But millions of people have set up subwoofers to their satisfaction, and you can, too. If the subwoofer has an input labeled LFE, use that one. If it just has right and left stereo inputs line level , use either one. If you are using your subwoofer with a stereo receiver that lacks a subwoofer output and many of them do , you can connect the subwoofer using an extra set of speaker cables , as shown above—provided the subwoofer has speaker-level speaker wire connections, as the picks in our Best Budget Subwoofer guide do.
If you are using your subwoofer with a computer speaker system , your speaker system may have a subwoofer output or a set of line outputs that can be connected to a subwoofer. If neither is present, get a Y-adapter like this one. Sometimes hum can even occur when the sub is plugged into the same outlet or outlet strip. To fix a hum problem, first check the audio connection between the subwoofer and the receiver. A damaged or partially disconnected cable can produce hum.
If the cable is in good condition and the connections are solid, and if your subwoofer has a detachable AC cord that you can flip in its socket on the sub, try flipping the connector. Inexpensive subwoofers usually have just two knobs you need to adjust: volume and crossover frequency. The crossover frequency determines the highest notes the subwoofer will play.
Set the frequency too high and it could make Ariana Grande sound like Vin Diesel because part of her voice is coming out of the subwoofer. Set it too low and there will be a sonic "hole" between the subwoofer and the speakers, and Vin Diesel may start to sound a little like Ariana Grande. Bill of Rights. Product Registration. About Us. Authorized Dealers. International Dealers. A well-designed powered subwoofer adds an entirely new dimension to any home theater or stereo system by plumbing the low-frequency depths found in movie soundtracks and music recordings.
Massive, heart-pounding bass can be a lot of fun, but it shouldn't sound boomy and bloated nor should it overpower the rest of the soundstage or wimp out just when the content demands it most.
A properly calibrated subwoofer is accurate in the frequencies it plays, and its output blends seamlessly with loudspeakers so it sounds like the bass is coming from each individual speaker and not from any specific point in space. Subwoofer calibration and tuning is an important step to ensure your home audio system sounds its absolute best. For help on optimally placing a subwoofer in the room, check out, The Art of Subwoofer Placement. For those who enjoy two-channel audio, a subwoofer or two is often a big improvement when added to the two main speakers.
In this case, there is no bass management, no time alignment, and no automatic level matching. The main speakers receive a full-range signal from the electronics, and the preamp typically does not provide a separate subwoofer output.
Many audio enthusiasts really love to crank up the bass to shake the rafters. But that's like a steady diet of candy—it feels good for a while, but it's ultimately fatiguing. Also, it's not how the content creator intended it to sound. This is completely analogous to video calibration.
Many people watch their video display in the so-called "vivid" or "torch" mode, which looks very bright and wildly colorful, but it's tiring on the eyes and not what the content creator intended you to see. A calibrated video display might look a bit dull at first, but it's far more natural, and once most viewers get used to it, they can't go back to torch mode.
Likewise, an overly bass-heavy presentation isn't an accurate reflection of what the artist intended; in fact, it can be quite distracting. The goal of any audio system is to immerse listeners in the content so they forget about the speakers and subwoofers and simply enjoy the experience. If you follow our recommended procedures to calibrate your sub, we're sure you'll come to appreciate the accuracy of balanced bass that lets you lose yourself in your favorite music and movies for hours on end.
If you really want to dive deep into subwoofer setup and optimization, check out these articles and resources:. SVS makes a variety of powered home subwoofers to fit every room, audio system and budget. One good place to start your search is the Subwoofer Matching Tool , which offers recommendations based on your specific brand and model of loudspeaker. The SVS site also features a compare tool to look at features and specifications side-by-side as you choose the best subwoofer for your home theater or stereo system.
Have questions? Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Call us at 1. Does the sub have an analog or digital volume control?
If it's analog with a rotary knob, set it to midway in its range. This is generally at the 12 or 1 o'clock position.
If it's digital the control might be in an app from the manufacturer , also start midway in its range. Cable Recommendation Guide. This is the dedicated subwoofer output of the receiver that sends LFE info from discrete 5. This is especially true if the crossover frequency of both the sub's LPF and your receiver's bass management are set to the same frequency.
This is called cascading crossovers and should usually be avoided. We recommend setting the phase switch to 0 degrees or positive. You can revisit this later to see if the degrees or negative setting sounds better in your system by having a friend flip the switch while you listen at the seated position to compare the two settings.
Go into its bass management menu and set all speakers to "Small" and the crossover frequency to 80Hz. This is a great starting point and a common configuration that works best for most systems. It's also the THX recommendation for good reason, it works well.
Make sure you also properly set channel distances when configuring your bass management. Make sure you are aware of this else you won't have adequate bass in such circumstances. Your subwoofer is properly placed and setup. Now it's time to level match it to the rest of your speakers so it blends in seamlessly without drawing attention to itself. You can do this in two different ways: auto setup if your receiver has this feature or manual calibration. If you prefer to not manually calibrate and instead wish to rely on your receiver's auto calibration process, follow the manufacturer's instructions on how to perform this task.
Most auto setup programs are pretty accurate at setting distance and levels for each channel. But, we usually recommend going into the setup menus afterwards and adjusting crossover points to 80Hz and all speakers that were set to "Large" back to "Small" to ensure the best possible integration in your system.
Make sure you have a tape measure handy to measure the distance of each speaker relative to the primary listening position. Do this before level matching as the output levels when playing the main channels in conjunction with the sub s can vary if you don't have the proper distances set since the sub s and main speakers may not properly sum at the crossover point if they aren't properly time aligned.
It's important to level match your sub relative to rest of the speakers in your system. The proper way to level match your sub is to use the internal pink noise generator of your processor aka.
Position the SPL meter with a tripod or other device to ensure the microphone is in the upright position firing at the ceiling about seated ear level at the primary listening position. Using the internal test tones, calibrate each speaker to roughly the same level use 75dB as a reference.
It's ok to boost the sub level a couple of dB if you want a bit more bass impact. So if you set all of your speakers to 75dB, don't sweat setting your sub to say dB. It's a good idea to measure the SPL at least two locations and calibrate your main channels with respect to your sub to within few dB of each other to ensure they are more closely level matched for your listening area.
In fact THX suggests that you shouldn't rush your measurements. THX recommends each measurement take at least 20 seconds for example.
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