Polk Audio PSW121 owner manual Adjusting Your System

Adjusting Your System

Subwoofer Adjustments

Your powered subwoofer offers a range of setting options. We recommend the following settings as starting points, but the settings that are best for you depend upon your speaker placement, electronics and personal taste. After you’ve become familiar with what the settings do, experiment with alternate options to find the method that works best for your system setup. You’ll find an informative article on “Subwoofer Positioning and Adjustment” in the set up section at: http://www.polkaudio.com/polk-university/articles/bass- management-and-subwoofer-connections.

Note: When you set up your subwoofer for the first time, you will probably have to make adjustments several times before you hear what you personally like. Start with the volume at 50%.

AC Power Connection and Auto On/Off

Your subwoofer features auto on/off circuitry, marked “auto” on the power switch, which automatically turns your subwoofer on when it senses a program signal. We recommend the “auto” setting if your subwoofer is always receiving power (ie, if it’s plugged into a wall outlet).

When no signal is present, the circuit turns the subwoofer off after 15 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. You may want to leave your system unplugged during extended periods of non use, such as during a vacation.

Fine Tuning Your Subwoofer

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

•Low Pass—Note: This control should be turned all the way up when the subwoofer is connected with Method #1 (LINE IN). This control adjusts the frequency range over which the subwoofer operates. 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—Sit in your favorite listening position. Play music (not a movie) with a walking bass line. We recommend playing jazz or country music. Now listen carefully for the point at which the subwoofer transitions to your main speakers. This is the crossover point, and this point should be below the frequency of a male human voice. Whichever phase setting sounds louder or fuller at the subwoofer’s crossover (transition) point is the optimum setting. Sometimes no difference will be heard.

Troubleshooting

No sound coming from subwoofer	If hookup is “Sub Out” to LINE IN, is your
	receiver set to “Subwoofer—yes” If hookup
	is via speaker wire, check that the polarity of
	the wires is correct.
Subwoofer doesn’t sound right	If hookup is “Sub Out” to LINE IN, is your
	receiver set to “Subwoofer—yes” If hookup
	is via speaker wire, check that the polarity of
	the wires is correct.
Subwoofer has no power	Check outlet; check fuse after unplugging
	the subwoofer and calling customer service.

		SPEAKER LEVEL SPEAKER LEVEL
		OUTPUT	INPUT
LINE IN
		+	+
L	R	LEFT	LEFT
		–	–
PHASE
0°	180°	–	–
POWER RIGHT			RIGHT
ON	OFF	+	+
100
LOW PASS
(Hz)
80	160
VOLUME
MIN	MAX

Rear Amp Panel

Power Switch Settings:

On = Green LED

Off = Red LED (no signal)

Auto

No signal = Red LED

Signal = Green LED

Technical Assistance and Service

If, after following these hook up directions, you experience difficulty, please double-check all wire connections. Should you isolate the problem to the speaker, contact the authorized Polk Audio dealer where you made your purchase, or call Polk Audio’s friendly Customer Service Department at 1-800-377-7655 (calls from US or CAN only), (Outside the US or CAN, 410-358-3600), 9am to 5:30pm EST, Monday through Friday. You may also contact us via email: polkcs@polkaudio.com. For more detailed hookup information and manual updates, visit: www.polkaudio.com.

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