Setting up a subwoofer in a home theater

The presence of a high-quality subwoofer ensures the reproduction of deep and clear bass. In order for the acoustics to provide good sound, it is worth purchasing an active model of the device. Despite the fact that a passive subwoofer is cheaper, it cannot provide high-quality reproduction of low frequencies. In addition to choosing wisely, you should correctly install and configure the device.

Placing and connecting a subwoofer to a home theater

Some people think that they can install acoustics absolutely anywhere in a living space. However, this is not at all true. If placed incorrectly, there is a high probability of loss of sound quality.

REFERENCE! When purchasing a subwoofer, you should consider the size of the room in which the device will be installed!

In order for the acoustics to be installed correctly, several nuances must be taken into account:

1. Many people place the sub in the corner of the room because they believe that this way they can achieve almost perfect sound. However, such placement cannot provide accurate sound of low frequencies, as well as high-quality pairing with other acoustics.
2. If the product is equipped with 8 small speakers, then it should be placed at a distance of about one meter in front of one of the speakers.This arrangement allows you to create the illusion that the bass is coming directly from the speakers. This option is ideal for small home theaters. In this case, the sub must be installed as close to the speakers as possible. After the device has been placed, you need to adjust the volume level. You need to install it in such a position that you can clearly hear where exactly the sound is coming from.
3. When searching for the most suitable location, you can use a little trick. To do this, turn on any musical composition with low frequencies and move the subwoofer. Depending on the location of the sub, the sound will change. This is necessary to get the perfect balance between all frequency ranges.

There are problem rooms in which the acoustics sound dull. It is very difficult to adjust the optimal sound in them. You can try walking around the room with a subwoofer and listening to how it sounds. Or you can simply place the product closer to an armchair or sofa.

ATTENTION! Setting up is much easier if the subwoofer works in conjunction with large speakers.

To connect any subwoofer model, you need a signal and, of course, power. The most suitable outlet is responsible for providing power.

An RCA connector is used to connect to a media device. Therefore, you will need the appropriate cable. One end of the cable is connected to the line output on the home theater, the other to the connector on the subwoofer. If there is no line connector on the cinema, then the connection is made using the terminals on the subwoofer. The right and left terminals of the external device are connected to the corresponding terminals of the subwoofer using an speaker cable.

When connecting two audio devices, you must use a Y-shaped RCA adapter. If the adapter is not at hand, the product should be connected to the output terminals of the cinema, strictly parallel to the speakers.

ATTENTION! To ensure reliable operation of the device, as well as to prevent possible failure, it is recommended to connect the subwoofer to a surge protector or uninterruptible power supply.

Setting up one subwoofer

After the device is installed and connected, it needs to be configured correctly. This is done as follows:

1. The frequency adjustment knob must be set to the maximum position.
2. You need to go to the menu of the external audio device and find the subwoofer settings in it. The controls located here determine the frequency range reproduced by the acoustics. Many device models have a value from 40 to 200 Hz. As a rule, this is indicated in the attached instructions.
3. When the recommended values ​​are not indicated, you should focus on the size of the speakers. If they are small, then the optimal frequency will be 150-200 Hz, medium-sized - 80-100 Hz, large - from 60 to 80 Hz.
4. You should also set the phase of the device correctly. This is very important as it affects the sound quality. It is ideal when the low-frequency speakers of the main acoustics and subwoofer work synchronously. Otherwise, the waves begin to cancel each other out, and the bass sound quality will be significantly reduced.

REFERENCE! Modern models of the device have an automatic switch and phase adjustment. This allows the subwoofer to independently “make” adjustments to ensure the highest quality sound.

Features of setting up multiple subwoofers

Instead of one high-power subwoofer, it is advisable to use two less powerful products. This will allow you to get the most uniform sound that will fill the entire volume of the room.

Setting up several subs connected to one home theater has its own nuances:

1. It is advisable to use devices from the same manufacturer or with similar parameters. This will help avoid various problems during setup. It is very important that the products used have as similar characteristics as possible. Only in this case can you achieve perfect sound.
2. Acoustics must be placed in accordance with all recommendations. Subwoofers must be installed at diagonally opposite ends of the room.
3. All settings of the subs used must be identical.

To obtain the highest quality bass, you should methodically follow all the necessary recommendations. It is also worth paying attention to the fact that two high-quality subwoofers are the best option for a home theater, as they fill the entire area of ​​the room with sound and also create excellent dynamics.