subwoofer connections

[TheMonkey]

i don't have the model # in front of me.... but the question is regarding a boston subwoofer. it is probably 4-5 years old. the inputs in back include the banana type plug ins for left and right, and also a left and right rca style "line level inputs". previously, with an old receiver, i split the front speakers right into the sub banana plugs. i upgraded the receiver to 6.1, and it has 1 rca type looking output for the sub. should i run an rca cable from the 1 output, and split it into the 2 "line level inputs" on the sub?

please treat this with kid gloves... i'm (obviously) a rookie.

thanks.

 

[MrKlister]

Check your manual if you need to use both RCA jacks. Some subs have two inputs, differentiated by gain. One will be a "normal" input, the other will boost the signal some amount of dBs. If that is the case with your sub, you can just hook up a single cable to whatever jack you prefer.

If you have to use both, you have stated the correct hookup. You can get a Y adaptor to split the single low level input cable.

 

[Unregistered]

Usually you want to use just one input and usually it is the left input on the sub. Most of the subs I've seen have that clearly marked.

Sometimes there is an additional rca input that is marked LFE. Using that bypasses the sub's internal crossover so you can rely only on the crossover from the receiver. Some subs (like JBL) say to use only the left input but provide a switch for LFE or Normal. When the switch is set to LFE, the sub's internal crossover is bypassed. When set to Normal, the sub's internal crossover is active - and you probably want to set it as high as it will go to get it out of the way if you have a crossover setting in your receiver.

There is no harm in using a Y connector to connect both the L and R inputs, but this results in a+6dB gain. Its a cheap way to get a "bass boost" but not always a good idea - it may sound boomy and unnatural and will make it that much more difficult to balance the sub levels with the other speakers.

 

[Krazykaj]

hi,

just for interest, i asked a similar question about my two subs from Velodyne and how to connect them for optimal performance, and heres what they wrote back (this may not be the case with other subs)

"Because our subwoofers are designed to take a lot of input, they work best with a "Y" splitter into both inputs. Otherwise it doesn't matter as the left and right are identical.
Thanks,"

cheers