Please help with subwoofer hook up

J

jlaudio

Audiophyte
Hello everyone, I decided to join this forum to expand my knowledge on electronics and audio. I hope to meet lots of people and learn a few things. I currently am working on a surround sound setup and I want to ask if I have my subwoofer connected correctly, the back of the subwoofer is different and new to me. Listed below is my setup.

Yamaha Receiver - RX-V463
Klipsch Quintet iii 5pc speaker set
Klipsch 10" subwoofer

The subwoofer has two connections labeled HIGH LEVEL IN and two connections labeled HIGH LEVEL OUT. There are also two RCA jacks labeled LEFT/LFE and Right. Right now, I have a white RCA plugged into the subwoofer out on the receiver and the other end plugged into LEFT/LFE so white on white, its just a cable, right?. Its actually an audio cable for left and right/red and wide. I just needed something to use. Will this cable work ok? Also on back of the sub it has two switches 180 degrees and 0 degrees for phase and switch for Auto/On. How should these be selected? I'm really not sure if the subwoofer is connected properly, but it is working. All help is appreciated.
Thanks
 
monkish54

monkish54

Audioholic General
Also on back of the sub it has two switches 180 degrees and 0 degrees for phase and switch for Auto/On. How should these be selected? I'm really not sure if the subwoofer is connected properly, but it is working. All help is appreciated.
Thanks
Auto/On simply determines how you want the subwoofer's amplifier to draw power from the wall, i.e when you want the subwoofer on.

When "auto" is selected the subwoofer will auto-detect a signal and pass it from the amplifier to the subwoofer driver. When "on" is selected the subwoofer's amplifier will constantly remain on. I recommend using "auto". It's saves you some money (probably negligible amounts depending on the stand-by power draw of the amp), and there is little to no advantage from allowing the amplifier to be running all day. Electronics get hot, and heat is the enemy of electronics. Even if the amp doesn't have heat issues (which it probably wont because stand-by power is usually negligible), you don't gain anything from forcing the amp to stay on all the time, so what's the point?

As for phase, do you have a 9v battery sitting around? If not, go buy one or grab one out of a smoke detector for a few minutes. :p
 
W

Wavetouch

Audiophyte
There are also two RCA jacks labeled LEFT/LFE and Right. Right now, I have a white RCA plugged into the subwoofer out on the receiver and the other end plugged into LEFT/LFE so white on white, its just a cable, right?. Its actually an audio cable for left and right/red and wide. I just needed something to use. Will this cable work ok?
White cable (any color is OK) plugged between Sub's Left/LFE (Low Frequency Effect, Sub-woofer out) and sub-out of receiver is perfect. The cable from sub-out of receiver to Sub's right works same. The RCA cable connect those 2 points. So, white on white is good. White to red is no good.
 
W

Wavetouch

Audiophyte
jlaudio;1011507 on back of the sub it has two switches 180 degrees and 0 degrees for phase and switch for Auto/On. How should these be selected? [/QUOTE said:
The phase switch changes the direction of the sound to back or to front. Phase switch position (0, 180) should be set whichever make you comfortable in loud volume. I usually set the sound to backward which makes me feel comfortable. So, I can turn up the volume of sub-woofer higher.
 
monkish54

monkish54

Audioholic General
The phase switch changes the direction of the sound to back or to front. Phase switch position (0, 180) should be set whichever make you comfortable in loud volume. I usually set the sound to backward which makes me feel comfortable. So, I can turn up the volume of sub-woofer higher.
Determining which position that switch needs to be in is more complicated than" feeling comfortable." :)

How does the phase of the subwoofer affect your comfort?
 
W

Wavetouch

Audiophyte
Determining which position that switch needs to be in is more complicated than" feeling comfortable." :)

How does the phase of the subwoofer affect your comfort?
When the sound come to me directly, I feel more impact but I feel something punched and hurt me. Toggling the phase switch makes the sound move to backward to the front wall. The sound will bounces the front wall and disperses to all around room and the listener. I want the subs to shake the room, not me. At least, that is what I am doing with the phase switch.
 
monkish54

monkish54

Audioholic General
When the sound come to me directly, I feel more impact but I feel something punched and hurt me. Toggling the phase switch makes the sound move to backward to the front wall. The sound will bounces the front wall and disperses to all around room and the listener. I want the subs to shake the room, not me. At least, that is what I am doing with the phase switch.
You seem to dislike the feeling of low frequencies.
You're not somehow redirecting omnidirectional bass from a monopole subwoofer to the rear wall only. What you are doing is setting your sub and mains out of phase so that they cancel and deep bass is greatly attenuated.
 
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zieglj01

zieglj01

Audioholic Spartan
I think that bass does more than just move backwards and forward > {omni-directional}
however, it can bounce.:)
 
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monkish54

monkish54

Audioholic General
You seem to dislike the feeling of low frequencies.
You're not somehow redirecting omnidirectional bass from a monopole subwoofer to the rear wall only. What you are doing is setting your sub and mains out of phase so that they cancel and deep bass is greatly attenuated.
If someone wanted to hear more about my monopole, I would tell them it's pretty large and rather heavy...

Just look at my signature.
 
S

scramblers283

Audiophyte
The phase switch doesn't actually make the soundwave go forward or backward. Its acts more like a delay that may get your sub more in phase with your other speakers because of placement.
 
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