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Polk PSW111 vs. Polk DSWPRO440wi

post #1 of 11
5/7/12 at 10:21am
Thread Starter 
Hi. Hoping that someone can explain the differences between these two subs. Is the 440 better or more powerful? Not sure what to make from the specs, plus I'm not an audio pro like most of you.

Thanks for the help!
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post #2 of 11
5/7/12 at 10:28am
PSW111
- 150W continuous / 300W peak
- 8" driver
- 42-**Hz +/- 3dB
(**The only spec provided on the Polk site is 160Hz for the PSW10.)

DSWPRO440wi
- 200W continuous / 400W peak
- 8" driver
- 30-125Hz +/- 3dB

The 440 will dig deeper and, most likely, play louder than the 111. And the 440 is "wireless ready"; the 111 is not.
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post #3 of 11
5/7/12 at 10:34am
Thread Starter 
Thanks. I recently bought the 111, but it was soooo weak. Not sure if it was defective, but everything needed to be turned up to the max in order to hear any bass.

I'm leaning towards the 440 because I like Polk (for budgetary reasons). Their speakers are ok for the type of set up I have. Nothing crazy.

Plus, my living room is a moderate size. Just hoping to get more power out of the 440 without maxxing the volume out.
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post #4 of 11
5/7/12 at 10:37am
In case you are interested, for about the same price as the DSW PRO 440wi plus the wireless adapter, you might also look at the Outlaw Audio M8, $374 with wireless. Here's a review at CNET.

BTW: How big is your room? Might be an 8" sub is too small.
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post #5 of 11
5/7/12 at 10:38am
Not sure what your budget is, but if you can snag an Energy S10.3 when it's on sale for $200...
- 200W continuous / 800W dynamic
- 10" driver
- 21-120Hz +/- 3dB
...I think you'll be much better off than with either of those Polk subs.

I had the opportunity to demo an S10.3 a few years ago. It was an impressive sub for its size and, at $200, for its price.
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post #6 of 11
5/7/12 at 10:41am
Thread Starter 
Not sure if I'm going to go wireless with the sub. It will be placed right next to my receiver and speakers. The 440 will cost me $250 shipped. That's in the range I plan on spending for the sub. I know it retails for around $400.
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post #7 of 11
5/7/12 at 10:46am
Quote:
Originally Posted by dslo View Post

Not sure if I'm going to go wireless with the sub. It will be placed right next to my receiver and speakers. The 440 will cost me $250 shipped. That's in the range I plan on spending for the sub. I know it retails for around $400.

An 8" sub typically only has enough output for a small room (like a bedroom); a little more power isn't going to make much difference.

If you don't need the wireless, there are other subs in that price range that are more powerful, such as the 10" Energy S10.3 eljaycanuck recommended. It has been on sale off and on the last few weeks for $200 to $230 (subscribe to Newegg's mailing list).

What's your room size? And what are your listening habits (% movies/music/gaming)?
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post #8 of 11
5/7/12 at 1:15pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dslo View Post

Not sure if I'm going to go wireless with the sub. It will be placed right next to my receiver and speakers. The 440 will cost me $250 shipped. That's in the range I plan on spending for the sub. I know it retails for around $400.

If the sub is going right next to your receiver and speakers there would NOT seem to be a good reason to be thinking about wireless. Wireless is not free and with such a limited budget you want as much of your money as possible to go to basic design and construction, not wireless.

The Energy S10.3 is an excellent sub at a good sale price. If has an enviable frequency response for the ~$200 price range.
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post #9 of 11
5/7/12 at 2:09pm
Thread Starter 
If I move into a bigger place, I'd like the flexibility of going wireless. Also don't want a larger sticking out somewhere.

I had a Yamaha 315 sub but sold it. It was sort of big for the area I currently keep my sub. That thing dwarfed the Polk 111 though, even if it was less powerful.

Can anyone explain that? Polk 111 had more wattage in comparison to the Yamaha, but there was more bass at lower settings on the 315.

Thanks.
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post #10 of 11
5/7/12 at 2:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dslo View Post

If I move into a bigger place, I'd like the flexibility of going wireless. Also don't want a larger sticking out somewhere.

I had a Yamaha 315 sub but sold it. It was sort of big for the area I currently keep my sub. That thing dwarfed the Polk 111 though, even if it was less powerful.

Can anyone explain that? Polk 111 had more wattage in comparison to the Yamaha, but there was more bass at lower settings on the 315.

Thanks.

The settings have very little meaning, nor do the wattage ratings on many subs, especially many low priced store brands.

Also, you say you want small sub for your small current room, but want wireless if you move to bigger quarters, but you don't want larger sub in case you move to bigger quarters? So, you present a mixed bag: wireless for bigger quarters, but small size for current quarters. Good luck.
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post #11 of 11
5/7/12 at 2:49pm
Bigger bass needs bigger speakers and bigger power... 8" drivers are not going to push much air... You really need 12" or larger for larger rooms...
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