Hardware Review OSD Audio PS10 High Powered 10” Subwoofer Review (1 Viewer)

[Todd Erwin]

One of the most important components of a home theater speaker system is the subwoofer, which can often cost the same as, if not more than, a complete speaker set. It is also thought that subwoofers need to be mammoth to reproduce deep bass and low frequencies, which can be a problem if space is at a premium. OSD Audio offers a selection of compact subwoofers, including the PS10, a 10” high-powered front-firing subwoofer, selling for less than $200 from most retailers. OSD sent Home Theater Forum a sample to review.



OSD Audio PS10 High Powered 10” Subwoofer

Specifications
[SIZE= 10pt]Ouput: 125 Watts @

 

[Robert_J]

Frequency Response: 5 Hz to 180 Hz (-3dB ref. 0dB)

Reall? I can't do that with dual 15's, almost 2,000w of power and no subsonic filter. Can you get OSD to provide how they came up with the 5hz measurement? I know these companies want a favorable review and I think you provided that compared to what you started with but 5hz?!?! I was looking at upgrading to quad 18's to reach 10hz + or - 3db in my theater room.

 

[Jason Charlton]

Apparently, the 5Hz claim isn't new - here's a press release from way back in February when they were announced.


Hopefully, it's a case of OSD simply employing the world's worst copy-editor and they left a digit off of that lower limit. I can't imagine it's actually capable of anything approaching that.

 

[Todd Erwin]

I have amended my review to include a disclaimer regarding the specifications.

 

[gene c]

I saw that too a couple of days ago. Both the PS12 and PS10 are listed as 25-180 hz (+/- 3db) on their website. I'm still somewhat impressed with my two original Dayton DLS 10" "Mighty Mites" (#300-632) that I've had for 5-6 years now. Also rated to 25 hz and only $99 at the time. Not the best by any means but I'm un-able to take advantage of anything too much better .

 

[Todd Erwin]

The review appears to have been truncated during one of the platform updates. Here is the text in full:


One of the most important components of a home theater speaker system is the subwoofer, which can often cost the same as, if not more than, a complete speaker set. It is also thought that subwoofers need to be mammoth to reproduce deep bass and low frequencies, which can be a problem if space is at a premium. OSD Audio offers a selection of compact subwoofers, including the PS10, a 10” high-powered front-firing subwoofer, selling for less than $200 from most retailers. OSD sent Home Theater Forum a sample to review.

Specifications
Output: 125 Watts @ <1% THD (Continuous operation at ⅛ rated power)
Frequency Response: 5 Hz to 180 Hz (-3dB ref. 0dB)
Signal to Noise Ratio: 100dB A
Sensitivity: Variable, 350mV to 2.8V for rated power at 8 ohms
AC Power Consumption: 200W maximum

My current subwoofer is a Yamaha YST-SW010, a 6.5” down-firing powered subwoofer that has served me well in my relatively small home theater room. The Yamaha’s only connection option to a receiver was via a single coax RCA cable, which is how most subwoofers are connected anyways. The OSD PS10 gives you the option of connecting it either in-line between the receiver and the front left and right speakers, or by a stereo coax RCA cable. Since my receiver, a Yamaha RX-V563, only has a single RCA coax pre-amp sub output, I used a Y-connector to split the signal to both RCA inputs on the PS10, and positioned the subwoofer in the front right corner of the room (the same position as the YST-SW010). Per the owner’s manual, I set the gain and frequency knobs at their middle position. I then powered up my receiver and the PS10 subwoofer, and had the receiver run its YPAO speaker calibration program to properly set the levels and crossover frequency. The PS10 has some nice value-added features, such as a 180 degree phase switch and a signal-sensing “Power-On.”

I then sampled several movies, including my DTS-HD Master Audio demo disc. The included excerpt from Apocalypse Now (the “I love the smell of napalm in the morning” sequence) is one of my favorite scenes to show off a sound system, and the PS10 did not disappoint. LFE response was impressive, with deep thundering bass that was never overwhelming or headache inducing. It also provided much clearer bass response when allowing the receiver to send all bass and LFE to the subwoofer, rather than the individual satellites. It far surpassed my expectations, demoting my YST-SW010 to the computer room. The OSD Audio PS10 is a good value for subs in the same price range, and highly recommended.