have any of the MW1081 woofers remaining, however we do have a solution. The 10" woofer that is used in the PSW202 works very well in the older PSW300. A small amount of installation effort is needed since the new woofer has a slightly larger diameter basket than the original the mounting hole will need to be slightly enlarged. This can be done with a wood file or a sanding block and takes about 15 to 20 minutes. The new part is RD2020-1 and the Club Polk price is $56.00 and please mention your membership when calling us at 1-800-377-7655.
Take care, Ken

Ken,

Are the woofer params similar enough between the MW1081 and the RD2020-1? Would you reccomend repairing the MW1081, or buying the PSW202's driver as a replacement? What is causing this problem in this particular woofer? Old glue on the spider? A weakened surround? Thank you in advance.

I too have a PSW 300 and had the buzzing noise as mentioned at the beginning of this thread. I found the spider had separated from the basket because of glue failure.

Instead of super glue I wanted to use something that would remain flexible in order to survive the movement of the spider. Over time, glues become brittle and fail. I used 50 year silicone sealant all around the spider. Laying a nice bead around the basket was a challenge but taking my time I was able to permanently fix the problem.

I have this sub matched with a pair of LS-70's, a CS350-LS and a pair of M5 surrounds. 11 years old and they all look and sound brand new!

Can anyone point out a diagram of what screws to remove to access the inside? There are like, a million of them. Do I need to remove every one or just the ones on the periphery? Help! I want my boom boom back!

Kenneth Swauger wrote: »

Hello,
A million seems like a lot. Just remove the ones around the circumference of the backplate.
Ken

Thanks!

AnalogRob wrote: »

what's the best way to fix my psw300? from reading a few posts it sounds like gettin in touch w/Ken is the way to go. I believe the cone is toast.....similar I believe to what several others here have experienced w/this particular line. Also....while I'm here (albeit OT so I'll also look for an av receiver thread).....what do you folks think of the Anthem line of AVR's? I'm in the mrkt for one after being out of the mrkt for approx 30+ yrs.....have a Pioneer SX3900.....the last of the era...the ol' classic analog & fluroscan line....too bad it wont run the Polk's & (shhhhhh) JBL 65's via the big screen...a 50' Samsung DLP. This is what I'm lookin to build around so it'd sure be nice ta get the 300 butt kicker all squared away while I'm lookin for the AVR....& of course tia for any suggs/comments.
d

I should add....I'm fairly confident (assuming of course it is indeed the cone that needs to be replaced) I can remove the bad cone & install the replacement. After posting last night, I was successfull in removing the the cone & re-installing it....not all that easy to remove the cone (small opening....getting a circle thru a square ~ however I was able to figure it out w/a bit of minor adjusting. Only issue I may have troube with is re-attaching the 2 pronged black/red electrical line that runs to the power supply....the 2 pronged black/white cable that's kinda tucked away & not all too easy to locate. Guess it's not a connection that's meant to be disconnected...pretty sure I wasn't supposed to remove the metal case that's attached to the back panel w/the 4 screws. However it all seems fairly easy to reassmble. Had to set it aside however as I ran out of time & had to focus my attention on other (family) issues. Plan to spend more time trying to secure this particular connection later today when I'll have more uninterrupted time to focus on it. Thx for any suggs w/re to a replacement cone....again, assuming that's the issue. Note: willing to give someone a call if possible...I'm kinda old school as I tend to prefer voice....so perhaps I'll look up the tech support # later today as well.

AnalogRob wrote: »

update 3:.....OK...that was easy....got the 2 pinned red & black power pin attached.....helps to not try attaching it upside down...OK...all together now....a collective "duhhhhhh"......& thx for making these butt kickers (& all other killer PA bad boys) only be put back together 1 way...the proper way that is. OK.....so can any 1 comment as to how easy (or difficult) it is to successfully throw a new cone in there? It's a PSW 300 from '96.....like most here have posted.....hoping to get a decent price (is it still approx $55 direct from PA oudda CO?) as I'm on unfortunately on a fairly restrcitive financial leash.....aka a garage sale nugget leash :0 TIA!!

Just off the phone w/Kim @ Tech Support.....gotta post how awesome support is....Kim talked me through (2 calls I made over the span of approx 15-20 mins) what the issue is...of curse he nailed it spot on simply from my explanation. Gonna send the cone out to MD asap where he says they'll fix it for free....which of course includes running it thru diagnostics b4 sending it back....I confirmed this on my 2nd follow-up call. I have to admit, after getting the cone out I was quite tempted to crazy glue the spider back myself as it does seem like a fairly straight forward job......BUT, as Kim pointed out, the spider doesn't just simply get glued back....it must be reattached in a fairly exact position....so if I were to glue it myself, it'd be quite the stroke of luck if I were to actually find & hit the proper spot. Definitely best to ship it back (insured for $200 Kim reccomends) & have it run thru diagnostics.....then I'll have my butt kicker back like new.....& I can then begin to wreak havoc w/my surrounding neighbors ~

Polk Audio Tech Support.....simply put, The Best!!! Thanks again Kim for your time earlier this am & as promised, I'll let ya know just as soon as I ship the cone out to MD. Cheers!!! Rob

My PSW300 is making the same noises as described at the beginning of this thread. It has made them for years but since it only happened with the lowest frequencies and not that often, I figured it was just something loose that I could fix myself. Of course I have not attempted to open it yet. It seems to be making the noise more frequently, perhaps because of using it more during our self isolation time.

I purchased the sound system from a SONY store that is long gone. Likely over 20 years ago, here in Canada. I am more than willing to pay for any repair as I still like the system.

Would it be possible to pull the electronics out and send the for testing and repair as needed?

If it is too late for repair, which subwoofer would be recommended?

Second that thought. The brands most are looking at and satisfied with are SVS, HSU, many different series in each brand for a variety of wallets and applications.