# How to connect an Active sub to AV receiver



## Irish_PXzyan (Nov 9, 2010)

Well lads.

I am just after getting a new subwoofer today and I am going to connect it up to my Yamaha RX-V363 AV Receiver.
I have 2 Tannoy mercury f1 Custom speakers hooked up to it already.

Now I wish to connect this active sub to the receiver.
I have never done this before so I am unsure what I am meant to do.

I got this RCA cable with it.. Do I just plug the white and red parts into the sub and the black part into the receiver?

Or do I take the speaker connections out of the receiver and hook it up right into the Sub itself along with the RCA connection??

Help lads!! Cheers!


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## slyfox2151 (Nov 9, 2010)

AFAIK only need to connect to SUB OUT on the reciver to the sub. dont connect it to speaker out as you dont want anything but the low frequency going to the sub.


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## Irish_PXzyan (Nov 9, 2010)

Thanks I just did that.
I Set the receiver to have a Sub now. but then once it tests for audio. There is no audio coming from the sub?
I tried music with bass... nothing?? What Do I need to do?


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## slyfox2151 (Nov 9, 2010)

you may need to set it to matrix or Music mode....


music files will be in 2.0... you will need the reciver to convert it to 2.1 or 5.1/7.1


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## Irish_PXzyan (Nov 9, 2010)

Ahhh yes thanks for that!
Suddenly my floor vibrates  WoO!! Cheers!


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## slyfox2151 (Nov 9, 2010)

lol no worries mate.


DVD's and Bluray should already be in 5.1/7.1 so you should set it to direct mode or 6 channel/8 channel when playing those files through the reciver.


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## Irish_PXzyan (Nov 9, 2010)

Yea I will be putting it through many test modes now! DVD's here I come! WoO!


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## SabreWulf69 (Nov 9, 2010)

A bit late I know, but I thought I'd throw in my 2 cents anyways. Many options depending on what you have connecting a powered sub to a receiver. Most of the time you can just plug a single cable from the 'sub out' connection on the back of the receiver to the input of the subwoofer. You can also connect it this way running a 'Y' splitter to the sub if the sub has both a red and a white input. If your receiver has a pre-amp output, you can connect it straight to the sub if the sub has both a red and a white input, or once again, sum the inputs to a subs single connection via use of a 'Y' splitter. Some subs will allow you to plug your speaker out connections directly to it, looping through full range signals, being able to connect your mains then directly to the sub, making sure that you have your subwoofer inbuilt crossover activated. You may also be able to do this connection too differently if a receiver has speakers 'B' by simply connecting the speakers 'B' output directly to the high level input on the sub and enabling speakers 'B' output on the receiver, once again making sure to have the inbuilt subwoofer crossover activated.

As far as receiver setup goes, you'll want to make sure that you do at least some sort of rudimentary setup of it, configuring all the speakers connected to it, try the included receiver chennel test tones if available. Usually when watching a movie there will be some sort of button you will have to press to enable 5.1/6.1/7.1 output from the receiver when viewing Dolby Digital / DTS and equivalent content unless otherwise specified by the type of receiver that you have.

I hope this helps you and any others.


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## Irish_PXzyan (Nov 9, 2010)

Do I need to set the Subwoofer impedance in the receiver settings? I tried but there is no option for subwoofer! Or is that handled on the sub?


SabreWulf69:  Since you know your stuff!! I must ask to help!! I have specs here for ya! See which options are the best! 

Here is the Sub:
http://www.vibeaudio.co.uk/homecinema/subwoofers/alpha-i/

This is the home page for it. It has some info and pics of the subs front and back.

Here is the Receiver:
http://usa.yamaha.com/products/audio-visual/av-receivers-amps/rx/rx-v363_black__u/?mode=model

It has all the information you need including the photos of the front and back.

Right now I have the sub connected up to the receiver through the RCA cable.

Is this the best approach? Am I getting " best " audio effects having it connected up this way? or should I connect it up another way for " best " audio??

Cheers!


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## SabreWulf69 (Nov 9, 2010)

Impedance is handled by the subwoofer amplifier. I would hook the sub up to your receiver via the preout terminals, to eliminate double crossing over, which can cause varying ill effects to some degree. You would do this by plugging in a red/white RCA cable pair from the terminals on the back of the receiver, to the low level inputs on the subwoofer. Set your receiver to 'small speakers with subwoofer' or similar, the crossover to 80Hz on the receiver, trying to match it on the subwoofer too.

Edit: Or if you have the ability to turn off the crossover of the subwoofer, and solely have the crossover on the receiver active, do that then you can leave everything as is.


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## Irish_PXzyan (Nov 9, 2010)

Actually this helped quite a bit actually! I turned the crossover to 80Hz on the receiver and 40hz on the Sub and it sounds very clean and sounds very good now!
I tested it by playing lots of bass music and when I had the sub and receiver set to 40hz. There was just no bass at all!
Then just changed it on the receiver and the bass started to pour in! Very good now! 

I Don't think I need to get any other cables or anything now! Sounds just the way I want it  Cheers!


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## theonedub (Nov 9, 2010)

You're missing out on a range of frequencies with the crossovers setup as you have them. The way you have it now the rec is only sending 80hz and below to the sub, but the sub is set to play only 40hz and below, so you are missing out on everything between. 

Sabre already mentioned it in his posts, but you should disable the Xover on the sub completely- or if you can't turn it off, set it to 80hz or its highest setting (prob 120hz).


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## Irish_PXzyan (Nov 9, 2010)

Ahhh!!!
Ok I just turned the Sub to max " 150hz " 
Receiver is set to 60Hz at the moment. Seems more thumping! Sounds great still! 

Ta!


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## theonedub (Nov 9, 2010)

Excellent, 60hz is where that punchy bass is at  Definitely experiment and see what sounds best to you leaving the sub @ 150hz and making the adjustments on your receiver. ~60hz is what I would say a lot of people use, but of course it depends on the rest of your equipment.


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## SabreWulf69 (Nov 10, 2010)

Yup, sounds good


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## AsRock (Nov 10, 2010)

Irish_PXzyan said:


> Ahhh!!!
> Ok I just turned the Sub to max " 150hz "
> Receiver is set to 60Hz at the moment. Seems more thumping! Sounds great still!
> 
> Ta!



It will thump more at 150hz .  In movies i find lower is better around 60-80hz and for music around 120-150hz but thats more preference too.


Glad ya found one ..  That sub has a hell of a thump going by the specs.


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## SabreWulf69 (Nov 10, 2010)

I would still personally go with the preout option as I mentioned though. As you have this as a possibility and as I mentioned will defeat double crossing over which is bad. Hook sub to receiver via receiver preout terminals, then set the sub and receiver to 80Hz. 80Hz is the THX recommendation


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## Irish_PXzyan (Nov 10, 2010)

80Hz is certainly Doing the job! Quite a large Thump comes off it! beautiful! 
CHeers AsRock! I was amazed at the size of the thing when I got it :O The delivery guy was amazed too! haha! HOME CINEMA MAN :O jayziz he said! haha!
There I was standing there with my eyes wide open :O Is that the fecking sub!! CHRIST!

Anyway!! 
I watched flight of the phoenix last night and sweet jayziz almighty :O
The room was vibrating :O My towel was lifting off the radiator :O The thump that came off the beast! :O WOOO!!!!!!!!!


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## CJCerny (Nov 10, 2010)

Irish_PXzyan said:


> 80Hz is certainly Doing the job! Quite a large Thump comes off it! beautiful!
> CHeers AsRock! I was amazed at the size of the thing when I got it :O The delivery guy was amazed too! haha! HOME CINEMA MAN :O jayziz he said! haha!
> There I was standing there with my eyes wide open :O Is that the fecking sub!! CHRIST!
> 
> ...



You don't seem to be getting what we are telling you, though, or aren't doing a good job of explaining what you are doing. You want to connect your sub to your receiver such that the crossover knob on the sub has no effect on anything. You only want to use the crossover setting in your receiver. Is that the way you have it set up?


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## Irish_PXzyan (Nov 10, 2010)

Ahh sorry!! 

Ok I will explain what I have going on.

Ok you are telling me to hook up the sub to the receiver so the SUB crossover Knob has no effect. While turning it. it does have a large effect.
I do not have any idea how to stop this. There is no setting on the SUB to turn it off or anything.

Is there a setting on the receiver to turn off the subs settings?? or should there be an option on the sub??


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## CJCerny (Nov 10, 2010)

On every powered sub I've seen in recent years, there are inputs that are under the control of the crossover knob and inputs that are not. You want to be connected to the input that is not under the control of the crossover knob.


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## Irish_PXzyan (Nov 10, 2010)

I guess this sub does not have that feature.
The only inputs are the RCA Line in which is being used to connect the sub to the receiver.
The only thing under the crossover is the Gain knob. Under that there is nothing.

Then there is High level inputs and High level outputs in the middle.

That's all the inputs!


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## CJCerny (Nov 10, 2010)

Irish_PXzyan said:


> I guess this sub does not have that feature.
> The only inputs are the RCA Line in which is being used to connect the sub to the receiver.
> The only thing under the crossover is the Gain knob. Under that there is nothing.
> 
> ...



Then set the crossover frequency to the highest setting you can on the sub and use the crossover frequency setting on the receiver.


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## Irish_PXzyan (Nov 10, 2010)

Yea man that's what I have it set as. Sounds great. No worries


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## SabreWulf69 (Nov 10, 2010)

Nope, has no one here ever heard of ill effects caused by multiple sorts of different crossover slopes combined into one system?, it is bloody horrible. High level inputs are indeed awesome. As quoted by REL -  "For two-channel audio a high level connection, using the supplied cable with the Neutrik Speakon Connector, Is always the first choice. By connecting to the amplifier's speaker outputs the sonic signature of the entire amplification chain is folded into the signal for the sub, thereby keeping timing and timbre cues consistent." You say there is a high level in and out. Connect the speakers of your system from the receiver to the high level input on the subwoofer. Then on the high level out connections of the subwoofer connect the main speakers to the subwoofer. Using this, put the sub to an 80Hz value on it's crossover and then find out from there what Hz value your speakers can go down to. Then once done with this data tune it through a sound level meter, or barring that, by ear for your sound subjectiveness.

PS: I can draw diagrams if you want but my paint skills ain't that brilliant lol


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## Irish_PXzyan (Nov 11, 2010)

Sounds interesting.
I will have to get more wire to make the extra connections.
More cables tho! Right pain in the arse this!
I suppose this is the bets way to go about it tho!
I will have to see what I can do!


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