Polk Audio PSW 650 User Manual

PSW SERIES

PSW650

Instruction

Manual

POLK AUDIO—A HISTORY
OF EXCELLENCE

Polk Audio was founded in 1972 by
Matthew Polk and George Klopfer.
Their dream was to make the highest
performance speakers, at reasonable
prices. They did so by applying scientific
principles to speaker design and by
concentrating solely on the speaker
business. That’s why they’re “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.

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.

2

FEATURES:

• Two 10 inch direct radiating
subwoofer drivers for deep bass,
smooth response and low distortion.

• Dual Power Port™bass ports
for deep bass and high acoustic
efficiency with low distortion.

• High current 250 watt 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.

• Auto on/off circuit that automatically
turns the subwoofer on when it sens­es a program signal. When no signal
is present, the amplifier turns off
within 15 minutes.

• +3dB bass boost switch provides
increased output when connected
to electronics with low output
subwoofer output jacks.

• Unfiltered LFE input for use with low
pass filtered subwoofer output jacks.

• Speaker and line level inputs.

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.

3

PLACEMENT

Polk PSW Series subwoofers offer many
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 near a corner of the
room. Allow at least 6 inches (15cm)
of space between any subwoofer driver
and a wall or obstruction (Figure 1).
The subwoofer should only be placed
on its feet. (Figure 2). NEVER LAY

THE SUBWOOFER ON THE AMPLI­FIER END—THIS WILL DAMAGE
THE AMPLIFIER.

The PSW650 is not magnetically shield­ed and should not be placed close to a
television set. If you see any color dis­tortion in your TV, move the subwoofer
a few inches further away from the set.

CONNECTING THE SUBWOOFER
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 your Polk dealer for wire
recommendations.

Note that one of the speaker input
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 subwoofer doesn’t seem to
produce much bass, it is most likely
that one of the speaker wires is con­nected backwards. Double check all
connections for correct polarity.

4 5

FIGURE 2. FIGURE 2A.

OK

FIGURE 1.

Driver Side

≥

6 inches (15cm)

From wall

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 un-frayed
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. Repeat for the other channel.

To connect wire to the binding post,
unscrew the plastic hex nut on the bind­ing post and insert the bare wire into
the hole near the base of the binding
post. Do not insert the insulated part of
the wire into the hole; this will not give
you a good connection. Twist the hex nut
back down the binding post until it firm­ly meets the wire. Do not over-tighten.

(Figure 3.)

HOOK-UP OPTIONS

The PSW650 offers a wide range of
hook-up and use options. Each option
has advantages and potential down­sides. The option that is best for you
depends on your electronics, main
speakers and your personal taste. Read
all the options before selecting.

The hook-up method will have a large
impact on the “blending” between your
main front speakers and the subwoofer.
A poor blend will sound unnatural; you
will be more aware that the main and
subwoofer speakers are two separate
units. In a well-blended system, you will
not be able to pinpoint the location of
the subwoofer in the mix. Experiment
with alternate options to find the
method that works best for you.

FIGURE 3.

AMPLIFIER

LOOSEN HEX NUT INSERT SPEAKER WIRE TIGHTEN HEX NUT DO NOT INSERT

THROUGH HOLE INSULATED SECTION

OF SPEAKER WIRE