I just purchased 2 of these and these easily beat any other sub out there. I pity the consumer that buys other brands such as cerwin vega, the others I wont even name. These hit the extreme low notes without even trying and the sound is very lifelike. These are better suited for movies than music but will excel at both regardless. You cant go wrong with these babies, get one and you will never need to upgrade!

I bought this sub for $207 on ubid. I work for an audio semiconductor company as an engineer and deal with mostly audiophile and audio test eqp houses. Have new Denon AVR-5700 (with 24bit/96kHz dig-outs). Using Pioneer DVD-606 (also truly has 24/96k dig-out) with monster Toslink digital connect and Mission 77 series loudspeakers (check@www.mission.co/uk).
OK, enough bio. I plugged in the sub and positioned it "correctly" and played music and DVD for hours, tinkering with it by trying with analog inputs, adjusting the control panel XVER, sub volume, and also adj low-freq output dB gain level on the 5700. I tried for hours over 3 days. I also had some audio product line managers from USA and Japan listen too (to my embarrasment). Honestly, I think my 6 year old Infinity 10" 50W sounded CLEARER, not lower freq or louder but CLEARER QUALITY BASS mind you. Also, strangely enough, when I disconnected the audio source and turned back on this sub, it vibrated profusely WITH NO AUDIO CONNECTED as if some goblin lived inside the box! So I might have had a bum unit. Anyways, I retuned it and just ordered Advent AV550S (with a 250W Carver Sunfire Amp inside) for only $299 NEW at J&R. (If that one doesn't "pop" at the on/off switchover, as I have heard on one review, I will likely keep it. >> (I also went to Ciruit City and listened to their JBL floor demo and had the same opinon.)
Sorry, ONLY 3 STARS.

I got this baby for $250 from my employer...Not one complaint. Even my dad who is anti-everything loved this sucker. Tons of ins and outs on the back and being able to adjust the crossover level is a big plus too. Combined with my TX-181s and SVA Center, this thing really shines. It really lets the other speakers concentrate more on higher frequencies. I didn't even know my 181s were capable of anything other than room shaking bass until I got this sub. Bottom line: Good bang for the buck. Now all I have to do is get rid of those damn Bose 301's as my rears.

Very musical. Can boom if you want that. Great rumble for HT. Good compromise for thise wanting a musical and a HT sub

My model, none

I got the refurbished model as after consulting with the local repair shop I was advised of the amplifier problem. There were also two versions produced of the same model. The one I recieved was upgraded and the amp problem was solved.
I checked with Vanns and was assured that any problem would be made right and I had a full warranty. JBL confirmed this.

This sub is powerful. Mounting on a hardwood floor can be challenging. It also takes a bit to break it in.

After two months of use it fits perfect with my JBL S38's, SCenter and S36 rears.

Warning. If you buy a refurb, make sure they are an authorized JBL dealer, otherwise you have a 30 day warranty. I have a full warranty as if it were brand new (and it looks it).

Bottom line. Get one that doesn't have the amp problem and this is a very nice sub. IMO, it is far better than models trhat I could have paid 2 1/2 times as much, like the Klipsch.

On JBL's site you can find specs for both versions. The later version has different speaker connections.

Similar Products Used:

Small Pioneer and Yamaha

Powerful

Dies

Had the Subwoofer installed about 3 weeks when it gave out.
The light went off, and nothing I could do would re-set it.
Fortunately, it quit under 30 days, so I was able to return
it for the JBL PSW-D110 (which so far has been great.)

Similar Products Used:

JBL PSW-D110

The Wiz in NJ matched J & R's unbelievable price of 299. I've always been a fan of JBL products and this subwoofer is a good example of their quality products. The first thing you notice about this sub is its huge size. I almost went with the PSW-D110 since I have my home theater system in an average size family room, then I saw the positive review of the PSW-D112 in Sound & Vision (September p54) I have the Bose Accoustimass-6 and the JBL sub filled in the extreme lows that were missing. I tested the new addition to my home theater with the launch scene in Armageddon and could't believe the greatly improved sound that shook the house. I like this sub because it excels at movies and music and considering the amount of music in movie sound tracks today you need a sub that can do both well. I definately made the right choice and I give this sub 5 stars.

I got this superb subwoofer at eBay for $300. What a bargain! The subwoofer is great and produces satisfying low-deep bass. Just the way I like it. This subwoofer is clearly superior to all subs I tested during the last 2 months. I tested JBL's DSP-10, Yamaha's YST-SW40, and KLH's SW-910 subwoofer. As test CD I used Braveheart (Track 14), which produces an immense amount of bass. All 3 subs were not able to produce a clear bass. I could actually hear some vibration inside the subs, as if there were some loose parts present, which was really annoying. But not with the JBL PSW-D112. This subwoofer was clearly superior to all subs I tested and produced rich low-deep bass when playing the Braveheart CD. Now it was my room, that was vibrating. Connected to my Panasonic DVD-310, I used Leathal Weapon 4 (Opening scene), Lost in Space (Jupiter One's take-off), The Mask of Zorro (Opening scene), First Contact (Encounter with Borg), and Armaggeddon (Space Shuttle launch) as my test DVDs. I was literally blown away by the way the PSW-D112 interpreted the LFE effects of the DVDs. I could actually feel the vibration in my entire room. Wow! What an experience! It is unfortunenate, that I am not able to use the high-pass on the sub, since my receiver does not support that feature. But still I am very pleased with what I got. I am still wondering what the video contour button does, that is located on the front side of the sub (It is not mentioned in the manual). If someone knows what the button does, please e-mail me! Overall, I have to give the sub a solid 5 star!

Strong, tight bass, very musical, couples to room very well.

Non-furniture cabinet, level control on front of cabinet.

This is an update to my Feb. 23 review . . .
So far, this sub continues to work with no failures and I am still very happy with it. Two items for readers-
1. For those setting up one of these subs, please be aware that it takes some time to get the balance right for various music sources and types. I ended up setting my crossover at 120Hz otherwise I lost the upper-bass. I added a Crown VFX-2 (eBay find) crossover ahead of my Crown 150A Series II to roll off my JBL L20’s at 70Hz for protection and reduce overly warm vocals. (I also stuck socks in the L20 bass reflex ports that helped the vocals further.) The bass spectrum is quite pleasing with a smooth transition into the midrange. The overall effect is solid and broad bass with very authentic vocals. I used some George Winston piano, instrumental guitar, and some clear vocal recordings to achieve the right balance. I spent most of the time using the same recording and adjusting the crossover and volume until I found what sound the best with my best music sources. I left it for a few days then worked on it some more until I was happy with the result. It took a few months but was well worth it. I think this sub provides a great combination of solid bass and punch according to the input, and with little coloration.
2. A few of you asked where I found HC’s comments about repairing the amplifier. That review is under the PSW-D110 and I apologize for omitting the correct reference. I suggest printing that information and keeping it for, unfortunately, future reference.
Lastly, after all I’ve said and done, I will still keep the box.

Similar Products Used:

Cerwin-Vega SW-12B (not too similar – prior and passive subwoofer)

Very good bass response. Builtin high-pass X-over

Poor box insulation/amp heat dissipation

I purchased this as an open box from Best Buy and quickly discovered the cause of failure everyone was speaking of. Inside the woofer cabinet is a large piece of fiberglass insulation used to help dampen the resonance of the cabinet. Problem is the insulation lays directly on top of the amplifier assembly, literally cooking the amp when running. After mine smoked I stapled the insulation to the top and opposite side of the box. 3 months and she is running great.
I find this sub to be very boomy. I've tried placing it away from a wall, which is difficult in my listening area. Capping the bass port help some, but the boom went away when I crossed the sub at 90 Hz. Also noticed some male voices, but they disappeared at 90Hz as well. Nice sub after stapling up that fiberglass.

Similar Products Used:

JBL DPS-12

Makes noise in the standby mode

This was a good unit for the first year. I always had a few reservations about it because of the noise that it made when turned off and on. A loud thump would be heard each time it was turned off and on. The owner's manual was very skimpy, and didn't give hardly enough information to operate a piece of equipment of this caliber. Face it, when you pay in the range of $300 some documentation is usually present. To get around the loud thump, I tried leaving the unit on all the time. The booklet said that the amp would go into standby mode and the unit would use hardly any electricity. The problem was, I couldn't leave it that way because the unit made all kinds of noise, buzzing and humming, and even stray radio signals seemed to come from the front of the unit. The last time that I tried to turn the unit on it burned up. It bellowed like an airhorn, and I could smell the burned circuitry. After opening the unit, it was confirmed by a visual inspection that the amplifier unit was totally burned up. I do not want a new amp, I don't want to see this unit in my living room. After reading the reviews in this section it's obvious that the unit is a lemon and JBL should have come forward with some help, instead of replacing amps with the same components that were weak in the first place. JBL speakers are known world wide for their passive speakers, but this foray into powered subwoofers is a failure.

Similar Products Used:

DLK passive subwoofer