Connecting The Subwoofer To Your Audio System; Connecting Home Theater Equipment; Connecting Stereo Equipment Using Low/Line Level - PSB CHS212 Owner's Manual

VIII. Connecting The Subwoofer To Your Audio System
There are several ways to connect a subwoofer into a system. For best results overall, we recommend using
Low/Line Level connections.
When making a Low/Line Level connection, be sure to follow the coding on the cables to maintain left-to-left
and right-to-right. Use high quality, well-shielded, low capacitance RCA cables of minimal necessary length, to
avoid picking up noise in the cable runs. When making a High/Speaker Level connection, in addition to
maintaining left-to-left and right-to-right, be sure to use the coding of the pair of wires in each speaker cable to
maintain phase—+/red/rib/writing to +/red/rib/writing and -/white/smooth/clear to -/white/smooth/clear.
We recommend minimum 16 gauge wire and, for longer runs, larger (lower gauge) wire.
A. Connecting Home Theater Equipment (see Figure 3, page 15):
You can use a single RCA cable to connect the Subwoofer Output of your receiver, integrated amplifier, or
preamplifier to either right or left side of the Low Level Input on the subwoofer.
Home Theater receivers, integrated amplifiers, surround sound processors, and preamplifiers usually have a
special Subwoofer Output to provide the optional (Dolby Digital 5.1) Low Frequency Effects (LFE) Channel
present on many movie and other programming sources. To reproduce these deep-bass effects (when they are
present), supplementing the bass information in the main channels, this output must be connected to the
subwoofer.
The subwoofer output/LFE signal is filtered by most receivers/processors. The subwoofer's variable low pass
filter is usually not required and should be bypassed by switching the LFE Input/Crossover bypass switch to
active only if the receiver/processor subwoofer/LFE output is low pass filtered. The default position for
this switch is off.
With some Home Theater electronics and settings, connecting the Subwoofer Output does not provide the
low frequencies from normal stereo music through the subwoofer. If this is tr ue of your system, you can
make two connections. First, connect the Subwoofer Output from the electronics to the right or left side of
the Low Level Input of the subwoofer, as described above. Then also connect the High Level Output
from the electronics to the High Level Input of our subwoofer,as described below. When listening to music
using High Level Input, set the LFE Input/Crossover bypass switch to the off position. The switch would
usually be set to active whenever the receiver/processor's Subwoofer Output is used during playback of
movies. Most Home Theater electronics will not require this second connection, which, if not required, will
produce greater bass than intended.
B. Connecting Stereo Equipment Using Low/line Level (see Figure 4, page 16):
If your receiver or integrated amplifier has preamplifier outputs, or if you are using a se parate preamplifier,
the preferred connection is from the Preamplifier Output of the electronics to the Low Level Input of the
subwoofer. Use a dual RCA audio cable and maintain right and left. (You may need to use Y-connectors at
the preamplifier outputs to also send signals to the Power Amplifier/Main Inputs.)
Connecting the Low/Line Level Outputs from the subwoofer back to the Power Amplifier Input is an
important option. The Low/Line Level Inputs of the subwoofer are internally processed through an active
high pass filter (at 12dB/octave below 80Hz) to the Low/Line Level Outputs of the subwoofer. Connecting
the Low/Line Level Outputs from the subwoofer back to the Power Amplifier Inputs delivers the
processed signal, with reduced low frequency content, to the main speakers. With less low frequency demands,
the main speakers can play louder. Particularly with smaller and/or less efficient main speakers, relieving
speakers other than the subwoofer of the demands of reproducing low frequencies will allow greater sound
output and dynamic capabilities from the other speakers and from the system overall.
12