Small subwoofers make the audio world a better place. I am not sure how the audiophile community once missed out on this news story, but with a modest sub, any music lover can add the entire lower octave of music to your system. Affordable, easy, and effective. Not a bad package of advantages, right? The Polk PSW111 subwoofer is just such a bass supporting solution, as it is a down-firing, 8-inch powered black-box subwoofer with a 300-watt internal amp. There’s no budget for room correction or fancy DSP – just a nice amp and well-braced Polk subwoofer driver. This is a simple, set-it-and-forget-it sub and that is it advantage. Let’s get into what it can do.
What Makes the Polk PSW111 Subwoofer Special?
- You likely need more bass somewhere in your audio life, and the Polk PSW111 has you covered. This small, black cube is designed to bring a little rumble to any room without physically dominating the room with a coffee table sized box.
- With a sub that is about 14 inches square, you can expect low bass (reported to about 36Hz) but not pants-shaking low bass.
- At 20 pounds, anybody can place this little black box in a room to get some more low end.
- There are both RCA line inputs and speaker inputs on the Polk PSW111, although I only used the RCA line input for my testing.
- The back panel of the unit is pretty simple, as is the grill attachment. The PSW110 and PSW125 are a little slicker with a circular grill built into the front of the woofer. The grill on the Polk PSW111 is attached more traditionally.
- Setup is ultra-easy. There’s no app. There’s no room correction. Just set the crossover level to match your main speakers and then set the levels and rock. It is that easy.
Why Should You Care About the Polk PSW111 Subwoofer?
There no good reason not to have full-range sound, even if you have a smaller system. In my case, I used the Polk PSW111 in a nearfield listening configuration with some Orb Audio Mod-1 speakers placed under my computer monitor. The PSW111 sub could be used in audiophile music system as well as smaller home theater configurations without breaking the bank or needing a delivery from a lift-gate truck.
Some Things You Might Not Like About the Polk PSW111 Subwoofer
- There’s no app control or room correction. It is a very simple sub.
- The grill is pretty simplistic even as compared to the sub costing $50 more. The Polk is a black box that goes boom. It doesn’t come in any finishes other than black and it isn’t fancy.
- The speaker inputs on the sub are pretty plastic-y.
Listening to the Polk PSW111…
On “D’yer Mak’er” from Led Zeppelin’s Houses of The Holy (AIFF 1440 – CD Quality), John Paul Jones’ deliberate, reggae bassline reaches much lower lows on my Orb Audio system, which in the nearfield was very, very well received. While Polk goes on about how it is “timbre matched” to their speakers, it was notable how well the Polk PSW111 matched with the Orb Audio Mod-1 speakers on my desk. The Orbs image like a monster, but they could ever be expected to have much bass considering their small cabinet size. With the Polk PSW111 nearby, my desktop experience went to very close to full range.
On a ripped version of the album track “L.A. Woman” from The Doors (AIFF 1440 CD Quality) the fast-moving bassline sets up Robby Krieger’s rifts and Jim Morrison’s vocals nicely. With the bass turned down you lack any heft to Robby’s first power chord at about 1:20 in the track. Once you get a taste for what full-range sound is, it is hard to go back to nearfield computer audio, in my case. The extra octave of music that you can hear with the Polk PSW111 makes the whole musical experience more engaging and experiential.
Does The Polk PSW111 Subwoofer Have Any Resale Value?
This is another audiophile product that could easily fall into the the “give it away before you sell it category,” as I think that after a few years, a $350 subwoofer is unlikely to owe you very much. It isn’t so huge that you couldn’t box it and sell it on say eBay.com. There are so many different places that you could use such a sub, hidden away (out of sight), that I doubt many people would sell such a sub. It is just too useful and effective.
Who Is the Competition for the Polk PSW111 Subwoofer?
The small subwoofer that gets a lot of the ink these days is the RSL Speedwoofer 10S MKII at about $400. This 10-inch sub has a 350-watt internal amp and measures very well considering its small size and sleek design.
Polk’s sister-brand, Definitive Technology, has 8-inch, black-box subs on the market like the Descend DN8. It has a comparable low frequency extension of about 35 Hz from a smaller, 200-watt amp. It is easy to speculate that the Polk and Definitive sub both come from the same factory in China or Vietnam.
Klipsch has a more distinctive looking gold-colored-driver sub that sells for under $300 in the Klipsch Reference R-10Swi. This actually a 10-inch woofer like the RSL, and reports a 32Hz low end where the 8-inch subs don’t measure quite as low.
Final Thoughts on the Polk PWB111 Subwoofer
There are so many places that would benefit from the low-end musical energy that a Polk PSW111 subwoofer can bring to a small stereo or home theater system. While utilitarian in nature, the Polk PSW111 sub is the little black box that can… It can provide that lower octave of music to smaller systems in a way that won’t get in the way or dominate a room. Try one and you will be hooked. The idea that an audiophile system is somehow purer without a sub is just silly. Buy the best speakers that you can afford (or justify) and then supplement the bass with an affordable sub like the $350 Polk PSW111.
The History of Polk Audio, Including Matthew Polk, Sandy Gross, Sound United, Masimo and More
Polk Audio is one of the most enduring names in American loudspeaker design. Founded in 1972 by Matthew Polk, George Klopfer, and Sandy Gross—three Johns Hopkins University students—the company started as a small, garage-style operation in Baltimore. From the beginning, Polk’s focus was on building loudspeakers that could deliver high-quality sound at realistic prices, aimed at the growing number of music lovers who wanted better home listening experiences without entering the high-end luxury market.
Matthew Polk handled much of the technical development and acoustic design in the early days. His engineering background helped establish the foundation of Polk’s sound: balanced, engaging, and musically satisfying. Sandy Gross, on the other hand, was instrumental in the marketing and business development side of the company. Together, the founders built a brand that resonated with American consumers, especially during the rise of two-channel stereo systems and the growth of home theater in the 1980s and 1990s.
Polk Audio’s early success was built on models like the Monitor Series and SDA (Stereo Dimensional Array) speakers, which used innovative techniques to create a wide soundstage. The SDA technology in particular was a standout concept, using interaural crosstalk cancellation to produce a more spacious and natural stereo image. While it didn’t become an industry standard, it helped define Polk’s reputation as an innovator willing to think outside the box.
As home theater gained popularity in the 1990s and early 2000s, Polk expanded into surround speakers, subwoofers, and soundbars. Their products became staples at big-box retailers and in custom install applications, making the brand one of the most recognizable in the consumer audio space.
Sandy Gross left Polk in the 1990s and went on to co-found Definitive Technology, and later, GoldenEar Technology—both brands that carried forward some of Polk’s foundational ideas but targeted higher-performance segments. Meanwhile, Polk continued to grow, eventually becoming part of a larger consolidation trend in the industry.
In 2006, Polk Audio was acquired by Directed Electronics, the same company that had earlier acquired Definitive Technology. This laid the groundwork for the formation of Sound United, a holding company that eventually included other major audio brands like Denon, Marantz, and Boston Acoustics. Under Sound United, Polk gained access to broader distribution and engineering resources, but the brand’s focus remained on mass-market speakers, soundbars, and home theater systems.
In 2022, Sound United itself was acquired by Masimo, a medical technology company best known for its work in hospital-grade monitoring systems. The acquisition surprised many in the audio world, but it followed a larger trend of tech-focused companies acquiring consumer audio brands to expand into connected health and smart home markets. Masimo has since made moves to integrate its health monitoring tech with audio platforms—especially through headphone and wearable categories—though it has stated its commitment to maintaining the distinct identities of its acquired brands.
