Y-adapter for subwoofer?

Viper04112
Viper04112 Posts: 3
edited January 2003 in Subwoofer Hookup & Bass Management
Hey all,
I just picked up a Polk RM6000 system to hook up to my Pioneer VSX-D711 receiver. The receiver has a mono subwoofer out but the subwoofer has a stereo input. (I'm ignoring Polk's recommendation about running front speakers through the sub). What gives. I've heard some people say to use a mono cable and just hook it into either the left or right input on the sub and others say to use a y-adapter. anyone have any ideas on this???:confused:

thanks
Post edited by Viper04112 on
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  • Viper04112
    Viper04112 Posts: 3
    edited December 2002
    ...and if i do use a y-adapter would i be just a standard one thats used to convert mono RCA patch cables to stereo or is it something fancy since this is a subwoofer cable. (Sorry if i seem like such a newbie here :)

    thanks
    happy holidays
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  • MxStYlEpOlKmAn
    MxStYlEpOlKmAn Posts: 2,116
    edited December 2002
    y adapter for sub, is to use 2 subs with one output i think*
    Damn you all, damn you all to hell.......
    I promised myself
    No more speakers. None. Nada. And then you posted this!!!!
    Damn you all! - ATC
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  • gidrah
    gidrah Posts: 3,049
    edited December 2002
    Subs have dual voice coils and using the Y allows you to use both. That's what I'd do.
    Make it Funky! :)
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  • shiu
    shiu Posts: 169
    edited December 2002
    For RM series Sub/Sat system, Polk recommends that users "resist all temptation to use the sub out". I tried the speaker level input/output connection for a few days, then went back to the sub out. I honestly could not tell the difference. I decided to settle with the sub out, it is nice without those 12 gauge wires dangling all over the place. My Sony HT receive allows me to set the high/low cut frequencies from 40 to 200 hz at 10 hz intervals so I think it should be fine to use the sub out, despite Polk's recommendations. If your amplifier does not have the ability to set the cut frequencies, then I think the speaker input/output connection makes sense because you could then rely on the Sub woofer's low pass filter system. I also think the use of the Y-connector in your case should be fine, but I am not sure if it would make any difference if you connect the sub out to only one RCA jack on the subwoofer.
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  • Viper04112
    Viper04112 Posts: 3
    edited December 2002
    ok cool thanks a lot i'll try that.

    I've read reviews of Polk systems and the consensious seems to be that their theory of running the front sats through the sub works well for music but not for movies, which would be the primary use of my system anyway.

    The whole theory seems stupid. it works for routing bass away from the main speakers but what about the center and surrounds?? Come on Polk wake up! The easiest thing rather than confusing everyone with this complicated setup would have bene to include an LFE port on the back of the subwoofer that bypasses the internal filter. (this would also take care of the above issue with the y-adapter)

    other than this apparent short-cut that you took by not including an LFE port on your budget model speakers i still think you're a great company :D
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  • sportshonda
    sportshonda Posts: 1
    edited December 2002
    does your receiver has a pre-out for front channels? If so, you may use the front pre-out to feed the signal to the stereo input of the sub-woofer.
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  • shiu
    shiu Posts: 169
    edited December 2002
    According to Polk, if your set the surround speakers to "small", and the subwoofer to "no", or "off", your receiver should route the bass for the surrounds and subwoofer to the main L&R speakers, so you would get all the available bass, if you connect the subwoofer to the main speaker terminals.

    I agree that the unfiltered LFE terminal is a good solution. It allows you to use one single cable, instead of those heavey gauge speaker wires. I am sure it will soon become Polk's standard to provide this facility.
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  • Sumflow
    Sumflow Posts: 64
    edited January 2003
    Originally posted by Gidrah Subs have dual voice coils and using the Y allows you to use both.


    Aloha, my Polk 303 does not look like it has two voice coils. Where is the second one?

    Originally posted by Shiu For RM series Sub/Sat system, Polk recommends that users "resist all temptation to use the sub out.”


    Is there anyone out there from Polk who can explain this nonsense?
    Originally posted by Viper04112The easiest thing rather than confusing everyone with this complicated setup would have been to include an LFE port on the back of the subwoofer that bypasses the internal filter. (this would also take care of the above issue with the y-adapter)


    Great Viper, the thing is the 303 has an LFE port but Mr. Polks instructions are just as ambigeous as before. He still says to use the spaghetti wire and not use the filtered Amp’s crossovers. Mr Polk offers no explanation.
    I agree that the unfiltered LFE terminal is a good solution. It allows you to use one single cable, instead of those heavy gauge speaker wires. I am sure it will soon become Polk's standard to provide this facility.


    The real issue here is whether we are reducing the effectiveness of our Subs by following an obviously poorly written and drawn “owners Manuel?”
    "At the first bend, I had the clear sensation that Tazio had taken it badly and that we would end up in the ditch; I felt myself stiffen as I waited for the crunch. Instead, we found ourselves on the next straight with the car in a perfect position. I looked at him, his rugged face was calm, just as it always was, and certainly not the face of someone who had just escaped a hair-raising spin. I had the same sensation at the second bend. By the fourth or fifth bend I began to understand; in the meantime, I had noticed that through the entire bend Tazio did not lift his foot from the accelerator, and that, in fact, it was flat on the floor. As bend followed bend, I discovered his secret. Nuvolari entered the bend somewhat earlier than my driver's instinct would have told me to. But he went into the bend in an unusual way: with one movement he aimed the nose of the car at the inside edge, just where the curve itself started. His foot was flat down, and he had obviously changed down to the right gear before going through this fearsome rigmarole. In this way he put the car into a four-wheel drift, making the most of the thrust of the centrifugal force and keeping it on the road with the traction of the driving wheels. Throughout the bend the car shaved the inside edge, and when the bend turned into the straight the car was in the normal position for accelerating down it, with no need for any corrections."

    Enzo Ferrari
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  • phuz
    phuz Posts: 2,372
    edited January 2003
    Dude, when was the last time you *SAW* a voice coil? I could be completely wrong, but last I heard the only way to see a voice coil is to rip the speaker apart.

    This URL explains the "nonsense"

    http://www.polkaudio.com/home/faqad/advice.php?article=bassmanage

    A complete explanation is there, and it actually makes a lot of sense.
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  • Sumflow
    Sumflow Posts: 64
    edited January 2003
    Originally posted by phuz
    Dude, when was the last time you *SAW* a voice coil?
    Actually I just pulled the cover off of a Polk pws303. I am looking at the edge of the only voice coil it has right now.

    I went to the site you sent me. Actually I am very familiar with it. I read it many times before I decided to go with Polk. There is nothing on the site about your imaginary duel voice coils.

    Some of the things that come to mind. I am interested in the theory behind it all.
    “Some subwoofers (like the PSW303, PSW650, PSW450 and PSW350) have "LFE" line inputs that bypass the subwoofer's built-in low-pass filter This feature is great for avoiding the double-filter effect when using a filtered sub out jack.
    “Resist all temptation to use the subwoofer output jack-please.”????
    "At the first bend, I had the clear sensation that Tazio had taken it badly and that we would end up in the ditch; I felt myself stiffen as I waited for the crunch. Instead, we found ourselves on the next straight with the car in a perfect position. I looked at him, his rugged face was calm, just as it always was, and certainly not the face of someone who had just escaped a hair-raising spin. I had the same sensation at the second bend. By the fourth or fifth bend I began to understand; in the meantime, I had noticed that through the entire bend Tazio did not lift his foot from the accelerator, and that, in fact, it was flat on the floor. As bend followed bend, I discovered his secret. Nuvolari entered the bend somewhat earlier than my driver's instinct would have told me to. But he went into the bend in an unusual way: with one movement he aimed the nose of the car at the inside edge, just where the curve itself started. His foot was flat down, and he had obviously changed down to the right gear before going through this fearsome rigmarole. In this way he put the car into a four-wheel drift, making the most of the thrust of the centrifugal force and keeping it on the road with the traction of the driving wheels. Throughout the bend the car shaved the inside edge, and when the bend turned into the straight the car was in the normal position for accelerating down it, with no need for any corrections."

    Enzo Ferrari
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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,987
    edited January 2003
    "Actually I just pulled the cover off of a Polk pws303. I am looking at the edge of the only voice coil it has right now. "

    O-k Sherlock, you sure? Do you know where the vc is located? I'll give ya' a hint:

    spkr-cross-sect-theile.gif
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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  • Ron-P
    Ron-P Posts: 8,519
    edited January 2003
    Damn Rusty, I liked the first response better.


    Peace Out~:D
    If...
    Ron dislikes a film = go out and buy it.
    Ron loves a film = don't even rent.
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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,987
    edited January 2003
    Better?
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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  • phuz
    phuz Posts: 2,372
    edited January 2003
    Ding fries are done!
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  • prios
    prios Posts: 2
    edited January 2003
    Originally posted by Viper04112
    Hey all,
    I just picked up a Polk RM6000 system to hook up to my Pioneer VSX-D711 receiver. The receiver has a mono subwoofer out but the subwoofer has a stereo input. (I'm ignoring Polk's recommendation about running front speakers through the sub). What gives. I've heard some people say to use a mono cable and just hook it into either the left or right input on the sub and others say to use a y-adapter. anyone have any ideas on this???:confused:

    thanks

    Hi!
    Right now I'm using a Y-connector in my PSW-350 Sub and the results is a stereo sub-woofer. Because the left & right channel in the DVD soundtrack have an output devices the sub-woofer reproduce its very well.

    Note:
    I know that a vast amount of DVD soundtracks are encoding just the left channel of the movie lower frecuencies, you should connect (in case of use without Y-connector) to the left input of the sub-woofer. Right channel do not carry a significant amount of sound.;) :D
    PRIOS

    Receiver: Yamaha HTR-5560
    DVD: Pioneer DV-503
    TV: Toshiba 36"
    Speakers: Polk RT25i, Polk CSI30,
    Polk PSW350, Polk FX/300
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  • TonyPTX
    TonyPTX Posts: 545
    edited January 2003
    Originally posted by prios


    Note:
    I know that a vast amount of DVD soundtracks are encoding just the left channel of the movie lower frecuencies, you should connect (in case of use without Y-connector) to the left input of the sub-woofer. Right channel do not carry a significant amount of sound.;) :D

    Maybe I didn't pick up on the sarcasim here, but if you have a mono sub-output jack on the back of the receiver, then it shouldn't give a hill of beans if you hook it up to the right or left channel on the back sub.
    Damn....8 lines...I've gotta put my sig on a diet now....
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  • scottvamp
    scottvamp Posts: 3,277
    edited January 2003
    “Resist all temptation to use the subwoofer output jack-please.”????
    We have been talking about this for about a week now - even on some threads you posted on.
    One of the reps from Polk wrote in and basicaly said it was a more IDIOT proof way of hooking up a sub and a couple other understandable reason.
    My take is use the LFE - that is why it is there hence the 5.1 (.1) subwoofer out. If you have a sub that has both left and right inputs *use a good quality Y adapter*. When Monster first started making sub cables - they all come with a Y. It seems to give the sub more ooommmhhhh.
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  • Dr. Spec
    Dr. Spec Posts: 3,780
    edited January 2003
    Originally posted by scottvamp

    If you have a sub that has both left and right inputs *use a good quality Y adapter*. It seems to give the sub more ooommmhhhh.

    Of course it gives the sub more oomph - it immediately increases the sub volume by 3 dB.

    Using a Y splitter simply doubles the existing LFE signal strength.

    You can accomplish the same thing at the receiver by cranking up the individual sub volume setting.
    "What we do in life echoes in eternity"

    Ed Mullen (emullen@svsound.com)
    Director - Technology and Customer Service
    SVS
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