So I just bought myself a pair of monitor30s and a T-amp for my pc.. and i'm planning on adding a PSW for this setup, saw many good reviews for the PSW10 from newegg and amazon.. but just wanted to get some opinions from someone that have good experience for subwoofers.. you guys think this is worth it for $100?? should i spend my money some where else?? any help will be greatly appreciated.. thanks
I've got this PSW10 hooked up to my system right now, supporting my Seas ER18RNX 2-way.
I'm using it to add a little bit of weight to the lower bass (below 80Hz). Good value for money and very convenient. Can't play very loud though, only 50Watts Continuous (100Watts peak). Not really an issue for me as I don't listen to my music loud.
If you want more power, check out these Subs at Parts Express. There's a sale on right now. There's no indication of whether the power is Peak or Continuous. I noticed one big difference is in the crossover. The Dayton goes down to 40Hz whereas the PSW10 lowest is 80Hz.
Dayton 10" Active SUB
Dayton SUB-100 10" 125 Watt Powered Subwoofer
Dayton 12" Active SUB
Dayton SUB-120 12" 150 Watt Powered Subwoofer
Whether the PSW10 is worth the money really depends on your expectations.
I'm using it to add a little bit of weight to the lower bass (below 80Hz). Good value for money and very convenient. Can't play very loud though, only 50Watts Continuous (100Watts peak). Not really an issue for me as I don't listen to my music loud.
If you want more power, check out these Subs at Parts Express. There's a sale on right now. There's no indication of whether the power is Peak or Continuous. I noticed one big difference is in the crossover. The Dayton goes down to 40Hz whereas the PSW10 lowest is 80Hz.
Dayton 10" Active SUB
Dayton SUB-100 10" 125 Watt Powered Subwoofer
Dayton 12" Active SUB
Dayton SUB-120 12" 150 Watt Powered Subwoofer
Whether the PSW10 is worth the money really depends on your expectations.
I see.. thanks for inputs.. yea i've asked the same question on another forum and i've gotten a same answer as you.. they recommend me the same subs too.. i do listen to semi loud music once a while, so having a good amount of head rooms is always better.. funny thing is that i'm not getting free shipping for the sub-100 
... anything else over 98$ is free tho.. just not this one..
... anything else over 98$ is free tho.. just not this one..
one question.. if i were to buy a sub-100.. can i use a 3.5mm splitter to connect one side to my sub and the other side to my amp->speakers? do i still need a amp for the sub-100?? what happened is that the amp i'm using is a T-amp, a lepai tripath t2020.. and it doesnt have a low pass filter inside.. so i'm planning to connecting the sub straight to the source as well as the amp->speakers, and leave the amp at one position... and just adjust the volume from my computer.. you guys think this will work?
Yes, that's the usual way. Use a Y cable. One to your T-amp, the other to the sub. You won't need another amp because the SUB-100 already has a plate amp. Adjust the SUB-100 Volume and Crossover to suite your monitors.
With this arrangement, your computer will control the System Volume (ie the Monitors and SUB).
With this arrangement, your computer will control the System Volume (ie the Monitors and SUB).
Not really. There's a lot more to it than published specs.
Some subs can go down low but sounds "muddy". Some are "one note" subs. The list goes on and on.
I design and build my own subs. I use LMS, a pro grade measurement software. I've built Sealed, Ported and Bandpass with drivers ranging from 10" to 18". I would say maybe one in ten meets my expectations. So, it all depends on what you're after.
Some subs can go down low but sounds "muddy". Some are "one note" subs. The list goes on and on.
I design and build my own subs. I use LMS, a pro grade measurement software. I've built Sealed, Ported and Bandpass with drivers ranging from 10" to 18". I would say maybe one in ten meets my expectations. So, it all depends on what you're after.
I see.. i don't really know how to describe it but what i'm after is not loud but the bass to be sound soft, wide in a good low frequency.. because i've heard some subs before that the bass is very hard, it literally punches your chest, and i dont like that.. so maybe a larger driver will be better suit for me?
I know exactly that kind of bass - the ones that literally punch you in the chest. You get this in discos and cars.
The difficulty with subs is it is difficult to get it low (say 40Hz) and at the same time able to do the mid-bass. Take my Polk Audio PSW10 for example. No problem doing the lower bass. Trouble is, when cross at 125Hz, no punch (no definition). Just one muddy mess. So, if your monitors/satellites have not enough mid-bass, which is likely the reason why you're looking for a sub, you'll be disappointed.
When I bought my Polk sub, I was so aghast at it I unplugged it and left it in a corner. Sat there unused for a few years. It took a lot of work on my own subs for me to accept that I'm asking a lot from a commercially made budget sub.
So the trick to using this Polk sub is cross it low and mate it with a pair of monitors that have bass (rather mid-bass). Use this sub to augment the lower bass. This is where the "thud" in the bass note is. When the bass is truncated, it is very tiring to listen to. I find when the bass is extended down to 40Hz, the music sounds more natural and soothing to listen to.
If your monitors are deficient in bass, then it's better to find a sub that is tuned more for the upper bass. This is the trick they use in computer speakers - sub with small satellites. The sub is actually doing more of the upper bass.
The difficulty with subs is it is difficult to get it low (say 40Hz) and at the same time able to do the mid-bass. Take my Polk Audio PSW10 for example. No problem doing the lower bass. Trouble is, when cross at 125Hz, no punch (no definition). Just one muddy mess. So, if your monitors/satellites have not enough mid-bass, which is likely the reason why you're looking for a sub, you'll be disappointed.
When I bought my Polk sub, I was so aghast at it I unplugged it and left it in a corner. Sat there unused for a few years. It took a lot of work on my own subs for me to accept that I'm asking a lot from a commercially made budget sub.
So the trick to using this Polk sub is cross it low and mate it with a pair of monitors that have bass (rather mid-bass). Use this sub to augment the lower bass. This is where the "thud" in the bass note is. When the bass is truncated, it is very tiring to listen to. I find when the bass is extended down to 40Hz, the music sounds more natural and soothing to listen to.
If your monitors are deficient in bass, then it's better to find a sub that is tuned more for the upper bass. This is the trick they use in computer speakers - sub with small satellites. The sub is actually doing more of the upper bass.
I see.. very good explanation there.. i have a pair of polk monitor30s.. i assuming mid-bass means anywhere from 50 - 200hz?? sry i'm a noob at this.. all i know is that they don't give bass much ( almost none ), and it seems like bass are truncated sometimes too.. so no boompy for me there.. it does have a very good mid and high, sounds very crisp for me.. and i'm after a sub that can do lower tones and get rid of my current truncated bass.. after reading at your explanation, i think i'll go with velodyne.. simply it's a better brand, and have higher chance of doing low frequency and have a soft punch at a same time.. which do you recommend, the impact-10 or 12 for entry level?
I've never owned a Polk Monitor 30 but after googling for the specs, I have a fair idea of what you're getting. It is quite common for small speakers (5 1/4" 2-way) to be lacking in bass.
Mid-bass is about 80-200Hz. This is where a lot of bass information resides, where you actually hear the bass notes. Below 80Hz, it becomes non-directional. If your budget permits, I would recommend the Velodyne over the PSW10. They are quite well regarded in the world of SUBS.
I would go for the Impact 10 instead of the 12 inch. Generally, the bigger the woofer, the lower the frequency it can go. However, the trade off is in the upper bass. Since your Polk Monitor 30s are lacking in bass, give priority to the upper-bass. It is not that the Impact 10 will not have lower bass. Just that a 10" is better for upper bass whereas a 12" is better for lower bass. Again, I must stress I am generalizing here.
I just bought two 5" mid woofer- Tang Band W5-1685. Weighs a ton. It'll be fun to see what kind of bass I can get with them.
Mid-bass is about 80-200Hz. This is where a lot of bass information resides, where you actually hear the bass notes. Below 80Hz, it becomes non-directional. If your budget permits, I would recommend the Velodyne over the PSW10. They are quite well regarded in the world of SUBS.
I would go for the Impact 10 instead of the 12 inch. Generally, the bigger the woofer, the lower the frequency it can go. However, the trade off is in the upper bass. Since your Polk Monitor 30s are lacking in bass, give priority to the upper-bass. It is not that the Impact 10 will not have lower bass. Just that a 10" is better for upper bass whereas a 12" is better for lower bass. Again, I must stress I am generalizing here.
I just bought two 5" mid woofer- Tang Band W5-1685. Weighs a ton. It'll be fun to see what kind of bass I can get with them.
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I see, thanks again for details.. i'll go with the impact-10 then since you mentioned it's upper bass can blend better with the monitor30s.. and hopefully they'll like each other heh.. the impact-10 was 249$ shipped at amazon last night, but it gone up to 254$ +20$ shipping today guess i'mma wait a little bit until it goes down again then buy it..
Glad you got some new toys, it looks fun to build your own speakers, might look into that one day.. hope you'll get some good results out of those babies again.. thanks for helping out choosing my sub, i'm very appreciated!
guess i'mma wait a little bit until it goes down again then buy it.. Glad you got some new toys, it looks fun to build your own speakers, might look into that one day.. hope you'll get some good results out of those babies
again.. thanks for helping out choosing my sub, i'm very appreciated!
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No problem. Glad to be of help.
The Tang Band W5-1685 is a bit of a fun project. For something more serious, I'm thinking of getting the Audax HM210C0 for my JBL 2342. They are mounted with JBL 2425 drivers. This horn and driver combo sounds pretty good. It's only a question of finding the right woofer. I already have 2 pairs of JBL 127H but they are too "slow" for this Bi-Radial horn. Ideally, whatever woofer I decide on should be horn loaded but due to space constrain, I will have to settle for a Bass reflex. I hope the Audax can keep up with the JBL horns.
The Tang Band W5-1685 is a bit of a fun project. For something more serious, I'm thinking of getting the Audax HM210C0 for my JBL 2342. They are mounted with JBL 2425 drivers. This horn and driver combo sounds pretty good. It's only a question of finding the right woofer. I already have 2 pairs of JBL 127H but they are too "slow" for this Bi-Radial horn. Ideally, whatever woofer I decide on should be horn loaded but due to space constrain, I will have to settle for a Bass reflex. I hope the Audax can keep up with the JBL horns.
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That's very nice.. wish i have the skills to put speakers together like you.. definitely will look into the basics of this! So I guess building your own speakers not only can save big but also you can tweak it to your very own taste that those on the markets couldn't provide, and make it sound very close to the extremely high end ones (or better)? Picking the right driver to match the others in a single monitor sounds fun to me, where do you pick up most of your parts from?
Normally from Parts Express and the more expensive ones from Madison. Sometimes on eBay, like the JBL 2342/2425 combo.
Eventhough I already have the JBL 2425, the 2" JBL 2445, Emilars and Radians, I bought the combo for the 2342 Bi-Radial Horn. I don't have the space to build a speaker around my JBL 2345 or 2385 horns. They would look silly with an 8" woofer too.
Building speakers is fun. Very easy, only a few components in the crossover, yet extremely difficult to get it right. Once you are proficient enough, you will be able to design your own speakers that are better than what is in the market - and best of all, at a fraction of the cost. Take a pair of 2-way bookshelf that sells for $1,500. I can produce a better 2-way for less than $500 in component cost. I get a big kick out of that.
Eventhough I already have the JBL 2425, the 2" JBL 2445, Emilars and Radians, I bought the combo for the 2342 Bi-Radial Horn. I don't have the space to build a speaker around my JBL 2345 or 2385 horns. They would look silly with an 8" woofer too.
Building speakers is fun. Very easy, only a few components in the crossover, yet extremely difficult to get it right. Once you are proficient enough, you will be able to design your own speakers that are better than what is in the market - and best of all, at a fraction of the cost. Take a pair of 2-way bookshelf that sells for $1,500. I can produce a better 2-way for less than $500 in component cost. I get a big kick out of that.
I see.. i'll be lurking around in this forum for a while, because i'm interested in modding my Lepai Tripath T2020 amp.. it's very cheap so i'm not afraid of killing one or two of these lol.. this amp have pretty good high and mids, but just lack of low hz and that's what i'm trying to gain.. I'm no sound engineer or anything but ppl in this forum are very helpful and that makes a night and day for me.. spending less and gain big sounds like a good way to head to..
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