Customer Reviews: Read 26 more reviews...
 Excellent value, big sound for the right system December 31, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
4 and 1/2 stars!
First of all, I can't believe what a good deal this was - on sale $151ish, free (and very fast) shipping!
Before I go into what I like about this subwoofer, let me tell you the one thing I didn't like: It comes with a single 6 or 8' rca cable (I didn't measure it). This cable is really cheap crap, but easily replaceable. When I first plugged it in, it gave very reduced volume levels, that maybe could be attributed to the subwoofer breaking-in phase, but then completely quit working after 3 hours. I was freaking out - thinking the subwoofer was broken already. NOPE. Replaced the cord with a gold plated higher gauge rca cable and WOW, the subwoofer came alive!
Now, I've read a lot of reviews on here before I made this purchase - the biggest knock on this unit was a lack of tight punchy bass. Well, since I have quite a bit of expertise in this area (I am a professional theatrical sound designer), I gambled that the people who were making these reviews didn't really know what they are doing. I don't mean that as an insult, just that every device has a perceived expected use within a system specifically tailored to ALL the components working together.
The nature of subwoofers is such that the size of the speaker itself 8" to (in this case) 15", directly correlates to which part of the bass frequency spectrum is emphasized:
In other words, a very large diameter speaker (like this one) is going to be better at producing the lowest subsonic (below 40 Hz) frequencies than the smaller 12", 10" or 8" speakers. An 8" speaker, conversely, is better at the punchy crisp bass, and a 12" speaker typically is the best compromise between the crisp and the subsonic.
So say your system is made up of medium satellite speakers, then the 10-12" is probably your best bet. For smaller satellites, the 10-12" again is best, then the 8" is a cost-effective space-saving alternative.
Also (and I know I'm over-simplifying this) the smaller subs are typically better for producing crisp punchy bass for music, the bigger subs are better for ground-shaking home theatre.
Now my system has some old Infinity SM-125's which already are very good at producing bass down to about 35 Hz, so I was really just looking for something to specifically produce the bass that is only felt, but not heard (subsonic). So when thunder cracks on a movie, it FEELS like real thunder.
I have the volume on the sub set at half (which is always a good precaution, so when buying subs keep that in mind - your equipment will last longer). And the crossover frequency is set at about 80 Hz - the reason for this is that the cutoff frequency is on a curve, not a straight cut. Let's see if I can explain this...
I really want my sub to produce 40 Hz and lower, so I set it at 80 Hz, because that is the next higher harmonic, and that way I am sure the the cutoff curve is above the 40 Hz that is important to me. When listening to the system, if I find that frequencies around 60 Hz are too prominent, I can roll it down lower.
The MOST important variable for subwoofers is placement and environment. I have an ideal situation because it is in the basement on a concrete floor, up against a wall that is underground. IF you buy this speaker and put it on a wood floor that is a second level - you are going to vibrate your room/house in some very ugly ways. That is not the fault of this speaker, it is your fault for not knowing any better (or the salesman who sold it to you).
Alright, enough of the "subwoofers for dummies" lesson - based on this price range, this sub is GREAT for subsonic frequencies in the right environment. I love it and think it was a very good purchase. If you are looking for high-end equipment, plan to spend at least $350.
One last feature that I love about this unit - most powered subs have an auto-off switch that powers down the sub in the absence of bass sound input. THAT can be highly annoying, since during the quiet parts of movies, your sub can turn off, and when it becomes loud again, it takes sever second for it to power back up and produce sound. But THIS unit has a switch that allows you to bypass that auto-kill switch, and be always on. Great idea!
Really good lows...not very tight though December 27, 2008
Awesome secondary sub for the low-lows that you really want to feel. To use as a primary sub, I would not use with satellites. Use with towers that can put out some bass of their own.
Good Sub but November 13, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
As for the Sony SA-W3800 Powered Subwoofer's sound, it works very well with a home theatre setup. Has fairly clean response, plenty of thump where there's thump in the soundtrack. Absolutely is more than enough for our viewing area which is approx 450 sq ft. While not audiophile quality (they cost at least $1000++), a great value at less than $200 plus free shipping.
The downside of the Sony SA-W3800 Powered Subwoofer: The cabinet is about as junky as anything I've ever owned. Upon unboxing the sub I noticed a brightly colored Sony "feature" sticker on the top right, front corner of the cabinet. I tried to carefully remove this sticker and to my great disappointment along with the sticker came a 1" by 1/2" piece of the "paper"(I kid you not) black cabinet covering exposing the under lying particle board. I salvaged this cosmetic blemish with a black permanent marker but I was amazed at the cheesy and obviously delicate covering. They should at least have used a light weight vinyl. The other thing I found substandard was the amplifier housing. Cheap plastic with all but unreadable control/input labels. The labeling, even though you won't need to use them all that much, were black raised letters in a small font on a black background. Lastly I would have preferred two RCA inputs and two RCA outputs as contrasted with the single inputs actually provided.
All in all, for the price I paid ($194 incl shipping), It's a decent value that performs well sonically but from a purely aesthetics standpoint it comes up short.
 BASS ! ! ! ! ! ! September 6, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Wicked bass. The house shakes! The bass is crisp, the bass is deep, the bass is on point!
Very Good for the Money May 23, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
At $160.00 and free shipping, it was a lot cheaper than the 12" version. I was concerned that it could be overkill in my smallish living room, but since it opens into my kitchen and the ceiling is vaulted, total volume is 4000 cu ft. Velodyne recommends an 18" woofer for that room size!
So, it does look big sitting in the corner, like a big black coffee table, but sonically it blends in nicely with my old Realistic Minimus 7 mini speakers. It isn't boomy at all in my setup, even though I have it backed tightly into the corner. In fact, it's quite subtle. It only barks when it's supposed to, unless you turn the volume up louder than necessary to balance with the other speakers. It goes pretty low, but it won't knock picture frames off the wall, at least it won't in my house.
Verdict: Big, decent fit and finish, and very good sound for the money. Just don't expect audiophile tightness and power at that price. It ain't gonna crack the plaster off the wall, you'll have to spend more if you want that.
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