HELP: RT3000P high level hookup questions

[rlochte]

I am looking at the pdf of the owners manual ( http://www.polkaudio.com/downloads/manuals/home/RT3000pManual.pdf) for the RT3000p speaker system. In relation to hooking up the speakers using high (speaker) level inputs, it states:

"Connect speaker wires from your amp or
receiver to either set of the high level inputs
on the subwoofers as shown in Figure 4.
Make sure the flat metal connecting straps
are tightly secured to both sets of
binding posts."

If you look at the diagram (figure 4), there is only one set of high level inputs on the back of the sub (the bottom set). The other set (top set) is for "high level output". Also, the diagram does not show the connecting metal straps on the posts on the back of the sub module; they are only shown on the satellite module.

The only connecting straps that came with my rt3000p's are for the satellites. I did not get any for the subs. My question is: are the instructions/diagram wrong?....ir, are no straps installed/necessary for the base module; also, are there infact only one set of high level inputs on the back of the sub (the bottom set)?

Also, for anyone who owns the rt3000p's: did the flat metal connection straps come with your subs as well as the your satellites or just with your satellites?

Thank you so much for any help with this. I want to make sure I am connecting these speakers correctly.

[Kenneth Swauger]

Hello,
Thanks for using the Forum. All of our self-powered speakers use a fairly similar system of providing the incoming signal. You can use either a speaker level input or a line level input. In the case of the RT3000p with a speaker level input you would leave the binding post jumper plates in position (if you don't have them you can use a short length of your favorite speaker wire) and make the connection to the lower set of binding posts. Then since you need to provide the same speaker level signal to the upper satellite speakers you can use the supplied length of speaker wire to connect to the upper set of binding posts to the satellite speaker's lower set of binding posts. Then the binding post jumper plates transfer this signal to the upper set on this speaker. The illustration, on page 14, was meant as a simplified drawing showing the speaker wire path. If there weren't any binding post jumper plates the audio signal would stop at the lower set of binding posts and not travel upward to the satellite speakers. If you didn't want to use the binding post jumper plates or the short piece of speaker wire you could use the "stacking" type of banana plugs. You could place the incoming speaker level signal to the lower set of binding posts, then using a second banana plug place the supplied length of speaker into the back of the first banana plug. This accomplishes the necessary parallel connections.
Regards, Ken

[rlochte]

Thanks Ken, for the reply. I am still confused. I purchased 4 of the rt3000p towers new. I never had the flat metal connection straps for the subs, only the sats. Also, this is a response from "marker" I received today concerning if anyone else on the forum with rt3000's had straps with their subs:

"They are for the satellites ONLY!

On the sub one is an input from the amp while the top one is an output to the sats."

THus, you can see my confusion. Plus, I also have the psw1200 sub, which has separate posts for the highlevel inputs and separate posts for the high level outputs (again, no metal connection straps). I was assuming the rt3000p sub module worked the same way. I am just looking for clarification.

Historically, I have had my four towers hooked up with line level inputs to the subs. Now for, two of them, I need to do the high (speaker) level inputs.

Thanks again for your help.

[BobMcG]

As you've been told and can see there are no jumpers used between the speaker cable connections on the sub. These are only used on the sats. The sats have jumpers because you are given the option to biwire them if you wish to do so. (This would involve removing the jumpers.)

Leaving the jumpers in place on the sats and forgetting about the biwire option... you are looking at running speaker cables from your amp to the bottom (input from amp) set of connectors on the sub. You then run another short set of speaker cables from the top (output to speakers) set of connectors on the sub to the bottom set of connectors (to make it simple) on the sats. You're ready to operate the 3000s using the high level connections.

[BobMcG]

And BTW, welcome to CP.:)