Wiring a subwoofer

[auntlancy]

I have purchased a Pioneer 7.1 VSX-816 audio receiver. My brother gave me a set of Pioneer HTP 200 speakers. (center, front, rear, & subwooder) All components are hooked up and all speakers work except the subwoofer. I ran the quick speaker setup with the microphone on a tripod.

The receiver does not have the wire connections for the subwoofer that it has for the other speakers. It has a single (female) connection apart from the speaker hookups. The subwoofer has 2 sets of input wire connections and 2 sets of output wire connections. I purchased a y-adapter and two shielded audio cables, each with two sets of wires coming out the end. I connected the wires to the input section of the subwoofer and got no sound. Tried switching them and still no sound. Am I doing this right?

I don't know all that much about hooking things up. HELP!

 

[MDS]

It sounds like the subwoofer is passive (no amplifier) and only includes high-level (speaker level) inputs and outputs. You'd have to run speaker wire from the receiver's front speaker terminals to the subwoofer inputs and then speaker wire from the subwoofer's outputs to the front speakers. If you connect the sub in that manner you also have to tell the receiver subwoofer=No in the setup menu.

If you are lucky and the sub actually is self powered you'd still have to hook it up the same way but the sub will knock down the already amplified signal from the receiver, take out the bass and amplify it, and then send the highs to the front speakers. If it is passive, there is a big negative in that the receiver has to power it and subs have much lower impedances and are harder to drive than normal speakers.

 

[Seth=L]

It is one of those HTIAB deals, the sub will need external amplification as it only has one input terminal and no internal x-over. In any case you are better off purchasing a powered sub and then replacing the fronts, center, and then surrounds when your budget allows for new purchases. Purchasing an amp for the HTIAB woofer would be about as much as a powered subwoofer with 5 times the performance.

Onix X-SUB
http://www.av123.com/products_product.php?section=subwoofers&product=12.1
HSU STF-1
http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/stf-1.html
Or if you have extra space and don't mind doing small handiwork....
Parts Express 15" kit.
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&Partnumber=300-770