# Subwoofer wiring connection



## huffles2 (Mar 2, 2010)

I am wiring a KEF 20 B subwoofer to my Denon 1200 surround sound system. It looks like there are two ways to wire this. One is with two - two conductor cables and another way is to use the RCA type jack labeled mono subwoofer. It was previously wired with the two cables, which I have duplicated, but I don't get any sound from the subwoofer.

Does anyone have any troubleshooting hints for me? The subwoofer is powered up.

Thanks,

sodak


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## chadnliz (Feb 12, 2010)

Try the single mono cable, bass is not directional so it wont matter if only 1 is connected.


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## koyaan (Mar 2, 2010)

I looked on the KEF site for information, but there wasn't anything there nor any access to manuals.
Does your sub have a toggle switch marked "high level" and "low level"?
If so you need to select "high level" to use the speaker wire inputs or "low level" (or possibly "LFE")to use the RCA inputs.
Apparently some of the KEF has a sensing device on some of their subs that detects and adjusts for this automatically so this might not be of much help.
Let us know how this works out.


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## huffles2 (Mar 2, 2010)

The subwoofer doesn't have the switch you mentioned. How could I determine if the audio signal is coming out of the receiver that is destined for the subwoofer?

Thanks for your help,


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## tcarcio (Jun 27, 2007)

If that reciever has a output labeled sub out or lfe out then you run a cable [rca] from there to the sub in or mono in rca of the sub. Then in the reciever menu see if there is the option to choose the size of your main speakers,large or small, set them to small, and then see if it has the option to set the crossover and if so set it to 80hz. That is it. You can experiment with different setting to see what you prefer but that is a good place to start. The sub out on your Avr will only send low freq's to your subwoofer so that is why it is the best way to hook up your sub.


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## Moonfly (Aug 1, 2008)

It sounds like the cable option is a high level connection. Under certain conditions this wont work. If the speakers are set to small then there wont be any bass in the signal of the main speakers for the twin wired connection to feed off. 

Generally its best just to use the mono connection unless you specifically dont want to, but for most people this isnt the case.


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## koyaan (Mar 2, 2010)

There are 2 ways to go. If you run your main speaker wires to the sub and from the sub to your main speakers with your center and surrounds set to small, the sub will do your bass management. you can generally select the crossover level ( the point at which the signal goes to the sub rather than to the front feft and right speakers) via the sub( high level crossover ). this works pretty well, particulary with small speakers like the Bose.
You could also set all speakers to small and use the RCA connection to the sub. In that case the processor or receiver would select the crossover point, generally aboubt 80 hzs, and send anything above that to the speakers and below that to the sub.
With bose speakers, they probably start " rolling off" above 80 hz, so you probably want to use high level connectionds( speaker wire) and set the " high level crossover" on th sub at around 100 hz.
This sounds pendantic but it's my best recommendation. ( please forgive the spelling,this along with typing are not among my strong suites ).
Good luck and ENJOY1


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## koyaan (Mar 2, 2010)

There are 2 ways to go. If you use high level connections ( feeding you maim speaker wires to the sub and then to the main speakers with the main speakers set o large and teh center and surrounds set to small) your using the sub to do your bass management.


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## pix (Mar 10, 2010)

I would connect the sub woofer to the mono connector. KISS (;-))


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## Darius2010 (Dec 29, 2008)

Mono connection will be fine. One thing I have notice though is when the receiver or sub has a Right and Left channel and the other has a mono input or output, some volume will be lost if you dont use a Y-connector to merge the channels.


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## Moonfly (Aug 1, 2008)

Or looking at it another way, you gain a little input signal boost by using both channels. I dont suppose that really is a critical debate though 

I think though that you'll find that in a system, once eq'd, a sub will usually run properly with one or two cables attached just fine.


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