YAMAHA 8" 100W Powered Subwoofer - Black (NS-SW050BL)

Full disclosure; I'm Rebecca's dad, not Rebecca. I ordered the Yamaha sub to replace an aging passive subwoofer. Modern 5.1 systems are set up for an active subwoofer and, frankly, they need one!The Yamaha fit the bill. It was priced right, including a 15' cord to connect back to the receiver & allow the sub to be placed where I want it in the room.The results? Fantastic. 8" doesn't sound like much, but the Yamaha puts out an impressive sound. When I listen to music, it provides that low underpinning of sound that is hard to get from a standard speaker, or from an old fashioned passive subwoofer that simply lacks the volume needed. For movies, it has transformed my sound into a chair-rumbling experience. As soon as the speaker was set up, I gave it a good shakedown test - Star Wars, then Independence Day. The Yamaha delivered the kind of theater experience I've been looking for.Some people have asked if it is loud enough. Absolutely. The subwoofer itself has a volume control, which I leave at full volume; that allows me to control volume through the receiver with the remote. For most movies, keeping the SW channel just above 50% is just right; for a few action movies, such as Independence Day, I had to back it down to about 40% - high enough to feel the rumble, but low enough to hear the dialogue through the center channel.I'm sure there are some better subs out there; just depends on what you think you need. For me, the Yamaha subwoofer is a perfect match. For reference, my system is: a Denon 5.1 receiver, 2 Bose 201 speakers for front channel, and 3 Sony bookshelf speakers for center and rear channels.

This is my second one of these. I liked the first one so much I purchased a second. Great sound. This does not come with an RCA cable even though it says so in the description (see photo). Otherwise great purchase.

Had a Harmon Kardon subwoofer that decided to one day quit. I have a limited space issue and spent way too much time shopping. Saw this subwoofer and watched as the price fluctuated more than the stock market. The size of the cabinet, the overall specification and power were a good replacement. The price drop hit and I bit the bullet. Glad I did. Very smooth clean bass not boomy or hollow. A good choice if space is an issue and budget.

Pros,1. 50 watts(not 100 watts like advertised) which of powerful enough for small apartments and smaller rooms.2. A simple layout of a power switch, one RCA output plug and a level knob.3. Great build quality and very sturdy, you can tell by it's weight for it's size.4. Running two of these would be great for bigger rooms for easy placement because they're not too big.5. Sound quality is decent once tweaked.6. Takes the low end load off all the other speakers and because of this it will give you more volume without having to turn up your volume.Cons,1. You'll need to tweak your crossover frequencies, sub level and LPF to get optimal sound.2. For a little more you could get a Polk Audio with a 10 inch driver for more headroom.3. When increasing the bass level the sub will distort around 7 or so, I'd advise going no higher than 7 and at 5.5 that should be plenty of bass for a smaller room. If you need more bass I'd advise buying a bigger more powerful driver.4. It lacks features crossover adjustment on the speaker, auto-power so you don't have to turn the sub on and off and other input/output options.For my needs it's perfectly fine and has more than enough power, but if I get a bigger place I'd get a second to fill to room better with bass.

I just received the Yamaha subwoofer and mated it with my Yamaha RX-4VA receiver. I have also Bose bookshelf speakers and a Yamaha center speaker. The subwoofer does not come with a cable to connect it to the receiver. So need to order one or pick up a cable at Best Buy. Sound is very rich and clear. Volume is adjustable to match the main and center speakers. Sound without the subwoofer is weak but with it on, sound is very rich and full. Set up is simple and takes a few minutes. Highly recommend this subwoofer.

I bought this mini sub when I was living in my apartment because I’m a big movie person, but didn’t want to piss off the neighbors with a larger, true HT sub (plus I was on a tight budget), and was very pleasantly surprised. It’s only an 8” driver, so you can’t compare it to a 12” or bigger driver, that’s not realistic, but it’s fantastic for what it is. This thing rumbles and it has a nice tactile punch to it. I never turned the gain knob up past 5/10. I would absolutely recommend this sub for anyone with SPL (volume) limitations, neighbors, or financial limitations. At 8” it just physically can’t get down ultra low or provide the fullness a bigger driver can, but man does it try, and if you’ve never experienced anything bigger, you won’t be missing anything. I would be very interested to listen to the 10” version, the NS-SW100. Overall, I was thrilled with it for the size and price point at the time when I built my budget 5.1 system. It really is a fantastic little sub and I would absolutely purchase it again. If you have a bigger room or want a true HT sub, you’re gonna have to be realistic and go bigger and a lot more expensive. Otherwise, get this thing (or the 10” NS-SW100) and enjoy!

I have an aging mixed brand theater system. (Harmon Kardan receiver, old Sony satellites) and i had a non-powered old subwoofer that came with the speakers but didn't have an RCA Jack but instead simple double wire speaker input so I had it jacked into one of surround speaker outputs. Never really worked. The Receiver does have a dedicated RCA subwoofer out and I finally stopped procrastinating and bought this perfect little perfectly priced subwoofer and it is amazing. I live in a condo so it will never be turned up all the way but it's nice to know the extra power is there. Tested out with the following: blade runner, shape of water and then some audio as well (post Malone and Brandi Carlile). It adds an amazing amount of rich depth to everything. Very pleased