sub front speaker vs rca connections

peterd

Ok guys i'm new here and i'm sure this subject has been debated to death but i'd REALLY like to know.....Most manufactures, websites etc say use the RCA sub out jack on the receiver. Polk says use speaker wire from the "front" outs. Thats what i'm currently doing and the sound seems good but i'm wondering if i get the full bass info that way. My fronts are set to large and sub off in bass managment as per polks advice. My speakers are RTi4's front, CS13 center, R15's rear and PSW 202 sub. Thank you.

Willow

In your case I would sugeest setting all speakers to small and using the rca cable. The method you are using if mainly for sub/sat, or for people who don't have an RCA out. Then depending on your receiver the xover might already be set. If you can bypass it or it doesn't have one try setting the xover on 80-90. If it has a fixed xover setting then turn your xover on the sub all the way up.

PS Welcome

screxer

If you can run the sub out rather than speaker wire, you will be better off. You can then set your fronts to small and get crisper sound, and get a full LFE signal for a true 5.1 experience.

peterd

Thanks for the advice everyone, i've spent the day trying different connections and am surprised at the results. The last setup i tried was recommended in polks sub manual. I have a new pioneer receiver with extra pre-outs, according to polk you can connect the front pre-outs to the sub in jacks and set the front speakers to large. Dunno why technically, but this setup seems to gives tighter and more integrated bass than the others and the sub amp volume is set a full third less than using the sub out. Now as long as it doesnt fry anything.........

schwarcw

Welcome to the Forum!

Willow has a good suggestion, try it out. I am using the RCA cable from the front pre-out connection with the subwoofer set to off in the amp setup. Essentially the same as your configuration except I'm using the RCA jacks to the sub. Try them both as an alternative to your configuration for the fun of it. The beauty is in the ear of the beholder.

peterd

Hi Carl, i think we're using the same configeration now, feeding the sub inputs from the receiver front pre-outs? Fronts set to large and sub set to off. This was the last setup i tried today and it seems to work well, gives a really nice balance between midrange and bass.

Willow

Your 4's a a good lil speaker it's what I used as my mains for a while. Now they are in the rear. I always used the sub-out w/ RCA. I beleive this will yield a much better sound for you.

What receiver are you using ?

hifiguy

Are you running your sub in "parallel" with your front channel speakers? If so, I agree with your first hook up config absolutely! Speaker wire to the sub does not sound like an elleganant scenario, but in fact it makes much more sense than you would think.
1. No parallel connections to line level signal, and yes a Y adaptor will collor the sound when connecting the second component to it. 2. No "X-over into an X-over" phase crazieness. 3. Bass loading in a room is best when bass information comes from several different locations. Even a non "full range" speaker will sound better running at full range. The draw back being at high spl. they may blow up :rolleyes:

Just my 2 spl
hifiguy

p.s. I have modeled this scenario in CARA with both one and two subs. The results are the same, fronts full range, subs as close to fronts "measures" the best for overall bass performance in a rectangular room. whatever that's worth. (cara=computer automated room accoustics)

aaharvel

Subwoofer jack, all speakers small.

peterd

Thanks again for all the advice, this is a great site. Since i did the last setup i've listened to a concert (James Taylors "pullover" which has very well produced sound) two movies and numerous cd's both rock and classical (yeah ok i haven't got out much but this is important). The setup now is dual RCA audio cables from the receivers front pre-amp outs to the rca in jacks on the sub. The bass is tight and clear and very well integrated with the rest of the speakers. Fronts are set as large, center and surrounds as small, sub as off.
Of the three configurations i've tried i'd say this is the best. Next is the front speaker terminals to the subs "speaker in" "speaker out" and last is the receivers sub out, Don't know why but the bass is poorer in volume and quality with the last one. I've used auto amd manual MCACC to set speaker levels and results are the same.
I'm thinking there probably is no "right" way to do this, sound is so subjective that you just go with what sounds right to YOU.
peter.

Willow

Now why are you using the pre-outs in the front of the receiver ? do you mean the back. I have yet to see a receiver with the sub pre-out in the back.

screxer

If you are using front preouts while using the receiver for movies, you won't be getting the .1 of a 5.1 or bigger surround setup. It will just be whatever bass is sent to fronts....I may be mistaken, but it may also be sending a full range signal via front preouts whereas the sub out will send a low pass signal and may produce better lows....For music, what you're doing may work fine but if you want to get the true 5.1 surround, you should use the subwoofer preout. If you really want your fronts set to large, you can usually set it up such that fronts are large and sub is something like "Left/Right+LFE" that way bass is being sent both to the fronts via your speaker wire and the sub via the sub preout.

tdogroeder

I have a Yamaha RX-V757 receiver with about 15 yr old pioneer 3-way floor speakers with 12 inch woofers and Sony front speakers (SS-H991) as my back surround speakers, and Sony rear speaker (SS-SR991) for my surround speakers. The Sony speaker come from Sony mini hi-fi system MHC-991 AV. My question is what is the best way to hook up a PSW303 subwoofer. Sad to say I think the woofers in the pioneers sound better.

Willow

in the back of the 757, you will have 1 output for the sub. hook the rca in there to your sub, you can use a Y cable on the sub. In the receiver menu set the xover to 80. Then on the back of the sub turn your xover all the way up. Set all speakers to small and bass to sub only.

hifiguy

Pete, you are on the right track. When you turn off the subwoofer in the menu, the receiver sends the ".1" sub track to all of the speakers set to "large." Most receivers have a "multi channel" bass management mode: sends bass info to both the sub out and the speakers marked as large, which may work as well.

hifiguy

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Willow

I am ssuming your pioneers are not powered? if they are not then you will be asking alot from your receiver. Again set them all the small and forget about it run all the bass under 80 to the sub. it has it's own amp which will lighten the load on the receiver.

tdogroeder

Willow wrote:

I am ssuming your pioneers are not powered? if they are not then you will be asking alot from your receiver. Again set them all the small and forget about it run all the bass under 80 to the sub. it has it's own amp which will lighten the load on the receiver.

My poineers are not powered. Only the sub is. Am I wasting power that could be going to the sub by sending bass to the pioneers?

tdogroeder

I dont have my rca cord yet, so I hook up my sub to the B speaker side with no other speakers attached. I hooked it up like the manual said. Is this good or bad?

Willow

tdogroeder wrote:

My poineers are not powered. Only the sub is. Am I wasting power that could be going to the sub by sending bass to the pioneers?

Not wasting power per say, but you are asking your receiver to push harder than it should. By having the bass go to the sub, it will leave more headroom and reserve power for the rest of the speakers. You don't need a sub cable. For now any RCA tipped cable will do.

tdogroeder

Willow wrote:

Not wasting power per say, but you are asking your receiver to push harder than it should. By having the bass go to the sub, it will leave more headroom and reserve power for the rest of the speakers. You don't need a sub cable. For now any RCA tipped cable will do.

Do I need to get a splitter for my RCA so I can go into the left and right line? Also what about going into the LFE line, is that good to go into or should I not use that? I really dont have and knowledge on LFE.

Willow

tdogroeder wrote:

Do I need to get a splitter for my RCA so I can go into the left and right line? Also what about going into the LFE line, is that good to go into or should I not use that? I really dont have and knowledge on LFE.

You don't need a Y cable to go in the sub, you can is you want. You can choose any input on the sub. If your sub has a LFE in use that one and just plug the other in on the receiver subpre-out. then go into the receivers menu and set all to small bass to sub only. If you can adjust the xover on the receiver then set it to 80.

labrat

I chose to use a splitter because when listening at low volumes at night the signal was not high enough to turn the sub on. Doubling the signal seems to get it to fill the hole in the low end (turn on) at lower volumes. That was enough to justify the low price of the splitter for me.

Hope that helps with your decision,

Scott

Willow

If you have LFE on your sub you are best to use that one and not the L or R inputs

vjvj

What are Pre-outs(the front speakers have 4 hookups is it the second set of speaker hookups) and pre-AMps, I have a new RM-6750 with ONKYO LR 552 receiver. The receiver has a seperate sub hookup, I need to get a Y cable to hookup I guess.

I

Willow

No you don't need a Y cable. Just hook up your sub via speaker cable as you have a sub/sat system. That's how you need to do it. setr mains to large and bass to none

Willow

http://www.polkaudio.com/education/faq.php?article=hookupsub