Polk Audio PSW250, PSW350, PSW 450 User Manual

PSW SERIES

PSW250

PSW350

PSW450

Instruction

Manual

Owners of RM Series

Systems: Refer to

instructions in

“5 pack” carton

1

For customer service call 800-377-7655

A WORD FROM MATTHEW POLK

Dear Music Lover,

Thank you for purchasing Polk Audio

®

speakers. Designing and building speakers
is more than just a business for the people
of Polk Audio—it is our passion. We are
all dedicated to your complete satisfaction
and delight.

Your new Polk™speakers include the latest
loudspeaker technology to assure
outstanding performance and unmatched
quality. Please take a moment to read
through this manual for information on
getting the greatest enjoyment from these
fine instruments.

We make a wide variety of main, center, rear
channel, powered subwoofer, and accessory
speakers so you can assemble a complete
and well matched high-performance
surround sound system. If you would like
more information on building the Polk system
of your dreams, consult your Polk Audio
dealer or call our Customer Service
Department in North America call
[phone], Monday through Friday,
9:00am through 6:00pm Eastern time.

Sincerely,

Matthew S. Polk
Chairman and Co-Founder

P.S.: A wealth of information can also be
found on our award-winning web site:
www.polkaudio.com.

POLK AUDIO—
A HISTORY OF EXCELLENCE

Polk Audio was founded in 1972 by Matthew
Polk and George Klopfer. Their dream was to
make speakers with the performance of the
world’s best speakers, at reasonable prices.
They did so by applying scientific principles
to speaker design and by concentrating sole­ly on the speaker business. That is how Polk
became known as “The Speaker Specialists®.”

Today Polk Audio is still headquartered in
Baltimore, Maryland and is now one of the
world’s largest manufacturers of home and
car loudspeakers. Polk’s research has yielded
over 20 patents for advances in loudspeaker
performance and value. Polk speakers have
earned the praise of audio experts the world
over, as well as dozens of awards for innova­tive, high-quality design. Polk Audio speakers
are sold in over 50 countries and in audio/
video specialist retail locations throughout
the U.S.

Founders Matthew Polk and George Klopfer
still work alongside 300 dedicated Polk team
members to bring you the best speakers you
can buy.

FEATURES:

• 8"(PSW250), 10"(PSW350) or
12" (PSW450) direct radiating
subwoofer driver for deep bass,
smooth response and low distortion.

• Dual bass ports for deep bass and high
acoustic efficiency.

• High current 50 watt (PSW250),
100 watt (PSW350) or
150 watt (PSW350) power amplifier

• Subwoofer volume control, variable
crossover control and phase switch allow
you to optimize performance to match
your audio system, room acoustics, and
program material.

•LFE input (PSW350 & PSW450)

• Switchable 80Hz high pass or full range
speaker outputs (PSW450)

• Auto on-off circuit that automatically
turns your subwoofer on when it senses
a program signal. When no signal is pre­sent, the circuit mutes the subwoofer.

GETTING STARTED

Please inspect each loudspeaker carefully.
Notify your Polk dealer if you notice any dam­age or missing items. Keep the carton and
packing material. They will do the best job of
protecting your speakers if they need to be
transported.

For more information visit our web site at http://www.polkaudio.com

2

3

For customer service call 800-377-7655

SPEAKER PLACEMENT

Due to their compact size, Polk PSW Series
subwoofers offer plenty of placement
options—in an entertainment center, behind
furniture or next to a sofa or chair. The sub­woofer may be placed anywhere in the room,
but for the greatest possible bass output,
place the subwoofer in a corner of the room.
The subwoofer may lay on its side, but plac­ing it on its feet or base will yield the best
performance (Figure 1). NEVER LAY THE
SUBWOOFER ON THE AMPLIFIER END—
THIS WILL DAMAGE THE AMPLIFIER.

The PSW250, PSW350 AND PSW450 are
magnetically shielded and can be placed
close to a television set, if necessary.
However, we do not recommend placing your
TV set on the subwoofer. The vibration
transmitted to the TV set may shorten the
life of the TV. If you see any color distortion
in your TV, move the subwoofer a few inches
further from the set.

FIGURE 1

OK

OK

AMPLIFIER SIDE

LADO DEL AMPLIFICADOR

CÔTÉ AMPLIFICATEUR

VERSTÄRKER SEITE

AMPLIFIER
AMPLIFICADOR
AMPLIFICATEUR
VERSTÄRKER

CONNECTING THE SPEAKERS
TO THE SYSTEM—GENERAL

If you elect to use the speaker level inputs,
use two conductor 16 gauge or thicker speak­er wires. If you choose to use the line level
inputs, use high quality, shielded RCA type
interconnect cables (see hookup options). See
your Polk dealer for wire recommendations.

Note that one of the terminals on the rear of
the speaker is marked red (+) and the other
black (-). Make certain that you connect the
wire from the red (+) terminal of your ampli­fier to the red (+) terminal on your speaker,
and the wire from the black (-) terminal of
the amplifier to the black (-) terminal on your
speaker. Most wire has some indication (such
as color coding, ribbing, or writing) on one
of the two conductors to help maintain con­sistency. If your speakers sound “thin” with
little bass and little to no center image, odds
are that one of the speaker wires is connect­ed backwards. Double check all connections.

POWERED SUBWOOFER

AUTO

115 VAC 60Hz

120 Watts Max.

DO NOT OPEN

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

CAUTION

AVIS: RISQUE DE CHOC ÉLECTRIQUE. NE PAS OUVRIR.

Line

Level

Input

TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK,

DO NOT EXPOSE THIS APPLIANCE TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.

NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING

TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.

L R

WARNING

L+

L+

--

--

Speaker Level Input

Speaker Level Output

+R

+R

POWER

OFF

VOLUME

CONTROL

Strip 1/2" of insulation from each of the two
conductors on both ends to expose the bare
wire. Twist the exposed wire of each conductor
to form two unfrayed strands. Connect two
conductors to the receiver or amp (refer to the
owner’s manual supplied with your electronics
for assistance with proper hookup). Connect
the two conductors on the other end of the
wire to the speaker terminals.

NOT OK

AMPLIFIER
AMPLIFICADOR
AMPLIFICATEUR

VERSTÄRKER

For more information visit our web site at http://www.polkaudio.com

NOT OK

AMPLIFIER
AMPLIFICADOR
AMPLIFICATEUR

VERSTÄRKER

4

5

For customer service call 800-377-7655

Line
Level
Input

R L

-

+

-

+

RL

+--+

RL

+--+

SPEAKER LEVEL INPUT

SPEAKER LEVEL OUTPUT

R L

- +-

+

FRONT

RECEIVER

PSW

FRONT

CHANNEL

FRONT

CHANNEL

FIGURE 2 (PSW250 AND PSW350)

FIGURE 2A (PSW450 ONLY)

USING PUSH-TAB AND 5-WAY
BINDING POST CONNECTORS

Push the plastic tab of one connector to open
up the hole. Insert the bare wire into the hole,
and release the plastic tab. Repeat this step
for the other terminal (Figure 2).

The PSW450 uses 5-way binding posts, which
operate a little differently. Unscrew the red or
black nut several turns until the hole in the
shaft appears. Push the bare wire into the hole
and retighten nut finger tight (Figure 2a).

Make sure that the two bare wire ends do not
touch each other. Such an electrical short will
cause your receiver or amplifier to turn off or
malfunction.

HOOK-UP OPTIONS

Line
Level
Input

R L

-

+

-

+

RL

+--+

RL

+--+

SPEAKER LEVEL INPUT

SPEAKER LEVEL OUTPUT

R L

- +-

+

FRONT

RECEIVER

PSW

FRONT

CHANNEL

FRONT

CHANNEL

OPTION #1

This method is preferred for most systems
and for use with the RM6200 and RM6600
systems (Figure 3).

Connect the left and right channel speaker
output from your electronics to the left and
right speaker level INPUT of the subwoofer.
Connect the subwoofer left and right speaker
level OUTPUT to the corresponding left and
right speakers.

If it’s easier, you can connect two sets of
speaker wires from your electronics, running
one set to the subwoofer and the other to the
front speakers.

When using this option, it is necessary to
adjust the settings of your electronics as fol­lows: Front speakers = large, subwoofer =
“OFF” or “NONE”. This may sound incorrect
because you have a subwoofer, but it will
yield the best performance. This hookup
method enables Pro Logic and Dolby Digital
electronics to direct a full range signal (with
bass) to the front left and right speakers
(and therefore to your subwoofer) along
with the LFE channel.

OPTION #1
PREFERRED
HOOKUP

This method is the
most popular when
using a receiver or
amplifier.

FIGURE 3

For more information visit our web site at http://www.polkaudio.com

6

7

For customer service call 800-377-7655

Line
Level
Input

R L

LFE

-

+

-

+

RL

+--+

RL

+--+

SPEAKER LEVEL INPUT

SPEAKER LEVEL OUTPUT

R L

POWER AMPLIFIER

INPUT

FRONT

- +-

+

LR

PRE-OUT

LR

PRE-AMP OR RECEIVER

RCA CABLES

FRONT

CHANNEL

FRONT

CHANNEL

Y CABLES

HOOK-UP OPTIONS

OPTION #2

This method can be used with electronics
that include a “SUB OUT” feature (Figure 4,
previous page). It is not recommended for
use with RM6200 or RM6600 Systems.

Connect a single RCA cable from the “SUB
OUT” of your electronics to the LFE input of
the subwoofer. This input bypasses the sub­woofer’s variable low pass filter and relies on
the filter built into your electronics. If your
“SUB OUT” is an unfiltered signal (check your
owner’s manual), use either left or right “Line
Level Input,” to use the low pass crossover in
the subwoofer.

When using option #2, it is necessary to
adjust the settings of your electronics as
follows: Front speakers = large or small
depending on their output capabilities;
Subwoofer = “ON”.

OPTION #2
SUB OUT HOOKUP
PSW350 AND
PSW450 ONLY

Line
Level
Input

R L

-

+

-

+

RL

+--+

RL

+--+

SPEAKER LEVEL INPUT

SPEAKER LEVEL OUTPUT

R L

RECEIVER

SUB-OUT

- +-

+

RCA CABLE

FRONT

FRONT

CHANNEL

FRONT

CHANNEL

LFE

This method is for
use with electronics
that include a “sub
out” feature.

FIGURE 4

Line
Level
Input

R L

LFE

-

+

-

+

RL

+--+

RL

+--+

SPEAKER LEVEL INPUT

SPEAKER LEVEL OUTPUT

R L

POWER AMPLIFIER

INPUT

FRONT

- +-

+

LR

PRE-OUT

LR

PRE-AMP OR RECEIVER

RCA CABLES

FRONT

CHANNEL

FRONT

CHANNEL

Y CABLES

HOOK-UP OPTIONS

OPTION #3

This method is for use with electronics featur­ing a “PRE OUT” – and may be used as a sec­ondary hook up method for use with RM6200
or RM6600 Systems. Connect the left and right
preamp output from your electronics to the left
and right LINE LEVEL input of the subwoofer.
This may require use of RCA “Y” cables (not
supplied) to hookup both the subwoofer and
your electronics (PSW250, PSW350, PSW450).
When using option #3, it is necessary to adjust
the settings on your electronics as follows:
Front speakers = LARGE Subwoofer = “OFF”
or “NO”.

OPTION #3
PRE OUT
HOOKUP

This method is for
use with electonic
components featuring
a pre-out.

FIGURE 5

For more information visit our web site at http://www.polkaudio.com

8

9

For customer service call 800-377-7655

This method is
recommended for use
with the PSW450.
See hookup diagram
for “option #1”:
Figure 3, page 6.

FIGURE 6

OPTION #4
PSW450
ONLY

+

+

–

–

+

+

–

–

80Hz

FULL

RANGE

SPKR

IN

SPKR

OUT

HOOK-UP OPTIONS

OPTION #4

(PSW450 Only) – Not recommended for use
with RM6200 and RM6600 systems. The
PSW450 offers a “switchable high pass filter”
at 80Hz for those situations where you choose
to limit the lower bass content directed to
your front left and right speakers. The benefit
can be greater dynamic range from the front
left and right speakers because they are not
being asked to produce any bass frequencies
below 80Hz.

This hookup would be the same as Option #1,
but with the switch turned to “80Hz.” See fig­ure 6. Consult your dealer or Polk Audio cus­tomer service if you have questions about the
use of this feature.

LEFT RIGHT

AC POWER CONNECTION
AND AUTO ON/OFF

PSW250, PSW350 and PSW450 models sold
within North America are designed to be con­nected to 110-120 volt AC outlets.

Units destined for countries outside of North
America that use 220-240 volts are factory
preset for 220-240 volt operation. If you do
not know your local supply voltage, consult
your Polk Audio dealer before connecting the
amplifier to the supply or to your other hi-fi
components.

AUTO MUTE CIRCUIT

The PSW250, PSW350 and PSW450 feature
auto on/off circuitry, marked “auto” on the
power switch, that automatically turns your
subwoofer on when it senses a program sig­nal. When no signal is present, the circuit
turns the subwoofer off after a few minutes.
If you are concerned about the brief delay
between when the music starts and when the
subwoofer turns on, simply leave your sub­woofer in the “on” position.

ADJUSTING THE
PSW250/PSW350/PSW450

• For RM6600 and RM6200 adjustments
please refer to their owners manuals.

• Volume—Adjust by ear using a wide vari­ety of CDs and video sources. Adjust for
deep, powerful bass without “boominess.”

• Low Pass—This control adjusts the fre­quency range over which the subwoofer
operates. When using smaller main
speakers, the upper range of the control
will probably yield the best results. With
larger speakers, the lower end of the con­trol range will probably sound best, but
always let your ear be the final judge. If
male vocals sound “thin,” turn this control
up until the voice sounds rich but not
boomy. If male vocals sound too “thick” or
“chesty,” turn this control down until the
voice sounds natural.

• Phase Switch—Have someone else switch
between the two settings while you sit in
your favorite listening position. Use music
with good bass and a deep male vocal.
When you hear the best balance of deep
bass and natural lower octaves of the
male voice, you have achieved optimum
phase tuning.

MAINTAINING THE APPEARANCE
OF PSW SERIES SPEAKERS

Your new speaker cabinet is made of a rugged
material that can be dusted or cleaned with
a moist cloth. Avoid harsh detergents and
cleaning fluids, they can permanently damage
your speakers’ finish.

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE OR SERVICE

If, after following the hook-up directions, you
experience difficulty, please double check all
wire connections. Make sure that your elec­tronic equipment is operating correctly by
hooking up another speaker to the speaker
output. For example, if you are not getting
sound from the left channel speaker, connect
the right channel speaker to the left output. If
you still get no sound from that side, the
problem is in your amp, receiver or source
electronics. Should you isolate the problem to
the speaker, contact the authorized Polk
Audio dealer where you made your purchase.
Authorized Polk Audio dealers are the best
source for advice and assistance.

Our customer service representatives are
happy to answer your questions and provide
fast, friendly service. In North America call
[phone], Monday through Friday,
9:00am through 6:00pm Eastern time. Or
you can E-Mail us at our Internet service
address: [e-mail].

For more information visit our web site at http://www.polkaudio.com

10

11

For customer service call 800-377-7655

TROUBLE SHOOTING

Possible Solution

• Check AC plug and green LED on
the back; make sure outlet is opera­tional

• Check volume control on subwoofer

• For speaker level wire conections,
check (+) on amplifier to (+) on
subwoofer and do the same for
(-) to (-)

• Check that RCA line level inputs of
the subwoofer are not wired from
speaker level outputs of amplifier

• Turn crossover frequency down

• Move phase switch to “REV”
and compare

• Turn volume up on subwoofer

• Move subwoofer into corner

• Move phase switch to “REV”
and compare

• Secure all wire and line level
connections

• Route all speaker and/or line level
connections away from AC wires

• Check for bad RCA phono cable
(hookup option 2,3,4)

PROBLEM

No Bass

Excessive
Mid-bass

Not
Enough
Bass

Hum from
Subwoofer

PSW250

Driver Complement:

1 - 8" (203.2mm) woofer

Amplifier Power*:

FTC Rated Amplifier Power:

50 watts continuous into 4ohms @ .03% 30 ­200Hz

Dynamic Power:

125 watts

Calculated Maximum Output (in-room):

105dB

Enclosure Type:

direct radiating, vented

Port Type:

dual, rear firing

Overall Frequency Response:

30Hz - 180Hz

-3dB Limits:

40Hz - 160Hz

Crossover Frequency:

adjustable 80Hz - 160Hz

Phase Control:

switch 0º or 180º

Inputs:

speaker and line level

Outputs:

speaker level

Available Finish:

black

Dimensions:

(includes binding posts & heat sinks)
13"H x 11 1/2"W x 18 1/2"D

330.2mmH x 292.1mmW x 469.9mmD

Shipping Weight:

33lbs • 15kg

SPECIFICATIONS

SPECIFICATIONS

PSW350

Driver Complement:

1 - 10" (254mm) woofer

Amplifier Power*:

FTC Rated Amplifier Power:

100 watts continuous into 4ohms @ .05% 30 ­200Hz

Dynamic Power:

260 watts

Calculated Maximum Output (in-room):

110dB

Enclosure Type:

direct radiating, vented

Port Type:

dual, rear firing

Overall Frequency Response:

25Hz - 180Hz

-3dB Limits:

38Hz - 160Hz

Crossover Frequency:

adjustable 60Hz - 160Hz

Phase Control:

switch 0º or 180º

Inputs:

speaker, LFE and line level

Outputs:

speaker level

Available Finish:

black

Dimensions:

(includes binding posts & heat sinks)
15"H x 13 1/2"W x 18 1/2"D
381mmH x 342.9mmW x 469.9mmD

Shipping Weight:

40lbs • 18.2kg

SPECIFICATIONS

PSW450

Driver Complement:

1 - 12" (304.8mm) woofer

Amplifier Power*:

FTC Rated Amplifier Power:

150 watts continuous into 4ohms @ <1% 30 ­200Hz

Dynamic Power:

350 watts

Calculated Maximum Output (in-room):

113dB

Enclosure Type:

direct radiating, vented

Port Type:

dual, rear firing

Overall Frequency Response:

25Hz - 160Hz

-3dB Limits:

35Hz - 125Hz

Crossover Frequency:

adjustable 60Hz - 125Hz

Phase Control:

switch 0º or 180º

Inputs:

speaker, LFE and line level

Outputs:

speaker level (switchable 80Hz or full range)

Available Finish:

black

Dimensions:

(includes binding posts & heat sinks)
17 1/2"H x 15"W x 19"D

444.5mmH x 381mmW x 482.6mmD

Shipping Weight:

45lbs • 20.5kg

*This specification conforms to Federal regula-

tions regarding amplifier power ratings. For
purposes of comparison, be certain that all
power ratings conform to these stringent FTC
regulations. Power ratings alone connot predict
actual sound output. For this reason we also
specify the calculated maximun sound output.

For more information visit our web site at http://www.polkaudio.com

12

13

For customer service call 800-377-7655

POLK AUDIO LIMITED WARRANTY

“Polk Audio,” “The Speaker Specialists,” “Signature Reference Theater” and

“SRT”

are trademarks of Britannia Investment Corporation used under license by Polk Audio Incorporated.

Polk Audio, Inc., warrants to the original pur­chaser only that the Amplifier in this Polk
Audio Loudspeaker Product (the “Product”)
will be free from defects in material and
workmanship for a period of three (3) years
from the date of original retail purchase from
a Polk Audio Authorized Dealer. Polk Audio,
Inc., further warrants to the original purchas­er only that the Loudspeaker(s) in this
Polk Audio Product (the “Product”) will be
free from defects in material and workman­ship for a period of five (5) years from the
date of original retail purchase from a Polk
Audio Authorized Dealer.The original retail
purchaser shall hereinafter be referred to as
“you.” However, this Warranty will automati­cally terminate prior to the expiration if you
sell or otherwise transfer the Product to any
other party. The original retail purchaser
shall hereinafter be referred to as “you.”
To allow Polk Audio to offer the best possible
warranty service, please fill out the Product
Registration Card(s) and send it to the
Factory, at the address provided on the
Product Cards(s) within ten (10) days of
the date of purchase.

Defective Products must be shipped, together
with proof of purchase, prepaid insured to the
Polk Audio Authorized Dealer from whom you
purchased the Product, or to the Factory at
2550 Britannia Boulevard, Suite D, San
Diego, California 92154. Products must be
shipped in the original shipping container
or its equivalent; in any case the risk of loss
or damage in transit is to be borne by you.
If upon examination at the Factory or Polk
Audio Authorized Dealer it is determined that
the unit was defective in materials or work­manship at any time during this Warranty
period, Polk Audio or the Polk Audio
Authorized Dealer will, at its option, repair or
replace this Product at no additional charge,
except as set forth below. All replaced parts
and Products become the property of Polk
Audio. Products replaced or repaired under
this warranty will be returned to you, within

a reasonable time, freight prepaid.

This warranty does not include service or
parts to repair damage caused by accident,
disaster, misuse, abuse, negligence, inade­quate packing or shipping procedures, com­mercial use, voltage inputs in excess of the
rated maximum of the unit, cosmetic appear­ance of cabinetry not directly attributable
to defect in materials or workmanship, or
service, repair, or modification of the Product
which has not been authorized or approved
by Polk Audio. This warranty shall terminate
if the Serial number on the Product has been
removed, tampered with or defaced.

This warranty is in lieu of all other expressed
Warranties. If this Product is defective in
materials or workmanship as warranted
above, your sole remedy shall be repair or
replacement as provided above. In no event
will Polk Audio, Inc. be liable to you for any
incidental or consequential damages arising
out of the use or inability to use the Product,
even if Polk Audio, Inc. or a Polk Audio
Authorized Dealer has been advised of the
possibility of such damages, or for any claim
by any other party. Some states do not allow
the exclusion or limitation of consequential
damages, so the above limitation and exclu­sion may not apply to you.

All implied warranties on this Product are
limited to the duration of this expressed
Warranty. Some states do not allow limitation
on how long an implied Warranty lasts, so the
above limitations may not apply to you. This
Warranty gives you specific legal rights, and
you also may have other rights which vary
from state to state.

This Warranty applies only to Products pur­chased in the United States of America, its
possessions, and U.S. and NATO armed forces
exchanges and audio clubs. The Warranty
terms and conditions applicable to Products
purchased in other countries are available
from the Polk Audio Authorized Distributors
in such countries.

RM0299-1

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND 21215, USA,

5601 METRO DRIVE,

800-377-7655, FAX: [phone]

http://www.polkaudio.com