Subwoofer Cable

Okay ... got new Subwoofer for the mains living room rig for Xmas. It's sitting in the box waiting for December.

Polk Audio PSW10 10-Inch Powered Subwoofer



Going to be using the RCA (red white) inputs ... what cable should I get?

I was thinking of Mediabridge on Amazon or Blue Jeans cable (BJC LC-1) ... what say you?

BJC with a splitter should handle all you need. I've liked their stuff and attitude for a while; the guy that sold me my current sub (Outlaw LFM-1) agreed. I'm actually running Monoprice, their connectors aren't as nice but the price is right and still much better quality than average store stuff.

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I've got a Rat Shack Y RCA cable connector ... wonder if I should get a better Y cable.

Y cable likely isn't needed at all; bass is pretty much omnidirectional. What kind of output are you feeding it from? If it's .1 from an AVR, just connect a single cable to the L input. The L & R inputs are probably summed anyway.

Happy trails,
Larry B.

The Polk subs' auto turn on level is set pretty high, I've been told that putting the input to both channels can help with that. Not sure if that is completely true or not but that is why I'm using one on my Polk stuff.

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1tumbleweed said:

Y cable likely isn't needed at all; bass is pretty much omnidirectional. What kind of output are you feeding it from? If it's .1 from an AVR, just connect a single cable to the L input. The L & R inputs are probably summed anyway.

Happy trails,
Larry B.

Click to expand...

I'm feeding the Sub from a Yamaha A-S500BL Integrated Stereo Amplifier



Single sub out ... the instruction manual on the Polk shows a two RCA (L&R) male from a one female Y cable.

I have two of those subs and am using the Mediabridge cable from Amazon. Nice cable and would buy again. I am just using the cable to a single input and the auto on/off seems to function properly. The Polk manual says you can use either input or optionally use a splitter-your choice. Be sure you turn the frequency cut off knob fully clockwise so the LFE works properly with your receiver.

Yes and turn the gain down to 5 before running Audyssey or whatever the equivalent on your receiver is, if it does not turn on reliably turn down farther and rerun

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woooh ... me Subwoofer rookie

LFE .. okay that's for movie effects? Audyssey?

I only use two channel stereo ... I'll have to do some reading.

Condorsat said:

woooh ... me Subwoofer rookie

LFE .. okay that's for movie effects? Audyssey?

I only use two channel stereo ... I'll have to do some reading.

Click to expand...

LFR=low frequency effects. That sub does not have a LFE input so you turn the cutoff all the way up so you can control the cutoff frequency from your receiver.

With your 2-channel setup, you can use the sub two ways. You can hook the speaker leads to the sub right and left tabs and then from the sub to your right and left speakers. You can then use the cut off knob to set the crossover frequency you desire based on your speakers. Or, you can use the sub cable to the sub and hook your speakers the normal way to your receiver. Assuming there is a cutoff frequency for the cub in your receiver menus, you will set the crossover from that.

Audyssey uses a microphone that plugs into your receiver to automatically set up crossovers and equalization. Yamaha calls it YPAO. You may or may not have it. I have it on my surround receiver.

If a 12 foot set is long enough, I think a pair of these would be about the best possible value. Component video cables, shielded, nice connectors, $4:

http://www.parts-express.com/belkin...source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=pla

Alternatively, you could strip off the yellow video cable from one of those A/V cable packs we all have laying around from before HDMI. The yellow cable is shielded. I have used them and they work fine if you do not need a long length.

OK doesn't look like your receiver has YPAO as there is no mic listed under "included accessories"

http://download.yamaha.com/api/asset/file/?language=en&site=usa.yamaha.com&asset_id=45663

so forget whatever I said about setting the gain to 5 and running the calibration as you don't have it.

I did not see any options on a quick glance at the manual for crossovers or sub level adjustment through the receiver.

You basically have two options then - use the speaker level inputs on the sub and then feed the speakers from the speaker level outputs on the sub. This will allow you to use the sub's crossover to provide a high pass filtered output to your speakers (not feeding them bass they can't handle)

Or you could use the RCA out to the sub as already discussed. This will provide all frequencies to your speakers and then basically a pre-out to the sub (but presumably tied to the volume control so the level will go up and down with the main speakers.)

Either way you will have to play with the level and crossover setting on the sub to get good sound, either by ear or by using some test tones on CD and a dB meter. This is the kind of thing that Audyssey, YPAO, MCACC, etc. all do when utilized but since your receiver doesn't have it you just have to do it the old fashioned way