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I have had the Sony SA-W3000 subwoofer about two months and I think it is an outstanding speaker. The lows are impressively deep and clear. The only con is the physical appearance is not that attractive, but overall I think I got a good subwoofer for the price.
it has the option to pony or chain more then once sub together which would be nice if you can afford it. This is an alright sub, i was going to get a system which already had every thing included however, i found that if i pieced one together i could get a higher quality system for the same price or even cheaper. the sound is good if you have the power nob on the back cranked up, and you also have the option to set the frequency range. This sub is not the one i would have liked but it had free shipping which saved me at least $50. for a sub which only handles about 180 watts it has good sound. This sub puts out great sound for the cost and will be much better then anyone that is included in a set. highly recommended.
There is also a switchable power save mode which wasn't really too "click" happy as others have noted for it to be bothersome. It wasn't even very accurate the fact that I tested it's lower model sibling, the SA-W2500 which is rated 100 with 60 watts RMS. Most of us are familiar with their setup with all the buttons you push pairing different speakers and subs trying to win your heart on what they can do. Let me reiterate the Joe Shmoe wannabe part once again. Musicality is not it's greatest strength as it would have variations of bass output on different genres of music but totally acceptable for the most part. So push I did and I got me a show from all them big ballers like Polk, Mirage, Definitive Techs, Klipsch to a Martin Logan, and the little dude on the corner, with the lowest price tag, being scorned upon, even lucky to be on such a line up actually held its own.
It does give sound more depth and an impression that will change how you listen and feel about your movies and music. Can see the movie, "hear" the movie and go watch the next movie. Like this Sony SA-W3000 for example. I find the "normal" position having a tighter bass response with my SS-F7000's and the SS-CN5000. Form, fit and function.This Sony SA-W3000 floats my boat and fills the bill for an awesome budget sub for your system. Guess now things have changed, a lot. For the past 10 years I have owned a Sony Home Theater in a Box kind of setup sufficing to say I'm not much hard to please for home entertainment (had a quick review bout here too @ Epinions). You would look at the size of this 12" sub with the rubber pad being about the size of a Micro SD card.
Took me a good day or two to fine tune to my liking for music and movie alike. A nice black wood grain/veneer finish on the cabinet, which also is constructed pretty good. Maybe its the rumble, maybe it's my untrained ears but for the value price point of this sub, it feels like I would not go wrong a step up difference of $50.00 to it's bigger brother, the Sony SA-W3000 which is rated 180 watts. Got a couple of adjustments for volume and cutoff for the personal choice of your low end and even a phase reverse switch to configure with how your sub reacts with your front speakers. I like what I hear though and for the most part, I really believe a lot of people might agree.
Not as tight, not as solid, but enough oomph and rumble. Electronics are much more affordable with a considerable amount of difference. Aesthically nice with a very imposing 12" subwoofer with thick, hefty rubber surround on the edges giving it a solid look. Couple of gripes I have is the plastic part where the built in amplifier is hidden. For me anyway. And wow was I impressed.
I sometimes have to turn the gain switch a bit lower from music to movies. It's almost like it was some sort of an after thought to include them. Three years ago I paired the same Sony HTIB with a 37" LG LCD TV and it was good. The rubber pads that came with it is a joke. Looks flimsy but tougher than it looks. This is where Sony went cheap.
You'll actually get a chance to enjoy the difference of having a dedicated subwoofer even just on an entry level system with a not so entry level bass box thanks to Sony. I would play back certain movies over and over on certain parts just to appreciate the bass, like the movie's Heat, Matrix, Jurassic Park and the all classic Top Gun to few of my own personal favorites. As a regular Joe Shmoe audiophile wannabe dude, I did my only way of randomly testing this sub, of course, at your local electronics depot (blue shirt, khaki pants guys). Little drilling in under corner of the sub, a bit of super glue and voila. To appreciate the bass, I had to torture test it from Bad English to Bob Marley with even some Beyonce' (hehe). For Home Theater applications, I finally get to "feel" the movie, not just hear it.
Good thing I have saved some screw in type legs that belongs to the TV stand. And as Thomas Paine might have quoted, "that which we obtain too easily, we esteem too lightly", but this my friends, in my own humble opinion, is an exception.
WOW.What a difference a subwoofer makes in a home sound system and this one is wonderful. I received it in a short amount of time and it was so easy to hook-up (I had to get my brilliant nephew to help me adjust the settings) but other than that I did everything myself. Fun ,easy and awesome to listen to.
It has a low-frequency cutoff adjustment so you can limit the lows to whatever you want. This is a great sub woofer. It will definitely surprise you with what it puts out. Auto-power feature is nice too.selectable if you don't like it. It does a great job in avoiding distortion and really fills the room with perfect lows to complete your home theater.
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