Feed Forward™ thinking delivers proactive bass

Okay, here's a riddle: What do charades and your new Polk Audio DSWPRO Series DSW PRO500 subwoofer have in common? Answer: For both, complex or confusing signals can cause a lot of mayhem. Regardless of how well an amplifier and woofer driver might be matched, mechanical distortion and damage can occur almost instantaneously. The reason? Well, complex signal combinations can cause over-driving of the woofer at low-frequencies, resulting first in mechanical noise and then in permanent damage. Most current systems that attempt to protect drivers while also reducing distortion can do so only by limiting the driver's output to far below its theoretical maximum. Note: we said "Most current systems" . . . Polk's Feed Forward™ distortion suppression technology uses digital processors to monitor input signals and respond to complex signals with minimum intervention, thereby minimizing distortion and the chance for damage while also maximizing output without compromising dynamics. Virtually undetectable in operation, the DSW PRO500's proactive Feed Forward technology delivers all the excitement and impact of your source material while maintaining lower distortion and higher output levels.

Ta-da! The Polk Room Optimizer™

Beyond internal components like driver design and crossover circuitry, a variety of factors can influence your subwoofer's performance . . . including your living room! The walls in your listening area play an important part in determining the behavior of your audio's sound waves. This is especially true of slow, wide, low-frequency bass tones that lack much natural directivity. Consequently, a subwoofer's placement within your listening area can dramatically affect its performance. Before, you might have had to purchase a particular type of subwoofer to match your listening area's characteristics, but thanks to the DSW PRO500's Polk Room Optimizer™ (PRO) technology, you can customize this sub's performance to match the needs of your living room. Four preset equalization curves (selectable on the included remote control) are designed to compensate for room boundary effects, letting you optimize performance in four primary placement locations: mid-wall, mid-room, corner, and in-cabinet. (For in-cabinet placement, the DSW PRO500's re-positionable feet allow you to orient the sub on its "back", turning it into a front-firing woofer, ideal for a hidden installation.) Achieving ideal frequency response and flat, accurate bass response while matching the DSW PRO500 to your lifestyle is simple with Polk Room Optimization.

Like kryptonite for distortion

Distortion is an audiophile's nemesis numero uno. Distortion — or interference in the reproduction of an audio signal — has a variety of sources, including driver construction, motor movement, circuitry performance, and cabinet resonance. Polk's DSW PRO500 powered subwoofer sports a variety of design innovations that minimize these sources of distortion, thereby maximizing your home audio experience. Let's start with the DSW PRO500's Klippel-optimized driver. The folks at Polk use a laser Klippel Distortion Analyzer to optimize motor structure, voice coil alignment, and suspension to achieve symmetrical driver movement. The more symmetrical and consistent a driver's motion is, the less distortion of sound that results. Klippel analysis assures a consistent, symmetrical driver movement for cleaner, clearer low-frequency performance.

Brace yourself

As another measure toward controlling sources of distortion, the DSW PRO500 features a non-resonant MDF (medium-density fiberboard) cabinet construction using internal bracing for low distortion, deep bass impact, and superior detail, accuracy, and musicality.

And now for . . . the Downward-Radiating Slot Port

While most vented subwoofer enclosures take advantage of sound produced at a driver's rear to extend bass efficiency, the Polk Audio DSW PRO500 takes the vented or "ported" cabinet design one step further with an innovative downward-radiating slot port. The long, thin design of the port lessens turbulence, noise, and distortion, delivering a clean, accurate bass experience.

Power and versatility

For bass performance that seamlessly integrates with your home audio system and delivers clear, impacting low-frequency reproduction, look to powered subwoofer systems with multiple input options. The Polk Audio DSW PRO500 uses a built-in high-current, high-efficiency, class D amplifier, offering 200W of cool, reliable operation with low distortion. Featuring LFE as well as line- and speaker-level inputs the DSW PRO500 gives you optimal connectivity options for incorporating this Polk subwoofer into your current system. Finally, a variety of features, including adjustable low-pass crossover, phase switch, volume control, and auto on/off circuitry give you control over bass output and the sub's blending characteristics with your front stage speakers.

The Control

Many a living room has been field of war to bloody contest over a singularly coveted prize — the remote control. The battle and its spoils reach new heights (or new "lows", if you follow) with the DSW PRO500's remote. This slim, compact, credit-card-sized remote gives you full command over a variety of functions. Adjust the sub's volume. Use the 4-button phase control choose between 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270° settings. Optimize the DSW PRO500's performance to your listening area's acoustics with the 4-button Polk Room Optimizer™ presets. Get quiet in a hurry with the Mute button. Use the Night function to compress the dynamic range of the woofer's output, and still enjoy low-level bass detail at lower night-time volume levels. A Reset button restores the woofer's settings to factory presets. Finally, use the LED button to activate or deactivate the blue LED behind the woofer's logo badge. When activated, the LED light blinks to confirm that the subwoofer has received and responded to the remote's instructions.

Secure, versatile connections

The gold-plated five-way binding posts featured on the Polk Audio DSW PRO500 are designed with wide holes for large-gauge bare-wire connections. This binding-post construction offers the most secure audio-cable connection, and is the most versatile wiring application available.

The finishing touches — cables

Go one step further in your quest to reach the pinnacle of home audio. A high-performance sub like your new Polk Audio DSW PRO500 can only help your home audio system reach its full potential if it is receiving a quality, high-integrity audio signal. Audio cables — chosen specifically for the needs of your system — deliver the ability to maximize your DSW PRO500's potential. View the accessories list attached to the DSW PRO500 at Vanns.com or call a Vann's customer service representative at the 800 number at the top of this page for assistance in selecting the right set of cables.

Comparison Specifications

• Power rating: 200W continuous average output / 400W dynamic power output / Class D amplifier
• Woofer: One 10" driver
• Crossover: 60Hz - 120Hz
• Cabinet design: Downward-radiating slot port / MDF enclosure construction
• Mounting options: Repositionable feet for front-firing application

Additional Specifications

• Frequency response: 23Hz - 160Hz
• -3dB limit: Upper: 30Hz / Lower: 125Hz
• Loud & Low specs: Low: 118dB / Ultra: 96dB
• Inputs: LFE / Line-level in / Speaker-level in
• Outputs: Line-level out / Speaker-level out
• Amplifier: 120V or 220V capable
• Included with purchase: Remote control

Dimensional Specifications

• Dimensions: 16.13" H x 15.5" W x 15.5" D
• Weight: 41.0 lbs

Polk DSW PRO500 BLACK Warranty Details

5-year parts and labor speaker warranty / 3-year parts and labor amplifier warranty

More reasons to buy the Polk DSW PRO500 BLACK from Vanns.com

• Free Shipping!
• No Sales Tax!
• Vanns.com is a Fully Authorized Dealer (Learn More)
• The Polk DSW PRO500 BLACK is Brand New
• The Polk DSW PRO500 BLACK Ships in a Factory Sealed Box