Nothing catches my eye more than a headline about a "less costly, better performing" subwoofer. Who doesn't love a good subwoofer? From Canadian manufacturer PSB, the new SubSeries 500 is a 12-inch design, smaller and more affordable than previous models, yet delivering better low-bass extension and dynamic clarity.
The Subseries 500 is a front-firing, dual-ported down-firing sub designed for easy placement. Its design is so robust that PSB developed special visco-elastic feet that prevent the cabinet from moving on smooth surfaces while playing back loud, deep sounds.
As you could guess from the name . . .
the SubSeries 500 is powered by a 500-watt amplifier. This hybrid Class H amp can provide a peak level of 1.5 kilowatts. It has a continuously variable phase control, continuous level and crossover. Filters and crossover-bypass line-level inputs and pass-throughs are included, as well as a speaker-level input. A 12-volt trigger permits the system to integrate with system controllers.
How affordable is this bad boy? The suggested retail price is $2,149. Seems like the folks at PSB and I have very different ideas of what a loss-costly subwoofer should really cost. --Leslie Shapiro
