Audiosource SW-15 Subwoofer

Ratings:Top:Audio/Video:Speakers:Audiosource SW-15 Subwoofer

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image
Brand and Model:Audiosource SW-15 Subwoofer
Price ($USD):$399.00
Form Factor:
un-checked Towerun-checked Bookshelfun-checked Center
checked Subwooferun-checked In-Wall
Features:
un-checked Bipolarun-checked Dipolar
checked Adj Crossoverchecked Biwiring
checked Active
Power Handling (RMS):200 Watts RMS
Frequency Response:25 Hz - 250 Hz
Sensitivity (dB):Sig to noise Rat
Impedance (Ohms):Ohms
Weight (lbs):68 lbs.
Dimensions (w/h/d):16" x 21.5" x 19"
Description:Driver 15" Reinforced

Function: Power (On, Auto, Off)

Phase (0*, 180*)

Input Level

Crossover Frequency

* Front Firing

* Four small holes drilled into bottom, & provided with 4 small, hard rubber, cone shaped legs

* CD with instructions (suggestions) of placement and test tones & music

* Black

* L&R line/ speaker inputs

* L&R line/ speaker outputs

* L&R line/ RCA jacks inputs

* L&R line/ RCA jacks outputs


Vote Highlights Vote
Audiosource SW-15 Subwoofer
Not perfect by any means, but great for the price.

Overall Rating: 9
Sound Quality:7 Looks:7 Value:10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=407866

Audiosource SW-15 Subwoofer
when set up properly at the right crossover point, this is a true marvel, one of the best values I've ever seen in audio products

Overall Rating: 10
Sound Quality:10 Looks:7 Value:10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=172399

Audiosource SW-15 Subwoofer
it lasted for 30 days and very bad customer support too.

Overall Rating: 1
Sound Quality:6 Looks:6 Value:3
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=167747

Audiosource SW-15 Subwoofer
Sweet with satelites

Overall Rating: 9
Sound Quality:10 Looks:8 Value:10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=78192

Audiosource SW-15 Subwoofer
I saw this unit originally back in early 99 at costco. I read the reviews and tips at audioreview, and decided it was a deal hard to beat. I've been more than happy with the unit, it'll shake the pictures off the walls! The auto on/off feature worked great. I found it a little boomy, so I followed the tips and first off lined the interior walls with fiberglass, then added the 20oz of Polyfil, that filled out the sound nicely. I have heard no distortion, and even at low volumes I can 'feel' the LFE effects, and other low bass. There are only 2 drawbacks to the unit considering it has a MSRP of $399, and that is there is no filter bypass switch, and it does not use binding posts. Definitely hard to use monster cables, even with their pin tips!

Overall Rating: 9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=31664

Audiosource SW-15 Subwoofer
the dopest bang for your buck you can get anywhere
i picked one of these of e-bay for 80.00 and it was
way worth it

Overall Rating: 10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=31662

Audiosource SW-15 Subwoofer
I have had this subwoofer for a very short time, but it has been so impressive that I had to tell somebody. I saw the previous review and reviews on another website (www.audioreview.com). They were overwhelmingly positive. I checked the Costco online website and saw they still had this subwoofer for $199.99 plus tax and shipping. (They allow nonmembers to purchase on-line at www.costco.com/ and shipping is under $19.)

I had always heard that subwoofers with large drivers (about 12") were very unruly unless you paid a bundle for them (i.e., Velodyne, Definitive Technology, etc.). This subwoofer must be the exception that proves the rule. It was relatively easy to setup (although placement took some time). I followed a tweek recommendation to tame some mid-bass boominess by placing 20 oz. of polyfill in the cabinet. The CD that came with it helps you select the crossover setting. I used the Radio Shack analog SPL meter to balance the speaker output.

This sub sounds terrific! I have played a number of Dolby Digital selections that drove my former subwoofer to distortion. My former sub is an older NEC powered subwoofer. It was one of the first ones that I ran across that was used specifically for video application. (It cost $299 and that was 10 years ago!) It has a 10" driver and a 60-watt amplifier; NEC did build nice equipment. It did a very credible job with Dolby Prologic but just couldn't keep up with the LFE channel in Dolby Digital. The selections that I used to test this system were Air Force One (DVD), Matrix (DVD), and Independence Day (Laser Disc). I also played a number of CDs and the subwoofer provided wonderfully smooth, nondirection bass. I could not locate the bass output; a problem I was having with my NEC.

As suggested in other reviews, I have the unit plugged into a switched outlet on my receiver and keep it on since the auto-on feature is a bit unreliable. Too bad the amplifier doesn't have a delay circuit, because it thumps when I turn the receiver on or off. All things considered, for $209.99 (including tax) and $2.99 for the polyfill, this subwoofer is a steal! Nice to be able to catch a break. I am thinking about buying a second unit and hooking it up to the rear channels with the high level speaker inputs so I can find out if the rear channels in Dolby Digital are truly full-range.

Overall Rating: 10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=31660

Audiosource SW-15 Subwoofer
I got it at Costco for the $199.99-last one left, floor model with a scratch on the side. Uugh. Costco has a great return policy, though.
Got it and hooked it up fine. I had trouble getting the "auto-on" to fire up at low volumes coming from the receiver; the woofer wouldn't come on (from being in "stand by") until I increased the receiver's volume. But of course you can override this and not use the "auto on" and just turn it "on." I use the direct input, via RCA jacks, and don't put speakers through the woofer, but the speaker through-puts are small, and not exactly made for monster cables.

This sub woofer comes with an Audiosource cd to play & adjust your woofer to match with your receiver and other speakers. So now all my speakers are set & balanced well with each other. Also this woofer is front firing. My previous woofer was floor firing. I've tested other front firing woofers, and they called attention to themselves, but not always. The SW-15 doesn't. It sounds very natural and smooth.
The SW-15 woofer had problems initially when I had it close to the wall. Initially the woofer responded slowly, especially to music. But when I played the Audiosource cd, and it said that the woofer needed to be 3 feet from the front wall (or so), I moved it. Bingo. Everything was much more tight, natural & in sync.
I'm growing to like this woofer more and more. It is neither dull, nor punchy, nor draws attention to itself. This woofer with my DVDs and CDs is silky smooth and is so very nondirectional like it's supposed to be!! It will smolder the whole room pretty well with natural, deep, filling bass without calling attention to itself, and it sounds better and goes lower than my previous one that I had borrowed from a friend (who paid about $550 for it new a few years ago...Mission Electronics Model SW76 also 200Watts).
Musically it seems to be obediently smooth and/ or tight. I'll admit, not exactly silky rich, but still quite satisfying. Set up is key. Note the woofer can be flat to the ground, or it has 4 holes drilled in the bottom and comes with 4 little hard rubber legs, slightly coned in shape, that you can put below in the drilled holes, so that it stands up a bit and, obviously, wont move/ vibrate after some bass workouts. Nice touch, Audiophile.
After all of this being said, even with some of it's little faults, I gotta give it 8 because the damned thing is so cheap and in its element, at least for me, delivers very satisfying, unpretentious, powerful and stirring bass quality with home theater or music. It's fun.

This is the main page for the Audiosource subwoofers (as of this writing), scroll down to the SW-15:

http://www.audiosource.net/sw.html

Overall Rating: 8
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=31659

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