Yamaha YST-SW45 8" Subwoofer

Features Yamaha YST-SW45 8" Subwoofer

Amazon.com

Add bass to your music and spice to your life with Yamaha's YST-SW45 active subwoofer, a compact and affordable way to increase your enjoyment of music, movies, and even computer audio.

With a 70-watt built-in amplifier, line-level inputs, high-quality five-way binding-post speaker inputs and outputs, plus an auto-on standby circuit, volume level, and adjustable crossover (see FAQ for more info), the YST-SW45 is about as flexible as they come. Setup was a snap--we were able to dial in just the right amount of bass and the correct crossover point within minutes. And its manageable size makes the YST-SW45 easy to place; you can tuck it into a corner, next to a sofa, or even under a desk.

Besides being flexible, the YST-SW45 is also a fine performer, thanks to Yamaha's long-throw 8-inch woofer and active-servo technology, which tracks the movement of the driver and matches it to the incoming signal, correcting any perceived errors (or distortion). In addition, the front-firing bass port effectively increases the speaker's sensitivity and bass output, delivering very good definition with a decent punch and a good sense of low-end body.

But we must take issue with Yamaha's frequency-response rating, which is inflated because the stated 30 to 200 Hz performance is measured at -10 dB, rather than the standard -3 dB. In other words, at 30 Hz (or cycles per second)--very deep bass indeed--the YST-SW45 does have measurable output, but it's 10 decibels below its average output at, say, 60 Hz. Our test tones indicate that the YST-SW45's -3 dB point is around 42 Hz, which is still quite good, but not subterranean.

Compact, flexible, and well made, with a more-than-respectable if not explosive bass output, Yamaha's YST-SW45 is a fine, small active subwoofer. Unless you have a huge room or love bass to rattle your cage, it will nicely fill out the sound of any compact speaker or home theater rig. --Wayne Garcia

Pros:

Compact and versatile
5-way binding-post speaker terminals
2-year warranty

Cons:

Bass not as deep or powerful as Yamaha's ratings suggest

ASVOLOVA

Wednesday, March 20, 2013