Just got my psw 505, how do I set it up?

robzm19

Im slowly setting up my home theater system and need help with hook up and settings. The setup I found off the net is to run the reciever to the sub and the sub to my speakers.

Can someone tell me the best way to wire my system, and what settings to use? I am lost when it comes to the phase, hertz and all this stuff. I just want my system to sound good. I have a yamaha rx-765 two polk monitor 60 series II and a cs1 series II.

djperez81

I would run your 60's and the cs1 from the yamaha. Your receiver should have a preout for your sub. Run a cable from your receiver to the LFE on the 505. As far as crossover i would set the it to 80hz but it all depends how it sounds to you.

TECHNOKID

djperez81 wrote: »

I would run your 60's and the cs1 from the yamaha. Your receiver should have a preout for your sub. Run a cable from your receiver to the LFE on the 505. As far as crossover i would set the it to 80hz but it all depends how it sounds to you.

Welcome to Club Polk robzm19!

I fully agree with djperez81 post. Setting up your speakers on the sub outputs defeats the ability of your yamaha receiver to do the proper setting job for you. Xover set at 80hz is always a good start/step in the right direction.

If you allow your receiver to do the setting via the provided YAPO calibration mike, you will save your self the headache of figuring out proper frequency settings. Once you get familiar with your system, you can then experiment with manual setting of the frequency.

Now, for best results do not forget that proper placement of your speakers is also crucial. What size is your room? What kind of room threathment do you have at this point (as this will also affect the end result)?

Cheers!
TK

robzm19

thanks, I appreciate the help. Im not sure what the dimensions of the living room is, but here are a few pics so you can see the set up. What about the phase do I leave it at 0 or put it at 180?

TECHNOKID

I was reading once that a good way to set the phase control wass to reverse the connections on your main speakers, black to red and red to black. Then you play some music with good bass and sit in your listening position. Have someone dialing the phase control on the sub until you hear the least amount of bass. Then with your sub dialed in such away, return your speaker wires to their proper places you should now hear optimal bass from your sub. Let us know how effective this method works for you. Also, I hope you used the crawling method for proper placement of your sub?

Cheers!
TK

robzm19

Not sure what crawling method is, but thanks I can look it up. Phase control is just a switch 0 or 180. I hooked up the speakers as instructed and did auto set up. I could here the sub but not very loud. When I tested it with music I couldn't hear any base coming from the sub. I have the pre out sub 1 plugged in on my receiver, and its going into lfe in(unfiltered) on the sub. Any ideas?

pietro944

robzm19 wrote: »

Not sure what crawling method is, but thanks I can look it up. Phase control is just a switch 0 or 180. I hooked up the speakers as instructed and did auto set up. I could here the sub but not very loud. When I tested it with music I couldn't hear any base coming from the sub. I have the pre out sub 1 plugged in on my receiver, and its going into lfe in(unfiltered) on the sub. Any ideas?

are you listening in 2-channel stereo?...if so,you're receiver probably doesn't pass subwoofer sounds via the LFE input.My Pio Elite rec.doesn't either.

If not the recv....Do you have your FRONTS set to small? or LARGE?

robzm19

Listening to full surround mode. The auto set out the fronts to large. I changed them too small, still no difference.

pietro944

robzm19 wrote: »

Listening to full surround mode. The auto set out the fronts to large. I changed them too small, still no difference.

What about the sub setting on your recr......do you have that set to YES?

TECHNOKID

pietro944 wrote: »

What about the sub setting on your recr......do you have that set to YES?

Carry on pietro944, you are doing good!

robzm19, a little bit of patience and tweaking with the help of pietro944 and you'll be in heaven! :cool:

boggs868

i had to turn the extra bass option on my yamaha receiver to get the sub to work

Mon40CSMM10

pietro944 wrote: »

are you listening in 2-channel stereo?...if so,you're receiver probably doesn't pass subwoofer sounds via the LFE input.My Pio Elite rec.doesn't either.

If not the recv....Do you have your FRONTS set to small? or LARGE?

Double-check that. My non-Elite Pioneer VSX-517K does pass subwoofer sounds through the Sub/LFE output. This is true even in Direct mode.

The problem I had--and why I went to speaker level inputs instead--is at the modest volume levels I was using (-72 dB to -50 dB depending on source, with the overall master volume scale ranging -94 dB to -8 dB), I would have to use much higher subwoofer channel volume levels using the LFE cable input to the sub.

For music, in order to get subwoofer output at -72 dB volume level I would have to use a subwoofer channel volume of +8.0 dB (channel range -10 dB to +10 dB). However, that was too much bass for movies, so I'd reduce the subwoofer channel volume to +7.0 dB or even +6.5 dB for movies at -50 dB master volume level. But then when listening to music again, I'd get no subwoofer output at -72 dB because the sub channel output was too low (I'd need to increase the subwoofer channel level to +8.0 dB once again). Yes, the subwoofer would activate for music starting at master volume setting of -64 dB, and the loudest I'd listen to music was at -57 dB, but darn it, I also wanted subwoofer presence at the lower -72 dB volume level as well. I got tired of readjusting the subwoofer channel level for both music and movies when using the LFE connection method.

So I said forget it--Pioneer uses too low of a subwoofer signal along with Polk Audio seems to require more signal--and went speaker level inputs instead. While I may not have a separate LFE channel out to the subwoofer for movies anymore, it works much better for music and also video games. I'll keep using the speaker level outputs going forward.

All that said, this was with a PSW110, not a PSW505, but if the LFE input method proves to be too much hassle due a receiver's low subwoofer channel output, set the Front to Large and Subwoofer to No and then use speaker level inputs instead.

tonyb

Could it have been the sub cable you were using ? Did you try any different cables ?

Mon40CSMM10

I tried the sub cable (Philips brand), digital coaxial cable, and even composite video cable (which can also be used as a subwoofer cable) and the results were identical--I had to turn up the subwoofer channel a lot just to get sub output at lower volumes.

Pioneer says the subwoofer test tone is output very low in the manual, and to me that likely means the subwoofer signal is also output very low when not using the calibration test tones.

robzm19

Tonyb Im not sure if you were talking to mon or me, but I think im going to try and switch the cables. If all else fails im going to go back to my original settings running the speakers off of the sub. On the current set up I now have a little vibration and air running through the subs but no boom. Any ideas before I change the set up back? One thing I did do is switch my speaker wire from 16 gauge to 12 gauge and but banana plugs on them.