Subwoofer Question

[B]

OK, I have a subwoofer from an old Samsung DVD player/surround system kit. I'd like to hook it up to my new receiver.

The subwoofer output from the receiver is a single RCA plug. The input into the subwooder is two sets of speaker wires. How do I make this work?

Can I just buy an adapter and plug that into one of the speaker wire inputs on the subwoofer? Do I need an amplifier? If I have an amplifier, do I still need two sets of speaker wires?

[Norah]

just buy speakers with better frequency response and forgo the subwoofer all together

[B]

Frequency response. Check.

What's that?

[Sgt. Crackpot]

Is the subwoofer self-powered?

[run2death]

You'll wire speaker cables from your receiver to the sub, then wire cables from the sub to your main speakers.

You may be fucked if the sub uses some weird proprietary cabling system, however.

[tragabigzanda]

"Clout is the values-free currency of the always-online age — both a substitute for hard cash as well as a conduit to it. Clout is a calculus not of what you do, but of how much bulk you-ness there is in the world. You get clout by playing the victim. You get clout by victimizing others. This is something that is understood by the left and the right. If influence sways, clout squats, taking up space for its own sake."

[B]

Is the subwoofer self-powered?

No, it is not.

[B]

You'll wire speaker cables from your receiver to the sub, then wire cables from the sub to your main speakers.

I can't do that b/c the subwoofer output in the receiver is RCA. I can buy RCA/speaker wire adapters, but i'm guessing it won't work with an unpowered subwoofer and an ignored set of speaker wire inputs on the subwoofer.

[run2death]

The sub out on the receiver is really optional.

Wire it the way I told you above. The speaker outputs will send all the sound frequencies to the sub, it will take the low frequencies and play them, then send the mids and highs to the speakers you have wired to the sub.

[knee tunes]

"I don't know how to hook up my subwoofer, please play Help, Help in Boston!"

Or anything from lost dogs

[B]

The sub out on the receiver is really optional.

Wire it the way I told you above. The speaker outputs will send all the sound frequencies to the sub, it will take the low frequencies and play them, then send the mids and highs to the speakers you have wired to the sub.

OK. But this sounds like an explosion waiting to happen.

[Norah]

The sub out on the receiver is really optional.

Wire it the way I told you above. The speaker outputs will send all the sound frequencies to the sub, it will take the low frequencies and play them, then send the mids and highs to the speakers you have wired to the sub.

OK. But this sounds like an explosion waiting to happen.

He's right, B.

[run2death]

Does B really think he's gonna blow up his house with a receiver and speaker wires?

[B]

No.

[B]

I never thought this would explode, but I did expect it to fail. Turns out, it worked perfectly. Thanks, r2d.