Question about the Sony SA-WX900 Sub

[oreyes7]

What does everybody think of this cheap woofer? Its $530.00 and you get 1000 watt amp built in the sub. Its waay cheaper then the svs's for its wattage.

[Aric M L]

Sony's wattage ratings are grossly over-rated, there are other users with degrees in electrical engineering who can explain why. All I can offer you is the experience of going from a 100W per channel Sony Reciever to a 70W per channel Harmon Kardon and being faaaar more impressed by the Harmon. Also When I've heard Sony's subwoofers before they just sound terrible, muddy and slow. It was as if all notes below say a few hundred hertz took on indentical tonal characteristics, a.k.a BOOM. If you want to shake your walls maybe thsi would be ok. If you want good sound maybe you should try a more reputable brand like velodyne etc..

[royphil345]

All of previous Sony subs I've heard do sound pretty bad. Also think their current line of AV receivers is a little underpowered. BUT, I've got the smaller version of the SA-WX900 (SA-WX700). I find that in addition to being extremely powerful, it is quite musical as well. Sony seems to finally have something with this sealed, dual-woofer design.

I wouldn't rule out any piece of gear just because it says Sony on it. Just listen to the Sony and a few other subs with similar specs. If you like the Sony, buy it. I've had the SA-WX700 for almost a year now, and I still think it's a really huge bang for the buck.

[bargainseeker]

What does everybody think of this cheap woofer? Its $530.00 and you get 1000 watt amp built in the sub. Its waay cheaper then the svs's for its wattage.I looked long and hard for some factual information on the SA-WX900. This page (http://www.sony.co.uk/PageView.do?site=odw_en_GB&page=ProductMarketingFeatures&section=en_GB_Products&productmodel=%2FHome+Cinema+Systems%2FHCS+Home+Cin ema+Speaker%2FSA-WX900&productcategory=%2FHome+Cinema+Systems%2FHCS+Home+ Cinema+Speaker&productsku=SAWX900.CEK) is the most detailed information I could find. It says that the subwoofer goes from 18Hz to 200Hz but not whether this is +/- 3dB or +/- 10dB or +/- 20dB. I could not find any frequency response measurements for this subwoofer nor could I find any professional reviews. This Japanese site (http://www.ecat.sony.co.jp/audio/avspeaker/products/spec.cfm?PD=15071&KM=SA-WX900) shows that the SA-WX900 draws 375 watts of electricity. Even if efficiency were 100%, the amplifier can't put out more continuous power than it takes in. Assuming typical digital amplifier efficiency, the amplifier's continuous power rating is around 300 watts, not 1000 watts. Given the creative inflation of the power rating, I have to wonder about the accuracy of the other specifications.

If you buy this subwoofer, you will be buying a pig in a poke.

[NickWH]

I wouldn't rule out any piece of gear just because it says Sony on it. Just listen to the Sony and a few other subs with similar specs. If you like the Sony, buy it. I've had the SA-WX700 for almost a year now, and I still think it's a really huge bang for the buck.

I would. Sony electronics are OK but their speakers are crap and their subwoofers are worse. You can do much, much better for the money.

[royphil345]

I see your point. In my experience, an amp's output power rating is usually a little less than the rating for wattage used. Could a digital amp somehow get around this rule? Like I said, I've owned this sub for a while now. There's no way it's only putting out 70 watts. I've got a Harman Kardon surround receiver. A 200 WPC Carver amp drives the mains. The sub handles bass below 60Hz for the mains and everything below 100Hz for the center and surrounds. This requires a fairly powerful sub for high volume levels and the Sony pulls it off. Tried a couple other subs that couldn't keep up. Bass does go lower than from my mains (-3dB at 35Hz). Have no way to measure how low though. Don't think it's flat to 20Hz as advertised. Any comments on the sound quality of this sub based on Sony's speaker building reputation or previous models as opposed to an audition are, of course, ridiculous. Also checked out some other brands of subs with digital amps and no specs for power consumption are given at all. I think the larger Sony SA-WX900 would be pretty stiff competition for any other $500.00 sub. I AM NOT saying that it will compete with let's say a Velodyne or SVS with similar power ratings and driver sizes. But, I am saying that it will compete with what you can get for $500.00. You will get more power than from the average $500.00 sub, lower frequency response, and believe it or not these Sony subs are reasonably tight and musical as well.

Lots of happy SA-WX700 (smaller version) owners who went to Circuit City and LISTENED to the Sonys AND the Velodynes http://www.circuitcity.com/rpsm/oid/79697/rpem/ccd/productDetailReview.do#tabs

[NickWH]

Tried a couple other subs that couldn't keep up.

Really? What did you compare it with? I'd like to know.

[bargainseeker]

I see your point. In my experience, an amp's output power rating is usually a little less than the rating for wattage used. Could a digital amp somehow get around this rule?No. Just because it's digital doesn't mean it can violate the laws of physics. Continuous power out is always less than continuous power in because nothing is 100% efficient. If Sony has come up with a device that can produce more power than it consumes, then they are in the wrong business. They should be producing perpetual motion machines to solve the world's energy crisis. ;)

[royphil345]

No. Just because it's digital doesn't mean it can violate the laws of physics. Continuous power out is always less than continuous power in because nothing is 100% efficient. If Sony has come up with a device that can produce more power than it consumes, then they are in the wrong business. They should be producing perpetual motion machines to solve the world's energy crisis. ;)

That's true of course. What was I thinking???!!!

Anyhow... What's probably going on is that this power consumption rating is some sort of average. Not peak draw. It doesn't say. Like I said, seems to be the only sub that lists a spec for power consumption at all. Probably because it's meaningless without a standard way of obtaining the number.

A quote from the only guy to review the SA-WX900 on this site:

"As far as wattage goes It claims 1000 watt with BOTH 12 inch drivers being active which gives this sub a MAJOR hit In the bass department. I have a velodyne 15 inch 750 watt sub also and all I can say is "move over velodyne." This sub will drop a note well Into the teen hz without distorting. And at 95 pounds,good luck getting one UPS in one piece. WELL WORTH YOUR TIME."

Sounds like a lot of sub for $500.00... Or you could close your mind and open your wallet.

[shokhead]

I dont think Sony is known for good/great speakers. Its not the name that comes up when talking about sopeakers.

[Ryanm]

/shrug, I happen to like my sony speakers, I have all the mhf series or whatever they are. they may not be klipsch or paradigm, but then again I didn't spend kipsch/paradigm money for them either. My parents home theater system that I got them for christmas was a sony, and it's a lot cleaner than my old technics system used to be. Names aren't everything in a speaker, fyi the speaker system most used with gaming computers isn't a klipsch system (even though klipsch does make a nice system) it's Logitech.