Rookie needs help with sub wiring.

[Vega$]

First of all let me say how helpful this website has been, fantastic! I had my new home pre-wired for a home theater system. Where the wire for sub comes out at media center and in the corner(location of sub), I have a group of wires- black, red , green and white. My powered sub has a single LFE and the standard red-white RCA's for line level. It also has the speaker leads for speaker level(which I don't want to use). My receiver has 2 black RCA'S on the pre-out. My question is how do I wire my sub to my receiver? What will I need(connectors,wallplates,etc...). Any help is greatly appreciated and thanks for your time.

 

[mtrycrafts]

First of all let me say how helpful this website has been, fantastic! I had my new home pre-wired for a home theater system. Where the wire for sub comes out at media center and in the corner(location of sub), I have a group of wires- black, red , green and white. My powered sub has a single LFE and the standard red-white RCA's for line level. It also has the speaker leads for speaker level(which I don't want to use). My receiver has 2 black RCA'S on the pre-out. My question is how do I wire my sub to my receiver? What will I need(connectors,wallplates,etc...). Any help is greatly appreciated and thanks for your time.

You sub should have a RCA out labeled LFE. Your prewiring if correctly done, should also have an interconnect or an RG type cable for the sub wire, not the wire that is used for speaker wires. You need RCA type connections.

 

[Vega$]

Yes, my sub has a LFE jack. So I need a interconnect or a RG type cable along with the 4 wires coming out my wall? If that is the case, maybe they did screw up my pre-wire and I'm going to be HOT! Thanks again for all help.

 

[MDS]

The pre-wire in my house and many others I have seen is 16/4 wire; ie 4 conductors each of 16 gauge. They can be used for speakers or security systems or remote control or whatever.

You should also have at least one RG6 (or RG59) coax cable to each room. If you have a spare one of those, you can buy twist or crimp on RCA connectors and use that as Mtrycrafts said.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Yes, my sub has a LFE jack. So I need a interconnect or a RG type cable along with the 4 wires coming out my wall? If that is the case, maybe they did screw up my pre-wire and I'm going to be HOT! Thanks again for all help.

Before you get too hot, I would too as many still don't know that most subs today are powered and needs interconnect cables, or a video cable will work as well, you could see if by chance each pair of those wires are twisted in the overall jacket which I think it might be. Then, you could try and see if on pair wired to an RCA type plug will work without causing hum. The twisting of the pair might keep the hum out. Nothing to loose and something to gain from this experiment, no rewiring perhaps needed.