Need help setting up Subwoofer

S

shirosham

Audiophyte
Hi guys!

Sorry about this thread, but this is a problem that I can't seem to remember on how to figure out.

I've got a non-powered Subwoofer (passive?) and I'm trying to hook it up to my receiver so that it plays on my SUB speaker.

I'm not quite sure what kind of Subwoofer I have, I've had it for a while (7+ years), and I'm hooking it up to a Onkyo TX-SV70PRO Receiver. What I know for sure is that the Subwoofer DOES work when hooked up to the Receiver previously. (I've had it so the Sub-Channel, only activated the Subwoofer) I just don't remember how I had it setup.

Subwoofer looks like this
i46.tinypic.com/9gzxfm.jpg

Receiver looks like this
i48.tinypic.com/zv4uuq.jpg

The top row is for the Front Left&Right Speakers, while the bottom row is for the Left&Right Subwoofer.

I've tried hooking up the wires from the sub to the receiver directly, but it's not playing... drawing a blank here. Thanks guys!

Edit: Doesn't look like I can post picture or links, but I have them, if anyone needs to see them.

Subwoofer has two unlabeled black & red things for speaker wires. The Receiver has two inputs for the L&R subwoofer, and a top row for L&R front speakers.
 
Adam

Adam

Audioholic Jedi
Welcome to the forum!

You're correct - your subwoofer is a passive sub that will require an amplifier to power it.

That receiver has a line-level subwoofer output (RCA jack) that would either be connected to a powered sub or to an amplifier connected to a sub like yours. The bottom row of speaker terminals that are labeled "SUB ROOM" aren't actually for a subwoofer, but rather are for a second set of main speakers that could be used in a second room.

You can connect a passive subwoofer to main speaker terminals, but the downside is that the signal sent to the sub is full range (meaning, not just bass frequencies). So, you will probably hear dialogue from movies on the sub. Also, unless you're sure that you should be connecting both sets of terminals on the sub, you may want to let us know more about it.

All of that said - my guess is that you need to push the "SPEAKERS / FRONT / SUB ROOM" button on the front of the receiver to get the subwoofer to make sound.

 
j_garcia

j_garcia

Audioholic Jedi


Those are A & B speaker outputs. There are two ways to do this: connect two pairs of wires to the top L&R outputs (or one each to each of those speaker terminals), one set to the sub, one to the speakers. There is no crossover with this method, so the sub and the mains will both get full range sound. If the sub has outputs, you could connect just the R&L from the receiver to the sub and then from the sub to the speakers; with this method, most subs have a built in crossover that will filter the mains. In either method, you will need to set the sub's level and crossover point manually.

Since you have a pre-out for the sub from that receiver, I'd either look for an external amp like this one to power the sub, or buy a powered sub.
 
Adam

Adam

Audioholic Jedi
John, looks like we were both using photos from the same eBay page to do our research. :)
 
S

shirosham

Audiophyte
Hi there!

Thanks for the quick response.

Ah, that makes sense, then. I've always just hooked it up to the SUB Room thinking that it's for the sub.

So with both of the terminals on the subs hooked up to the Receiver (To SubRoom), the sub doesn't play when the speakers are activated.

I'm actually not quite sure if I should be connecting both terminals, but I'm about to go test that out, thanks!~

Edit: Haha, sorry I didn't see the response, but thanks!

So Wire from Receiver(For Main) to Sub, then Wires from Sub to Speakers?

If it helps, the sub looks like i46.tinypic.com/9gzxfm.jpg that, just add the hyper text transfer protocolbefore it, I can't actually post the full link or the shortened versio , sorry.
 
Last edited:
j_garcia

j_garcia

Audioholic Jedi
If it helps, the sub looks like i46.tinypic.com/9gzxfm.jpg that, just add the hyper text transfer protocolbefore it, I can't actually post the full link or the shortened versio , sorry.
Based on that pic, it looks like you have only inputs and no outputs, so the second method (receiver->sub->speaker) won't work the way I mentioned, meaning that sub does not have a built-in passive crossover for the mains. You can still connect it that way, but it will be the same as connecting the mains directly to the receiver.

I vote for the APA-150 as it also has a low pass crossover built into it so it can be used to power passive subs.
 

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