Making connections to PSW10

24

Comments

  • joe.inom
    joe.inom Posts: 16
    edited August 2008
    Well port noises are also my problem ,i havent heard any such answers to that,
    i mean like my sub woofer in the car gets its jack changed each month cause suddenly in between the journey when i have large metal music played , a mic soundish sound is heard which gets louder with increasing the song sound.
    why is that ?
  • curved
    curved Posts: 664
    edited August 2008
    joe.inom wrote: »
    Well port noises are also my problem ,i havent heard any such answers to that,
    i mean like my sub woofer in the car gets its jack changed each month cause suddenly in between the journey when i have large metal music played , a mic soundish sound is heard which gets louder with increasing the song sound.
    why is that ?

    That doesn't sound like it's the same thing. Are you RCA's and power wire running on the same side of the car back to the amp?

    The cure for port noise is to buy a sealed sub from the start....or just stick a pair of socks in the port. That should take care of it.:D
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  • dodge07
    dodge07 Posts: 1
    edited November 2008
    I want to plug my sub in and never have to touch any setting after the initial setting of everything of course. What exactly should i have my 2 dials and than the switches set at. Im kinda new at this whloe thing so forgive me if this is a stupid question.
  • johnda
    johnda Posts: 13
    edited November 2008
    I am using two channel audio. Monitor 30 speakers and PSW10 sub in a 12x14 room. The receiver does not have a sub out or Pre out main in, so I am connecting the speaker leads to the sub and then from the sub to the speakers. I set the sub for 80 Hz. The system sounds very good, but I have a few questions: Does the sub have a built-in crossover so that the Monitor 30's bass response is shelved by the sub? Is 80Hz the proper setting for the PSW10 with the Monitor 30's? Do you know what impedance the amp sees when driving the system this way?

    Thanks,

    John
    Polk Monitor 4
  • ben62670
    ben62670 Posts: 15,969
    edited November 2008
    Welcome to club Polk. I know you need your receiver set to large for the mains. I am surprised that it does not have a sub output. Did it have a sub that came with it? If yes was the sub Passive(no amp)?
    Ben
    Please. Please contact me a ben62670 @ yahoo.com. Make sure to include who you are, and you are from Polk so I don't delete your email. Also I am now physically unable to work on any projects. If you need help let these guys know. There are many people who will help if you let them know where you are.
    Thanks
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  • reuben_in_GA
    reuben_in_GA Posts: 2
    edited November 2008
    Hello all - I am a novice, so please bear with me...

    I have an Onkyo TX-8522 Stereo receiver (has Speaker "A" and "B" sets) for which I just purchased two Polk RTi A9s. The retailer threw in a free PSW10, which, of course, I couldn't refuse. I considered the manual's option "2" (Receiver's speaker set "A" L & R front outputs going into the PSW10's speaker-level in terminals, then going from the PSW10's speaker-level out terminals to the L & R RTi A9s - of course I only have front, this being stereo). I'd rather not have the RTi A9's signal have to go through the sub, so I hooked up the RTi's directly to the receiver's speaker "A" set and connected the sub directly to the receiver's speaker "B" set. I do get sound, but it's muffled somewhat. This is my 1st sub, so I'm not sure if this config should work. I've got the sub's vol and pass dials set to the middle. I'd appreciate any comments/suggestions re this.
    Reuben
  • Chameleon2
    Chameleon2 Posts: 112
    edited November 2008
    It doesn't look like your receiver has a "sub out" port in the back; so it's looks like you have to use that "option 2" setup.

    I use that configuration (with a Denon receiver) and it works fine for me.
  • tolsen
    tolsen Posts: 1
    edited November 2008
    Hello, I have a few questions about setting up my sub with my system. I have fronts set to small, xover at 80 Hz, using LFE+main. I ran Audyssey auto setup and it had the distance wrong(5' father away from listening position then it was.) It also has output level at 1 db compared to 10 db on fronts and 4 db on center. I have sub set according to manual option 1, and volume at 2/3. Still don't seem to be getting lows like I think I should? I'm brand new to all this and this Denon receiver confuses me greatly. Thanks for any thoughts, Tim
    Denon 1909, Polk m50's front, csr center, psw10 sub, r300's rsr, t15's sr(all new and I don't know what I'm doing:confused:)
  • Newstech
    Newstech Posts: 1
    edited November 2008
    tolsen wrote: »
    ... I ran Audyssey auto setup and it had the distance wrong(5' father away from listening position then it was.) ...

    Over at avsforum.com, Chris Kyriakakis, the president of Audyssey, has posted this:

    • Subwoofer distance: in many active subwoofers it is not possible to defeat the low-pass filtering. That means that the pre-pro bass management filters will be on top of the low-pass filters inside the subwoofer. The built-in low-filters introduce a delay to the signal coming in (because they have poles). This delay is seen by MultEQ as acoustical delay and is reported in the results. That is why sometimes the subwoofer distance is reported to be longer than the physical measured distance. The setting should not be changed because the blend between the sub and the satellites has been designed based on this time delay.
    http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=795421
  • Dean_KS
    Dean_KS Posts: 6
    edited December 2008
    Question about the 180 degree switch: When would this be used and how to know when to use it.

    I have two main speakers, each sitting on a PSW10 as speaker stands. I assume that in that case, one would never use the 180 degree switch. Usung two subs like that can eliminate some phase cancellation effects between Sub and mains.
  • Dean_KS
    Dean_KS Posts: 6
    edited December 2008
    How to connect sub with speaker lines:

    Do run the cable from the amp to the main speaker. Then from the main speaker to the sub.

    Never put the sub in the middle as this will increase the cable length to the mains and will also introduce another set of connector losses/distortion. At the main, insert the banana plug from the amp and stack the banana plug to the sub on top of that, not in between.

    You can run separate speaker cables from the amp to the sub.

    Line level inputs: If you do not have sub-out on your amp, be very careful. If there is a pre-out on your receiver or two pre-out's on your preamp, or using a Y cable; connecting long patch cords to sub's will introduce capacitance that will affect soundstage/imaging etc. The exception with multiple pre-outs would be if they were fully buffered... probably not. With a receiver, the pre-out can affect the signal going to the receiver's internal amp stage. When there is no sub-out, it is best to connect subs with speaker lines to avoid signal loss.
  • Eric W
    Eric W Posts: 556
    edited December 2008
    Dean_KS wrote: »
    Question about the 180 degree switch: When would this be used and how to know when to use it.

    I have two main speakers, each sitting on a PSW10 as speaker stands. I assume that in that case, one would never use the 180 degree switch. Usung two subs like that can eliminate some phase cancellation effects between Sub and mains.
    Trial and error. You're right the phase switch is to elminate/minimize phase cancellation between the sub(s) and the mains. Here's how you do it:

    It helps to have a friend on hand to change the polarity setting on the sub while you measure and listen. When setting the phase setting by ear, play some music (not a movie) that has a walking but repetitive bass line. Country, latin and certain dance tracks work well for this. Focus closely on the region of sound just below the male voice. This is where the subwoofer transitions to the main speakers. Whichever setting sounds "faster" or "fuller" in that region of sound is the correct setting. In some situations, you may not hear any difference at all, particularly with compact satellite speakers. In this case, simply leave the phase switch to "0" or "normal".

    But if you have the the speakers sitting ontop of the subs, In most cases the in-phase or 0° setting will be the proper setting. This is now always true though. Regardless, the subwoofers should both be set to the same phase setting (both to 0° or both to 180°).
    -Eric
    -Polk Audio
  • johnda
    johnda Posts: 13
    edited December 2008
    ben62670 wrote: »
    Welcome to club Polk. I know you need your receiver set to large for the mains. I am surprised that it does not have a sub output. Did it have a sub that came with it? If yes was the sub Passive(no amp)?
    Ben

    Hi Ben,

    Sorry for the late response, I was away. My receiver is a standard configured 2 channel unit, no "large" choice for the mains, no pre out /main in, no sub out. I'm using option , I think 2, where the speaker leads go to the sub speaker in connectors (PSW 10), then from the sub speaker out connectors to the speakers(Monitor 30).

    Years ago I had Radio Shack 12" sub woofer connected this way to Optimus 7 speakers Mains. The RS sub had a built in cross over so that the Optimus 7's only got the upper level frequencies while the sub (non self-powered) handled the bass.

    I'm wondering how the PSW10 is wired internally, there is no schematic. Is it the same as the Radio Shack or do the speakers get the full frequency output where the sub just relies on the normal response curve of the mains?Right now I have the sub filter set at 100 cycles and volume about at half.

    Thanks,

    John
    Polk Monitor 4
  • Rike255
    Rike255 Posts: 131
    edited February 2009
    Is it possible to find out if your sub is out of phase(polarity) by hooking up a AA battery to it?

    If you connect a wire from the (-) terminal of the speaker to the (-) end of a AA battery, then touch the (+) terminal of the speaker to the (+) end of the AA battery, the speaker cone should move forward (for normal phase).
    If you did the same thing on the cone of your speaker, just make sure that both the sub cone and the speaker cone move in the same direction when the terminals touch to see if they're in phase.

    I've never tried this myself so I can't say that it works for sure, but the concept is pretty simple (even I understand it...I think).
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  • AlleyKat
    AlleyKat Posts: 1
    edited March 2009
    I want to use my new PSW10 with my two channel living room setup. This includes a pair of RT25i speakers, an outboard DAC, a Roku Soudbridge, and a MAC 1700 receiver. As the Mac does not have pre-outs, I will have to use the speaker level inputs. In this arrangement, does the sub amplifier drive only the sub with a pass through of the receiver's power to the mains?

    I have never used a sub before, so I'm a bit confused. Thanks, in advance, for your help.
  • rmc57
    rmc57 Posts: 27
    edited April 2009
    I didn't think it mattered left or right. But I didn't know about the Y cable idea.
    Thanks
  • nguyendot
    nguyendot Posts: 3,594
    edited June 2009
    I'm looking at the manual and don't see this error. It clearly differentiates between the PSW10 and PSW12 (which has LFE input).

    Good information on adjusting it however.

    I use a NAD pre-amp with dual pre-outs so i have to use the subwoofer crossover.
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  • Grant S.
    Grant S. Posts: 2
    edited August 2009
    Hello,
    There is an error in the PSW10 owner's manual, there isn't an LFE input on that model. However, that shouldn't be a problem. All you would need to do is connect the single sub-woofer output, of the receiver, to either the right or left input on the sub-woofer (the sub-woofer's bass amplifier adds the two channels together so a connection to either one is fine). Or, if you prefer, you may use a "Y" cable to provide a connection to both inputs on the sub-woofer. While this doesn't change the sound quality it will allow the sub-woofer to play louder at each of it's volume control positions.
    The second thing you would need to do is set the variable low pass filter, on the sub-woofer, to the highest setting (the variable low pass filter is the dial that has "Hz" labeled). This will set the internal low pass filter above the low pass filter frequency given by your receiver and, in effect, create an LFE input. If you have any questions please telephone us at 1-800-377-7655 and we'll be happy to help.
    Regards, Ken, Polk Audio
    THANK YOU-THANK YOU-THANK YOU! I've spent so much time trying to get the REAL SCOOP on this issue. Some people say use a Y Adaptor, some don't. An adaptor didn't make a lot of sense to me. This finally confirms it, especially since I just bought a Polk PSW10 sub! WHEW! (This is one less thing to hassle with!) I have a quality sub cable already, so will just plug in to the L on the sub and I should be "good to go" I assume.. AGAIN..Thanks!
  • kawizx9r
    kawizx9r Posts: 5,150
    edited August 2009
    Good to know you found what you needed, congrats on your sub and Welcome to Club Polk! Enjoy your stay :D
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  • Grant S.
    Grant S. Posts: 2
    edited August 2009
    kawizx9r wrote: »
    Good to know you found what you needed, congrats on your sub and Welcome to Club Polk! Enjoy your stay :D
    Thanks kawizx9r..much appreciated. I'll be back! (it's nice to know I have a place to go now for info that isn't half BS!)
  • skolapper
    skolapper Posts: 1
    edited September 2009
    its good to maek good connections im glad someone tookl the time to do it. tho u dont HAVE to use 17g wire friect from the battery using a 15A fuse alot of HU still only have like a 10A fuse in them. if you dont plan to use the internal amp i.e. rca outs only altho most hus u cant turn off internal powersupplies but it will still draw only liek 2-3A most of the timeunless u are using motorization or say a 7" screen or the likes

    its good to be speciic but its also good to be general. "an appropirate size power wire as thick or thicker than the new aftermarket HU with an appropriate fuse. my hu has a 20A fuse in it but i will not be using the internal amp which i can switch offalpine9815 so ill be just putting a 7.5 or 10A fuse in. as this is what my cable is rated too and the HU should not draw more than that.
  • ben62670
    ben62670 Posts: 15,969
    edited October 2009
    Get bent. Reported.
    Ben
    Please. Please contact me a ben62670 @ yahoo.com. Make sure to include who you are, and you are from Polk so I don't delete your email. Also I am now physically unable to work on any projects. If you need help let these guys know. There are many people who will help if you let them know where you are.
    Thanks
    Ben
  • peeplwtchr
    peeplwtchr Posts: 7
    edited November 2009
    Here is a symbol i designed for you Glen fox- ,.|.. Why you using this forum to plug yourself, when you have a huge web presence?
  • quitosky
    quitosky Posts: 1
    edited December 2009
    There are reviews with teh PSW10 with the port noise issue. I was planning on getting this but went to two best buy stores and tried the sub and it does have that problem. Could not turn the volume half way because of the port noise even when low pass(hz) to the max. Followed what Ken recommend to adjust the vol, but just could not get a good boomy sound. The cabinet size is big enough with the 10" driver. It was hooked up to a yamaha rx v365 with klipsch 500 satelite speakers/sub. i hooked up the 8" klipsch sub and it produces more bass and more boomy sound than the PSW10. I guess with the PSW10, there is a lot of tweaking in the receiver, satelite speakers and sub.
  • Wes Yamada
    Wes Yamada Posts: 1
    edited January 2010
    Hi, I have a pair of KRK rokit 5 powered studio reference monitors hooked up to the headphone jack on the back of my 24" imac via a "Monster" brand 1/8" to rca plug cable. It sounds awsome, but I just purchased a Polk PSW 10 subwoofer to add more bass and fullness. How do I hook up my new PSW 10 subwoofer to my imac?

    The
    1/8" mini stereo plug goes into the mini headphone jack on the back of my imac and the L & R chanel RCA plugs go into the RCA terminal on the back of the KRK monitors

    I was thinking of hooking my PSW10 to the imac with the monster 1/8" to RCA cable "LINE LEVEL INPUT" connector on the back of my PSW10, and then using 14 gauge speaker wire from the PSW 10 speaker output left and right (red and black) terminals on the back of the PSW 10 to my KRK monitors ....but the PSW instruction manual says not to do this or I could damage my PSW and/or my KRK powered studion monitors., by mixing "line level input" with "speaker lever output" on my PSW 10.

    I do not want to go the expensive route of using a stereo pre-amp/amp..... or a mixing board.

    How then should I hook up both my New PSW 10 subwoofer and my KRK monitors to my imac which has only one headphone jack?

    I was thinking of getting a headphone jack splitter... but someone said this will reduce the quality of my sound system, and when I tried it with my KRK"s plus my sennheiser headphones from a simple $3 mini headphone jack splitter, the sound was indeed not as good .

    I would appreciate any help...

    Wes
  • esowden
    esowden Posts: 55
    edited January 2010
    Wes Yamada wrote: »
    I was thinking of hooking my PSW10 to the imac with the monster 1/8" to RCA cable "LINE LEVEL INPUT" connector on the back of my PSW10, and then using 14 gauge speaker wire from the PSW 10 speaker output left and right (red and black) terminals on the back of the PSW 10 to my KRK monitors ....but the PSW instruction manual says not to do this or I could damage my PSW and/or my KRK powered studion monitors., by mixing "line level input" with "speaker lever output" on my PSW 10.

    No danger in hooking everything up that way. The 14 ga. speaker wire would be overkill as well. You're using the headphone jack of your iMac so the signal can be viewed as line level. The speaker in/out on the back of the PSW puts the sub in parallel to the circuit essentially passing the signal along unchanged.
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  • Audio292
    Audio292 Posts: 31
    edited January 2010
    Wheres a good place to find a 2m Y cable? with 1RA to 2RCA?
  • littleg60
    littleg60 Posts: 1
    edited January 2010
    i just purchased an psw10 and i have a sony strdg1100 and i wanted to connect it i got the y splitter and wanted to know what setting i should have for the sub and the receiver. thanks
  • brian lee
    brian lee Posts: 1
    edited February 2010
    Hey just wanted to know about the placement of my sub if its a good idea to put it in front or rear of my room? I have it now in the rear Conner of my room and sound good although i was thinking it would be better out in front any suggestions??
  • g-bone
    g-bone Posts: 2
    edited March 2010
    Hi All,
    My first post about my first Polk setup: 2-RTi A1's and 1-PSW10. Goods still in transit but want to forgo any possible connection- or power-related issues while optimizing audio performance.
    I have read all the posts here as well as the manual.
    Two areas of question:
    1) The Onkyo TX 8511 will be driving the configuration. It is phenomenal classic receiver. As such is has provisions for neither "Sub Out" nor "Front/Rear/Center". "A/B" only. Of the several options discussed in this group, it seems the appropriate option is to connect
    a. Onkyo "Speaker" out to PSW10 "Speaker In"
    b.PSW 10 "Speaker Out" to corresponding RTi A1.
    Is my understanding correct?
    If not, please provide solution.
    If so, what is recommended cable type and gauge for making the connections?
    In the above configuration, what is driving the RTi A1 speakers, The ONKYO (100W/channel) or the PSW10 (50W RMS)?
    What "Cross Over" or other settings are advisable?


    2) What is the actual Voltage Input for the PSW10? I have read 220v in one place and 110 in others? Onkyo is set at 120v.

    Thanks in advance for sharing the benefit of your collective experience.