Home > Consumer Reviews > Sony SA-WM250 100-Watt Active Subwoofer

Ordered it on Amazon on 6/2 and it arrived on 6/7. Another satisying transaction through Amazon...Anyway, I got the 27" Syntax LCD TV. This TV has subwoofer output that I just needed to make use of because the speakers it came with sucks. Made a huge difference in sound quality. I can't tell you why, not an expert, just know when it's good and when it's not. Unit is large, didn't expect it to be this big. I'll upload some picts.

For my front speakers I have a pair of Infinity Reference towers, maybe 6 years old, each of which contains a 50-watt side-firing subwoofer. The speakers sound great for music and most movies, but those subwoofers aren't powerful enough for the really deep and loud effects on blow-'em-up DVDs: if I turn the subwoofers' gain high enough to shake the floor even a little, the protection circuits cause them to cut out on the loudest effects -- just when I need them the most. This appears to do no harm to the subwoofers, but it's disconcerting to say the least. So I knew I needed more (MORE BASS! MORE VOLUME!!), and this well-reviewed Sony seemed like just the ticket.

And indeed it is: With the gain at 1/3, or maybe a little higher, and the rolloff set pretty deep, it adds exactly what I had been missing out of the Infinitys. For bang-bang movies I turn the gain down somewhat on the Infinity subwoofers so they don't cut out when things get real loud, turn up the overall gain out of the receiver (middle-of-the-line Yamaha), and it's pretty much movie-theatre time in my living room. (The signal goes to all three subwoofers from the single subwoofer output on the receiver, using two "Y" splitters connected together to provide a total of three outputs. It works just fine, though it looks silly.) When I first set up the new subwooder and was getting it adjusted, I used the DVD of "Independence Day" as my test, since it has plenty of very loud and very deep effects. It sounded so good that even my wife sat down to watch and listen, doing her usual clutch-my-arm trick at the most exciting parts. She was impressed by the sound, and she's not easy to impress. As a bonus, the new subwoofer also improves music. I tend to listen mostly to classical and bluegrass (a strange combination, but hey), and both sound considerably better now that the new subwoofer is in use.

All in all, seventy-odd dollars VERY well spent -- and Amazon delivered the thing in maybe 3 days, of course in perfect condition, with free shipping and no tax. What could be bad?

The Sony Subwoofer is awesome ! My Home theatre is now complete.I didn't realize what I was missing.My wife and I watched a DVD of Jaws for old times sake and the Sub made all the difference, it was like being in the theater.Excellent value.

I bought this sub to turn my 5.0 system into a 5.1.Since this is my first subwoofer I can't compare it to any other product. I can say it fills a void that my 2 fronts didn't.It doesn't shake walls or break glass and that is fine for my needs.If you have a small space and budget to match then this unit will do the job. One suggestion:replace the supplied 75ohm cable with a more expensive one. It makes a HUGE difference!

I read the reviews, as I always do, here on Amazon and at epinions before buying this little subwoofer!

I just could not ignore the value + performance in one package. And with free shipping from Amazon, why not?

Took some tweaking right out of the box to get it just where I needed it! I was shocked to see how little I had to turn up the volume level to get a nice atmospheric feel to the sound. It took total 45 minutes out of box to get it where I need it. I do recommend plugging into the outlets of your receiver so you don't have to manually turn the subwoofer on and off!

I don't have to have a big-time bump that vibrates the house. I was just looking for that extra bass feel to make the digital TV shows and movies pop!

And it outright fits the bill without straining at all!

Do yourself a favor - get this before Sony reads all these great reviews and starts charging more for this gem!