Subwoofers — Yamaha NS-SW200

The NS-SW200 is a powered subwoofer from Yamaha, now listed as discontinued, that was introduced with a gently curved gloss black front and power and volume buttons laid out diagonally on the front panel. It is covered by the same owner's manual as the larger NS-SW300.

Key specs that matter

A 20 cm cone woofer of the magnetically shielded type is driven by an amplifier rated at 130 W at 100 Hz into 5 ohm with 10% THD. Frequency response is 28 Hz to 200 Hz. Power consumption is 67 W, and standby draw is 0.3 W or less. North American units run on 120 V at 60 Hz, European and UK units on 230 V at 50 Hz, and Asian and general versions carry a voltage selector. The cabinet measures 290 x 306 x 351 mm and weighs 11.2 kg.

Engineering and use context

Yamaha uses a PWM digital drive high-efficiency amplifier with a dual feedback circuit, combined with Advanced Yamaha Active Servo Technology II, which pairs negative-impedance and constant-current drive to hold the driver under control as its impedance shifts with frequency. The Twisted Flare Port changes the way the port widens toward each end and adds a twist to suppress airflow turbulence, cutting the wind noise typical of reflex ports. A HIGH CUT control sets the upper limit of the output, with each graduation equal to 10 Hz, and a PHASE switch offers normal and reverse positions, with reverse as the factory suggestion. Yamaha advises setting HIGH CUT a little above the rated lowest frequency of the front speakers. The automatic power-switching function has HIGH, LOW and OFF settings and puts the unit into standby after about 7 or 8 minutes without a bass signal below 200 Hz, waking again when one arrives. A SYSTEM CONNECTOR jack and supplied cable let a Yamaha receiver or YSP component switch the subwoofer on and off with it.

Pairing

Three input routes cover most systems. INPUT2 accepts line-level signals on a pair of RCA jacks, suited to split subwoofer outputs, and INPUT3 marked LFE bypasses the internal HIGH CUT circuit for receivers that already filter the subwoofer signal, shortening the signal path. For amplifiers without line outputs, INPUT1 takes speaker-level wires, and OUTPUT terminals pass the signal on to the front speakers without affecting their level. Two units can be run from one amplifier.

Alternatives

The Yamaha NS-SW300 is the larger model from the same manual, pairing a 25 cm woofer with a 250 W amplifier and reaching 20 Hz to 160 Hz in a cabinet weighing 18 kg.