Adding a subwoofer to your home stereo system can significantly improve your audio quality by fattening up the low frequencies, resulting in better depth and immersion. While most surround sound systems include a subwoofer, traditional left and right-channel home stereos may require that you add one yourself. Thankfully, good subwoofers are prevalent and can be added to your setup for a reasonable price. This guide will show you how to connect a subwoofer to your home stereo system.
Step 1. Check For A Subwoofer Output On Your Home Stereo
There are several options for connecting a subwoofer to your home stereo, but the most straightforward way is through a dedicated subwoofer output. This is usually located on the rear of the stereo and may be labeled as either “Sub Out,” “LFE Out,” or “Pre Out.”
If your stereo has no dedicated subwoofer output, you still have some options for adding one. You can use speaker-level inputs or high-level inputs. Alternatively, consider using a line-level converter if your stereo doesn’t support those options.
Step 2. Ensure Compatibility
Subwoofers are versatile and can be used across different brands of stereos without concerns about timber matching. Still, it is essential to consider the power handling of your amplifier and the subwoofer you’re looking to pair. Confirm that the amplifier’s power is not higher than the subwoofer’s power handling to avoid damage.
Step 3. Find The Right Placement
Even though subwoofers are forgiving in their placement compared to left, right, or center channel speakers, there are still essential guidelines to follow to avoid reflection problems. Do not place your subwoofer in the corner of your room or right up against a wall, as this causes excessive reflections, which can cause your low frequencies to sound less defined.
Subwoofers should ideally be placed at least a few feet away from the walls, which can be a problem for specific room designs. Mark a few potential locations, and once you have your subwoofer setup, place it in these various locations and see which sounds the best for your room, as decor, ceiling heights, and floor materials can affect how your audio presents.
Step 4. Configure Your Settings
Take a few minutes to reference your manual and ensure that the settings on your subwoofer are correct. Make sure you turn the volume down initially to avoid starting with an unexpected boom. In addition, your subwoofer may include settings like crossover frequency and phase – these should be adjusted accordingly.
Step 5. Unplug Your Stereo & Subwoofer’s Power
Disconnect your stereo, amp, and subwoofer from the power for safety. It’s not necessarily required, but it’s a best practice.
Step 6. Add Your Subwoofer & Reconnect Your Amp and Stereo
Connect your subwoofer using one of the methods discussed in Step 1, and then reconnect your receiver and stereo. On your stereo or receiver, you’ll connect the sub using the relevant output (Sub Out, LFE Out, etc) and then connect the cable to the subwoofer using the Line In, LFE In, or Sub In.
When connecting wires that are separated into positive and negative, always connect them to the correct color. Match the colors of the wires to the colors of the connection ports.
Ensure that the cables are correctly secured and that you’ve run the wires so they aren’t in the way. You don’t want to trip over them and destroy your audio equipment accidentally!
Step 7. Turn It On & Make the Final Configurations
With all your cables correctly secured into the right ports, you can turn your speakers, stereo, and receiver back on and begin testing. Don’t be shy about playing around with different locations and tweaking the subwoofer settings for your setup.
Job Done!
That’s all there is to set up a subwoofer to your stereo system. You’ll be rewarded with a wider sound that brings music to life and immerses you in the movies you watch.