Сабвуферы — Polk Audio PSW 111

The PSW 111 is a compact powered subwoofer from Polk Audio's PSW series, now listed in the company's archive as a discontinued model. It houses one driver and its own Class D amplifier in a small vented cabinet, and it accepts both line-level and speaker-level connections. Polk developed the driver with the help of a Klippel distortion analyser, a measurement system used to refine the motor and suspension of loudspeaker drivers.

Key specs that matter

The driver is an 8 inch Dynamic Balance composite cone. The Class D amplifier is rated at 150 W continuous and 300 W dynamic power. Polk states bass extension down to 38 Hz. The enclosure is vented with a port firing downward. Inputs are a pair of RCA sockets for LFE or stereo line level and two pairs of gold-plated spring terminals for speaker level. Controls cover an adjustable low-pass crossover, a phase switch and volume. The cabinet is 308 mm high, 279 mm wide and 330 mm deep, weighs 9.21 kg and is finished in black. Polk covers the electronics for three years and the driver for five years.

Engineering and use context

Dynamic Balance is Polk's driver development method, and in the PSW 111 it was applied with Klippel analysis to optimise the motor structure, the alignment of the voice coil and the suspension. These are the parts that determine how linearly a cone moves at large excursions, which matters most in a small subwoofer that has to move a lot of air. The composite cone combines materials to keep the moving mass low while resisting flexing. A vented enclosure uses a port tuned to reinforce output at the lowest frequencies, and pointing it at the floor keeps the opening hidden and lets the cabinet stand close to furniture. Class D amplification produces little heat, which suits a compact cabinet. The speaker-level terminals let the subwoofer connect to stereo amplifiers that lack a subwoofer output, sharing the amplifier outputs with the main pair, while the LFE input connects to AV receivers. The adjustable low-pass crossover sets the frequency above which the subwoofer stops playing, and the phase switch aligns its output with the main speakers.

Pairing

The PSW 111 suits compact bookshelf and satellite speakers in a room of about 20 m2, adding the bass range they cannot produce. With an AV receiver, the LFE input and the receiver's bass management handle the crossover, and with a stereo amplifier the speaker-level terminals are used.

Alternatives

The Polk PSW 108 uses a 10 inch Dynamic Balance woofer with a front-firing port.