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How to Connect Subwoofer to Amplifier? 5 Reasons To Do So

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If you are a certified music enthusiast, then you know that a stereo system in your car will never be complete if it doesn’t have a subwoofer.

So you don’t know how to connect subwoofer to amplifier? If the subwoofer is a new term for you, you may be asking what it is and how it works.

A subwoofer is a type of system that requires quality speaker wires. It is made to provide you with a more precise and clearer sound and promotes a high-level connection, especially in the bass and other low-frequency audio.

Plus, a subwoofer is a must in different places. You can install it in a home theater or car. This is the missing piece to give you a genuine and more enjoyable audio experience.

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How to Connect Subwoofer to Amplifier

Connecting a subwoofer to an external amplifier is quite complicated. Even a single mistake in installing the stereo amplifiers could ruin everything. But when you install it properly, it could give you a more satisfying audio experience and a high-level connection.

Compared to other stereo systems, fine-tuning and connecting subwoofers requires a complex process. You need to connect subwoofers in multiple AC outlets. In addition, a lot of audio systems do not include subwoofer pre-out connections.

Fortunately, there are beginner-friendly steps you can follow to properly install a subwoofer to an amplifier. You can use speaker terminals wire connections, RCA cables, and even LFE cables in connecting the subwoofer to an amplifier or any receiver.

Doing so produces powered subwoofers leading to high-level subwoofer connection and subwoofer outputs.

These steps are easy and convenient to follow. One of the best things about following these steps is that they work on almost all types of models of subwoofers available on the market despite the type of audio accessories you will use.

Beyond that, these steps also work with any conventional or passive subwoofer.

Connect The Power And Speaker Wires

As we mentioned earlier, you can connect a subwoofer not just in cars but also in home theater receivers. Creating a line-level connection is simple and easy, especially if you have a dedicated subwoofer that also works with a home theater receiver.

All you have to do is to run the thicker coaxial cable to the line subwoofer input from the receiver’s subwoofer output. In addition, if your dedicated subwoofer already has an LFE subwoofer input, you may use that one. On the other hand, you can also use either the left and right stereo pre-outs and high-level input of your subwoofer.

You can purchase an additional set of speaker cables, especially if your subwoofer does not feature a subwoofer output. But this only works if you connect a subwoofer that features speaker wire RCA connectors.

Typically, the first thing you should do is to pass through the right and left cables to the subwoofer from the receiver and vice versa. You can refer to your subwoofer’s instructional manual to ensure that you connect the right and left speaker cables properly.

What controls the subwoofer volume?

Crossover and volume frequency are two common knobs you can find in budget-friendly subwoofers. You may probably be asking how these two differ.

Well, the crossover frequency is where you find the highest possible note that your subwoofer can reach. Just imagine the voice of Ariana Grande in Vin Diesel’s version coming out from your subwoofer when you set it at the highest bass frequencies.

Conversely, if you set it at the low-frequency effects of sound, just imagine hearing the masculine voice of Vin Diesel sounding a little like Ariana Grande.

The idea of this knob is to help you find the proper frequency which sounds clear and precise to your ears. You can refer to the official website of your subwoofer manufacturer to have an idea about the right frequency you should set.

Find the Right Place to Position Your Subwoofer

Where you place and how you connect a subwoofer has a great impact on the natural sound it will produce.

When you place it near the corner of your room, it will produce a low-level connection. On the other hand, if you are not going to put it in the right place, some of its notes will be boomy, boosted, or even muted. Aside from that, your seating location can also affect the effects.

For you to find the ideal place in your room where you can place and connect a subwoofer, the best technique is to crawl through your floor while your speaker plays good music.

As you crawl, listen carefully to the possible frequency or bass signal change. When you find the right spot, place your subwoofer, and it is time to play your favorite song.

On the other hand, if the subwoofer’s appearance is more important than the quality of sound or high-level input, you can place it wherever you think it would look pleasing and convenient.

After you connect a subwoofer, it can produce music that sounds good no matter where it is placed.

Combine Subs For Deep Bass Sounds

One easy yet expensive way to achieve a smoother and nicer bass sound in your whole area is to purchase two subwoofers.

You can place these two subwoofers in the left and right corners of your room to produce a more consistent and clearer bass response.

On the other hand, if you don’t have enough money to purchase two small-sized subwoofers, you may consider purchasing one large-sized subwoofer.

Through this, you can achieve a good bass sound in mono line-level input while saving some amount of money.

If you have extra money, you can purchase a sub output equalizer. This will help you to adjust the sound frequency of your subwoofers. Thus, you can ensure a flawless sound.

Check Speaker Wiring & Speaker Level Inputs

After you connect a subwoofer to either an external or internal amplifier, the last thing you should do is to check it.

To check, you can play a song and listen to its sound. Make sure that after you connect a subwoofer, it does not produce a sharp and distorted sound.

Checking the quality sound of your subwoofer helps you to determine the right balance between your amplifier and the subwoofer. As you check the sound standard, there are some factors you need to keep in mind.

These include the idiosyncrasies of your subwoofer, the room acoustics, crossover frequency, volume level, and the characteristics of your primary speaker.

You can use your bare ears to check the sound quality of your subwoofer. On the other hand, you can also use an application via your phone.

Although this does not provide you with accurate subwoofer outputs, you will have an idea about the sound standard that your subwoofer will produce.

After you set everything, you can sit for a few minutes and listen to lighter music, including jazz and pop. Through this, you can detect if the subwoofer produces a great sound or it still needs a few adjustments.

Use LFE Subwoofer Output Jack

One of the most popular ways of installing a subwoofer to the amplifier is by using a subwoofer output jack, which is also called sub out.

In addition, you can also do this using the low-frequency sound effects (LFE) cable.

This subwoofer output is most common in most stereo amps receives and home theater processors and receivers.

You can find channel outputs on most cable televisions and DVDs that are only intended for bass-only content. You can set it up by connecting the subwoofer or LFE output jack on the amp or receiver to the LFE IN or LINE IN jack on the subwoofer.

You can perform it using a single RCA cable on each side of the speaker system.

Use Speaker Level Outputs or Stereo RCA Cables

Some models of amplifier or receiver do not feature an LFE subwoofer output. In that case, you may use speaker-level connection outputs.

Aside from that, there are times that the subwoofer does not have an available LFE audio input. Instead, most subwoofers feature R and L (Right and Left) stereo RCA connectors to produce a high-level connection.

Other surround speakers feature sprint clips that look like the ones you can see at the back of common full-range speakers.

Once you find that your subwoofer features a LINE OUT and LINE IN that uses RCA cables, you can connect the two using two RCA line inputs. In case either end of the cable split, you can plug the y-cable in the left and right ports on the subwoofer.

In addition, if your amplifier or receiver features right and left RCA plugs for subwoofer output, ensure that you need to connect the two plugs to the amplifier or receiver.

On the other hand, if your subwoofer comes with spring clips, dedicated subwoofer outputs, and speaker systems wires, you can connect all these speaker wires using the receiver’s speaker output of the receiver.

Fortunately, doing so only requires you to follow the same set of steps in connecting stereo speakers. But before proceeding to the first step, make sure to check the channels.

In case your subwoofer features two spring clips, which are dedicated for speaker out and speaker in, it shows that it can accommodate other types of subwoofers.

In that case, the complete audio signal will pass through the receiver from the subwoofer.

On the other hand, some subwoofers also feature a single set of spring clips. If you have this kind of subwoofer, you need to connect it with the same speaker used by the receiver. You can use banana clips to accomplish this task.

The good thing about using banana clips is that you can plug each other’s back instead of overlapping the bare speaker wire connections.

Reasons to Connect Subwoofer to Stereo Amplifier

As we mentioned earlier, you can connect a subwoofer to an amplifier and use it inside your car or home.

If you are a certified traveler and music lover, adding decent stereo systems to your car is a great idea to have a more memorable and stress-free travel.

Connecting a subwoofer to an amplifier provides you with lots of benefits, and we will discuss these below.

Better and Louder Sound

One of the best things about connecting the subwoofer to the amplifier is that it boosts the same audio signal to your tower speakers from your head unit. Thus, your speakers will receive the amplified audio signals resulting in louder and better sound. A powered subwoofer also prevents low-frequency effects.

If you do not use an amplifier, you may notice that your subwoofer produces a distorted surround sound movie that often drops in and out.

The powered subwoofer ensures to improve the bass notes frequency from your audio files using an amplifier RCA cable in the left channel of the amplifier.

Investing in a subwoofer is ideal, especially if you love bass music.

Boosts the Power Source of your Low-Quality Speakers

If your problem is low-quality stereo receivers, then you may create a low-level subwoofer connection to the amplifier using an RCA cable is a wise idea.

Through this, you don’t need to spend an extra amount purchasing a new set of high-standard speakers.

One of the main reasons behind low-quality speakers is distorted or weak signals. When your speaker receives a weak signal, it will cause the sound frequencies to drop.

To ensure that your main speakers or subwoofers will produce improved sound system quality, you need to connect it to an amplifier.

An amplifier is a must to prevent sound quality problems, such as blasting noise.

Easy to Install

Most of you may think that connecting a subwoofer to an amplifier is complex. Well, with the steps we mentioned above, you can successfully install a subwoofer with an amplifier even as a beginner.

All you have to do is a few wires, screws, RCA connectors, your subwoofer or stereo receiver, and an amplifier.

You can finish the installation process in just a few hours. On the other hand, if you don’t have the proper accessories and enough time to do the work for you, you can ask a professional to install the subwoofer on your behalf.

Although this might cost you a bit, you can ensure that your subwoofer is properly and securely connected to the amplifier. Thus, giving you only the best and most accurate sound quality.

High-Level Connection

Are you problematic with the low-level connection of your speaker?

A low-level connection equates to poor quality sound and low-level subwoofer input. Thus, to prevent low-level connections, you may connect a subwoofer to your amplifier.

A properly connected subwoofer produces a high-level connection, which means good quality sound. Through this, you will not experience low-level connections more frequently.

Amp Has RCA outputs Instead of a Speaker Wire

There is a chance that when you try to connect the subwoofer to the amp, you may notice that they might have different types of connectors.

In most cases, you can easily plug the wire into the subwoofer or speaker box and then run it directly to the stereo amplifier. However, you may encounter a situation where the amp has RCA outputs instead of regular speaker wires.

This makes it more difficult for you to install your subwoofer to the amplifier. You will need to purchase a line output converter to make this connection happen. This is the same device that is used to connect the amp to the factory car audio system.

Some amplifiers can allow you to connect the back and front speakers as well as a sub at the same time. This is a great option if you have four speakers in your vehicle.

There is always the option of purchasing a powered subwoofer that comes with a built-in amp. Sometimes these types of amps make it easier for audio enthusiasts to install powered subwoofers to their head unit.

Conclusion

How to connect the subwoofer to the amplifier is a common question among music enthusiasts. Doing so produces high-quality subwoofer output.

Remember to disconnect the negative terminal of the battery before connecting the power cable. Secure the red cable to the positive terminal of the battery and run it all the way back to the trunk.

The process is easy, and you only need a few installation accessories, including your stereo receivers, RCA cables, speaker wire terminals, and the stereo amplifier.

Last Updated on: October 6, 2022

Hi, my name is John Snow and I am a car lover. With two decades under my belt fixing and driving cars, I'm always on the hunt for fresh, cutting-edge methods to give my ride a performance boost. Driven by my zeal to decode car problems, I'm on a mission to equip vehicle owners with accurate and handy tips. By doing so, they can fix their rides while saving both time and cash.

By John Snow