TWO SUBWOOFERS, AND NEED HELP!!!

[blackwater_hollow]

I need help badly!!!!!

This is what I have.

-1 x Harmon/Kardon AVR 300 Receiver

-1 x Klipsch RCX-4 Center

-4 x Klipsch RSX-4 Surround

-2 x Klipsch RW-12 Subwoofer

My problem is I do not know how to connect my two subwoofers to my receiver properly so that the left subwoofer will reproduce the left channel, and the right subwoofer will reproduce the right channel. I have been told to split my sub pre-out so I could connect two, but it will only send one channel between the two, and that is not what I want.

I am trying to use the High Level Inputs, and so far it is working by only connecting the left on one sub to the left on the receiver and the same thing with the right on the right subwoofer. The house I live in has speaker wire running through the walls, so I connected the subwoofer from the amp through the speaker cable in the wall to the High Level Inputs, and then from the High Level Input of the sub to the satellite. The subwoofer does NOT have a High Level Output, so I am pretty much connecting the left subwoofer and the left satellite with one cable. Because I am only using one cable from the source, will I see the quality of the signal diminish by the time it reaches the satellite?

I do not know much about sound equipment, so if anybody could help me out, it would help me out so much!

Thanks,

[mas]

Without being familiar with the topology of the subs and the receiver (hey, why should my ignorance be a reason not to contribute to the confusion!?)

If the sub has an internal crossover and pass through you are set, if not, to do what you desire will require a few more components.

If you desire to configure the subs to be stereo (and the receiver either has no LFE or you do not want to use the mono LFE output):

If the subwoofer is internally powered (has an amp) and has an internal xover and passthrough (output post xover), you would run the receiver's left and right speaker outputs to each respective sub input, and the L & R output from each respective sub and internal xover to the L and R front speakers. Then you will need to adjust the time relationships of the various speakers in the receiver setup, as there will be some additional latency.

If the subs are not powered with an internal xover and passthrough, you would need to run the L & R outputs to an external active 2-way crossover (2 channels with 2 highpass/lowpass ) and the L & R low pass output to the subs (if internally powered), or to a 2-channel amp that powers the subs, and the L & R high pass output to the L&R speakers. Again, you will then want to adjust the time relationships of the various speakers in the receiver setup, as there will be some additional latency.

The following is not a stereo subwoofer configuration:

If the receiver has an LFE and you do not mind a split mono signal going to each subwoofer:

The mono alternative would be to split an LFE output and send each split to each sub, and the speaker outputs of the receiver to the appropiate speaker.

[blackwater_hollow]

The Subs have an internal crossover, but they do not have a passthrough.

[wuzzzer]

Not trying to sound rude, but is there a reason why you want the subwoofers hooked up in a stereo arrangement? Low frequency bass is very difficult if not impossible to localize, meaning you typically can't tell exactly where the sound is coming from. I'd say its a pretty good bet that if you were able to do an A/B comparision of your subs in a mono and in a stereo setup you wouldn't be able to tell any difference.

If you do still desire to hook it up that way, is there any way that you can use the receiver's 'Multi-Out' pre-outs to hook up to your sub? I just was looking at the H/K online manual to your sub and the rear panel setup and noticed those connections. Maybe you could configure the input for the multiroom system to be the same input as your main system and then it will be sending the same audio signal as your main speakers are receiving? Its worth a try, although you'd have to use RCA interconnects and not speaker wire.

[blackwater_hollow]

No offense taken!

The reason why I was thinking of using the stereo configuration is because,

A - I have small satellites with a response above 92Hz, and the sub woofer has to pretty much take care of everything below that.

B - I do not have the money to purchase any decent floor standing speakers, and I have a second subwoofer sitting around.

C - I am not really wanting to punch holes through the drywall and run subwoofer cables through them, but if I have to I will as a last resort.

[DrWho]

Subwoofers are omnidirectional - this does not mean they aren't localizeable. Bell Labs has done some research indicating that stereo subwoofage is required for accurate stereo imaging. But it's really not the biggest issue in the world and many people are more than satisfied with mono subwoofage. I just happen to not be one of them []

As far as how to configure the two subs - there are two options:

1. You can maintain the stereo subwoofage by connecting the L preout from the reciever into the Left Subwoofer and the R preout from the receiver into the Right Subwoofer. And then you would need to tell your receiver that you have no subwoofer, set the mains to large, and then route the LFE to Subs + Mains so that it redirects all low frequency content to the LR channels. The problem with this approach is that low frequency content will also be sent to your RSX mains - which they most certainly will not be able to handle. Without introducing other devices, there is no way to achieve stereo subwoofage without the nasty distorted sound of the over-driven mains.
   
2. You can run each subwoofer off the subwoofer preout from the receiver. Set the mains to small and tell the receiver that you have a subwoofer. Route the LFE to the subs only. The downside to this approach is that all frequency content below the crossover point will be summed to mono and this same mono signal will drive both subs. This shouldn't be a huge deal though since most material below 200Hz tends to be the same in both channels and the subs should be positioned near the LR position of the RSX's. Low frequency content is not always mono, but I doubt anyone would recognize it unless they knew what they were listening for. This is the approach I would use in your situation.
   

I would not recommend using the speaker level inputs to the subs. Though the subwoofer performance will be fine, the quality of the signal going to the mains will be greatly reduced.