question on sub wof

mr2sw21

I have a question about sub wof. I see some sub and amp has one single cable outlet but some sub wof and amp has 8 (4 red and 4 back) is it the more the better? Or The single one is better?

BrentMcGhee

when you say single outlet are you refering to a single rca type jack? and when you refer to 8 connections are you refering to more speaker wire type connections (either spring clips of binding posts)?

If you are than the single RCA jack is where the audio has already been crossed over by your receiver. Whatever you set the crossover at on your receiver is all that you sub will get. i.e. only 80hz and below will be sent to the sub.

Using the other connections the the speaker level connections. you are using the internal crossover on your sub. You would actually set up your receiver so it thinks that it does not have a sub hooked up and you would run your front right and front left speaker connections from the receiver to the sub and then from there out to the speakers. you then adjust the crossover knob on the sub to decide what frequency's the sub plays and wich ones the speakers play. (this is actually what polk recommends, i have gone back and fourth on this issue many times and it all comes down to what speakers you are using for hwo you want to hook them up)

mr2sw21

oh wow, very complicate. And yes you totally answered my questions. I was refer to the single rca or 8 spring clips. Didn't know there so many different options.

I see some AMPs do have the apeing clips call zone 1 and zone 2 are those for the sub?

I used to thought when I set it up with the "mic" from the amp then Ia m done with it. Seem like I need to tune and tweak myself way more complicate than I would think.

Any way thanks man

BrentMcGhee

no zone 1 and 2 are not for the sub. The front left and front right terminals are what connect to the sub. your front right and front left speakers than connect to your sub and not the receiver.



......once you start to tweak it is never ending

mr2sw21

now I am lost, first what are the zone for? and you mean I need to connect the sub to the front left and right plug in the amp and then I plug the front left and right speakers to the sub? waooo... that is really really complicate now. But the receiver I have I can only tweak the front speaker is a small speaker or large and how many watt per channel so how does it know what frequency goes to the sub and what goes to the speakers?

BrentMcGhee

you set on your receiver the front to large and subwoofer to none. this way the receiver sends a full range signal including all LFE information to your front speakers. then on your subwoofer there should be a frequency adjustment knob (commonly called high pass or high cut) that adjustment made from your subwoofer changes what frequencies the sub will keep and play itself and what frequencies it passes on through to your front speakers.

mr2sw21

thanks I will try that when I receive me speakers tomorrow

mr2sw21

all right I tried the new sub woofer which is the PSW110 just with the single RCA cable it is worst than my box set one comes with the AV receiver I basically can't feel any thing I tried to use some song as low frequency as possible but still don't feel anything (I know it is on and I touch it I can feel the vibration but when I seat back to the couch can't feel there any base at all). So I am going to try the speaker one tomorrow. Plus what does the phase switch for there option 0 and 180 but I tried don't feel any different yet. Wonder what that is.

pablo_rodz

What receiver and speakers do you have? Knowing this info will make it easier for the gurus to help you.

I'm by no means an expert, but how did you set-up your speakes? Large or small?

If you use the RCA, I would suggest to set-up the speakes as small to make sure the receiver is sending all of the low frequencies to the sub.

mr2sw21

oh let me try tonight. Thanks. The receiver I used is the home theater box one the 7.1 onkyo HT-S5100 the speakers I used is the original comes with the box one which is not bad and I just upgraded to the whole VM serious which is VM 30 for the front and VM20 for center and two side surround and VM10 for the back surround and PSW110 for the sub. I am planning to buy another AV receiver already but waiting to get more budget first.

mr2sw21

I tried both using single RCA cable with tune all the speakers to small and it really has huge effect to the sub woofer and also I tried to use the speakers cable and pass everything higher than 90 frequency and sub feel a bit weaker then I use a single RCA cable and turn all the speakers to small. By the way I still don't know what that switch for (option 0 or 180)? No matter when and how I switch it I don't feel anything? So what is that for?

mr2sw21

ok I tried a lots of different set up I tried (all in speakers cable now no more RCA) front (always large), Center (large), Surround (large), Back surround (small) and the sub woofer was really weak. So I tried all small of course sub woofer became a lot stronger but since my center and surround is using VM 20 if I don't tune them to large isn't I am wasting it? now I finally understand why people likes to have an extra amp. Any one suing VM serious? What is your setting?