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- HOTNESS UNHOT
Today only. Newegg has the Polk Audio PSW10 Black 50-watt Powered Subwoofer for $80 - 10% off with coupon code VMEPROMOMAR13 [Exp 3/21] (when you check out with V.me by Visa) = $72 with free shipping. Features built-in high-current amplifier, adjustable low-pass crossover, phase switch and volume control.
Retail: $250
Just keep walking on by. We get these in for repair all the time, and they aren't repairable - they are a throw-away unit once the warranty is up. Since components on the amplifier board typically explode - part numbers and component values aren't legible and there is no service data on these to even the authorized repair center (one of which I work for).
The only plus is that Polk stands behind them - but you have to remove the amplifier, pay shipping to them, and include a copy of your receipt. They will send you a new amplifier for you to install.
I like Polk, but they just got too cheap with the Chinese amps in these things.
Interesting read. Would it be a fair assumption that the reason they blow is because users overdrive them, trying to get a big 'thump'? They are certainly not that kind of speaker, as they drop off pretty good under 50hz.
In an audiophile environment, as used here, I run them along with using two separate old school 200 watt rms mono-block amps feeding my Polk towers, and they sound and work absolutely fabulous in the 12 x 14 room they are set up in, always keeping up with the main speakers.
I certainly never come close to over-driving them, unless I'm pushing about 160+ watts rms or more to the mains.
Going on 3 or 4 years now. They work well here.
For 72 bucks, I know of no other sub, albeit with it's short-comings, that sound better for the money / warranty than these.
Take it apart and submit data to the general electronics/repair forum on badcaps.net, odds are if someone hasn't figured out their faults yet, they will given good data at their request.
FWIW, there are a few far more common faults on equipment like this, like the output transistor pairs, or the power amp chip if those are integrated into it, or less commonly the rectifier diodes on the PSU, or if it has a switching PSU the output filter caps.
In most cases you don't actually need specific component values for replacement of discrete parts, only a part with appropriate specs for the subcircuit it is in, something functionally compatible. It can be a bit more of a PITA if it's an integrated chipamp chip that failed and you can't find a replacement chip with the same pinout, but a daughter board (or air-wire it) with leads to the PCB to remap the pins will still get the job done.