AudioSource SW-15 Subwoofers

AudioSource SW-15 Subwoofers 

DESCRIPTION

15" Powered Subwoofer

USER REVIEWS

Showing 1-10 of 130  
[Mar 17, 2010]
z32type
Audio Enthusiast

I have owned many subs in the past. I am 25 years old. I started getting into home theater by the age of 16. Of course I have many other hobbies,but anyways. My first HT system was a Yamaha HTIB back in 2003. I loved it alot until I started to see other higher end stuff and hearing them. i started to build my own systems from there on. As from the subwoofer parts here are the order. Yamaha HTIB,Onkyo HTIB, JBL Northridge E250, Polk Audio PSW12,Definitive Technology Prosub 200tl, Energy S8.2, Energy S10.3 and last but not least. I came across this subwoofer. The Audiosource SW15. Taking it home,it sounded too boomy then I started to modify it with the polyfill,change the wire from the amp to the driver, spiked the sub and the results were alot better. Faster,plays tighter and bass seems to be a bit more controlled,but still gotta tweak it to a certain extent since it will still be boomy at times. Compare to my other subwoofer this is the most powerful sub I have ever owned. The SPL on the upper range bass is crazy and will pound your chest and the lows are pretty good,but not as smooth as the other subs I own like the Energy S10.3 played alot smoother,faster transient response on the low end. I will recommend this subwoofer to anyone whos into DIY stuff and take the time to mod it. It will shake your living room especially in movies. ITS REALLY BIG AS WELL!!

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Apr 23, 2003]
funko
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

rumbles without boom with mods in home theater use

Weakness:

the cheapo driver isn't good enough for music, but this can be remedied by upgrading the driver to a tempest or dayton dvc

i have nothing new to sayabout this sub, i agree with all the positive reviews this sub is GREAT for home theater with the mods (i did all of them with parts experss) i even bought spray dampener to spray the areas not covered by the dampening sheets. however this sub is not detailed to catch the subtlies in music

Similar Products Used:

cheapo teac 100watter that cheesy bose bass module that sounds terrible klipsch ksw-50

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Mar 21, 2003]
zombielust
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Great value, solid bottom.

Weakness:

Have to add the mods to get out what it should have already had. AudioSource could have easily added these mods them selves while keeping the cost down.

This is an excellent sub for the price. Do not pass it up. As all other reviews have mentioned, the mods are necessary for this product to become a well rounded work hourse sub. I have found that this sub is best for Home Theater use. I use a smaller 8" sub for listening to music. Anyway...To increase bass punchiness and help the speaker to react faster and more responsive to incoming signals, I would suggest adding these modifications. Part numbers are listed. Most of my materials were found at www.partsexpress.com. 1)8 - vinyl sound damping sheets (part#268-030) place them on the top and bottom and the sides as well as the back near the amplifier. 2)Use poly-fill (#260-317) to cover the top, bottom, sides and corners. I used 2 1lb bags. Stapling is the best option for fixing the material to the inside. 3)Spike the sub with part (#240-715). This will also help from the vibrations transferring from the enclosure to the floor and cause undesired rattling around the house. It will also keep the box from moving around. 4)Use 10-gauge speaker wire to connect the amplifier to the speaker driver on the inside. This will prevent the wire bridge between the amp and speaker from bottlenecking and causing the amp to over heat. 5)Keep 2-Amp Slow-Blow fuses on hand. Package of 4 at Radio Shack for $2.25 - product number 270-1064. When inserting a new fuse, turn-off and unplug the amp. Also, the fuse needs go into the fuse cap and then inserted in the amp. These few and inexpensive mods will greatly improve the performance of the sub. It only takes minutes a few dollars. Adding these mods also gives you a better appreciation for the subwoofer. One other reviewer mentioned that adding the mods to the sub will help you bond with it. This is very true. So if you enjoy these types of projects, go for it.

Similar Products Used:

none

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
[Feb 07, 2003]
Wayne Loder
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Can hit any low note you want--if you can find it in your music.

Weakness:

Watch that the amp doesn't overheat and keep some extra fuses on hand. Put in the polyfoam to smooth out the sound and make it more musical.

I've got the Audiosource hooked up with a home theater system that includes JBL Northridge speakers and a Marantz 4200 receiver. I'm one of the lucky persons who has an ADC subsonic synthesizer from back in the 1970s. It basically takes any low note one octave lower than it is (completely adjustable as to how much effect you produce). I figured out a way to hook it up to the subwoofer, even though it's really intended for two speakers. I liked the sound of the Audiosource without all the modifications everyone has mentioned. However, don't expect to crank it with hard, hard bass at loud levels without it heating up and possibly blowing a fuse. With the ADC hooked up,and cranking out "The Theme from Shaft," that's what happened. When I tried to replace it with a new fuse, something happened and I ended up having to send in the amp, which was easy to remove. Audiosource not only replaced the amp, but also the speaker, just on the off chance there was a short in it. While the amp was gone and the speaker off (which I did not have to send back), I stapled polyfoam purchased for $6 from Meijers throughout he speaker and added some extra general fill, just to satisfy my curiosity about how much better it is with the polyfoam in place. I have to admit the sound is really sweet now--much better than it was. My home theater system is downstairs and with the ADC on, The other day I watched an old Star Wars movie on tape with my 10 year-old son (you've got to start them off right). I couldn't believe the effects in the low bass area. I had to be hitting 25 hertz notes(or lower) with no problem at all. The effects were unreal. Yeah, I could probably have bought a $500 or $600 subwoofer and knocked the plaster off my walls a little better, but I'd be deaf by then, so what's the point. As it is, my wife suggested that on the next Star Wars movie, I might want to crank down the sound. When your wife complains and she's on a different floor of the house, that's certainly the mark of a good subwoofer.

Similar Products Used:

None in last 20 years.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jan 16, 2003]
Hobie
Casual Listener

Strength:

Great price, 5 year warranty, 15 inch sub,

Weakness:

Big, a little boomy (but can be fixed)

Needed to replace my burned up KLH Sub. Found Amazon had this SW15 AudioSource sub for $149.00 with no shipping. With the good reviews I read and the price why not? Well it is as all the reviews said. It will rattle your teeth and all the wifes stuff on the walls! Its a little boomy but with the mods. that everone says to do for about $5.00 its one heck of a good deal. It also came with a set up CD that helped dial this puppy in.

Similar Products Used:

KLH SW910 Sub (peace of crap) JBL, Sony, POlk

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
[Dec 16, 2002]
rcord
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Lots of Power (Will Boom if you want it to) Auto switch on the back turns the sub off when not in use, no more getting up to turn it on. Price

Weakness:

Pretty Big, but what do you expect for a 15" Sub.

Bought this sub from Ubid at an exceptional price. I was in the market for a 15-inch subwoofer because nothing else would do. I like deep bass, on occasion, that I can feel. Make sure you do the mods (about $50) with the sound dapening material and polyfill or egg carton shaped material to reduce standing waves. This sub sounds really good although I have to turn the gain down a bit so it meshes with my other speakers. The wife gets upset when I turn up the gain (the house shakes). I don't know how it sounds without the mods as I performed them as soon as I got it. I Love this Sub!

Similar Products Used:

Cerwin Vega 15" Woofer.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Dec 06, 2002]
Momo Daud
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Price, frequency response, power

Weakness:

none

Extremely great SUB for the price! I was affraid that the SUB may sound bad given the price, but this one really blow me away! The whole room rocks! The low frequency is great for home theatre and music. I can hear lots of bass that I never heard before with my 8" sub. I am actually already satisfied with the SUB even before the modification that posted on this site, but it got even BETTER with all the suggestion! Strongly recommended!

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Dec 03, 2002]
Reefer
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Price, looks, ease of placement due to it dominant size. I have a large room , but this puppy plays so loud and clear I could put in anywhere and be happy.

Weakness:

Blew a fuse during the first week, but since then it's been great. Might have been defective fuse because I replayed the DVD scene and it was fine.

I decided to purchase this item after reading some reviews here and noticing that UBID was running 1 cent shipping deals. I imediately purchased some poly fill and went to town on the mods listed by a few reviewers here. This SUB rocks. My wife and mother even commented on how much it adds to the movies we watched recently. The movie seven is damn haunting when it hits the lows like that. The Heavy Horse battle during braveheart is also wuite amazing! a 10 out of 10

Similar Products Used:

None, first powered sub.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Oct 16, 2002]
moparmopar
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Low,loud, great bass for the buck.

Weakness:

Needs a few mods to bring out sound potential.

I purchased two of these on the advice of other reviewers. They arrived, and following the advice of others polyfilled both cabnets. Well, these are very powerfull and do go low. Unfortunatly after an hour or so of continuous heavy use (stress test) one of the amps blew a fuse. Replaced the fuse and all the amp did was emit a rather annoying 60hz hum. Called Audiosource and spoke to a plesant fellow named John. he suggested that I try a return to dynadirect.com and if that failed, he would replace it. Well, dynadirect.com shipped me a new one even before i had returned the defective one. Great customer service from those guys!!! Anyway I stuffed the new one and have had no problems.. I did notice that the amp's heatsinks get very warm during heavy use, so I went to Radio Shack and bought 2 115v muffin fans and mounted one on the top of each amp's heat sink. I also replaced the somewhat thin cable between the sub's amp and the speaker with 10 guage original Monster Cable. The cable replacement alone dropped the heatsink temp, and with the fans the amps stay chilly. After these inexpensive and enjoyable mods, these subs run hard, cool and low all day long. Boominess at first, but now just great bass. If you don't mind opening cabnets and enjoy tweaking, there is no better sub on the market in the $250-$400 price range. There are more musical subs, but for home theater, these will make you smile. Again a big shout out to dynadirect.com and Audiosource for great customer service!!!!!

Similar Products Used:

First sub(s).

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
4
[Oct 11, 2002]
Mark
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

It's huge (15") It's cheap It's a no-nonsense, muscular sub

Weakness:

It's huge (cabinet takes up about as much room as an easy chair) It requires slight modification

Impressive sound right out of the box, until you turn it up (when it becomes extremely boomy). I made the insulation mods recommended below and found them to be well worth the time; it took me about 30 mins of removing the woofer and stapling the acoustic insulation (no longer carried at Radio Shack, but you can buy the same fiberglass insulation at Home Depot) to tame it. Overall, post-insulation, I've been very pleased with the sub's ability to blend with the rest of the system and add a meaty low-end that was somewhat lacking from my (otherwise excellent) Klipsch SB-3 mains. I listened to lots of other less-expensive subs (Velodyne, Polk, Klipsch, JBL, Cerwin-Vega, Sony, etc.) to try to convince myself of the need to spend a little more money, but at the end of the day, couldn't resist the online gamble for a $160 15" sub. As it turns out, I think if I could put this one next to any of the others, it would outshine all of them. And for a small fraction of the cost, I'm exteremely pleased to say the least. 4 of 5 overall because there are other subs available that are perhaps "better" on the audiophile's palate; but 8 of 5 for value - if it were possible. Buy one on UBid before they're gone forever and get one of the few great deals available on the home theater market.

Similar Products Used:

Previewed lots of subs in the stores; owned a JBL (not worth the money)

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
Showing 1-10 of 130  

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