No sub in stereo??

[barney]

Hi again guys,

Just recently I have tried listening to CDs (regular audio CDs through my DVD player) on my system. I noticed that there's no subwoofer when I set my Onkyo TX-sr503 to Stereo or Direct mode. However, when I set my receiver to All Channel Stereo, the sub turns on. Is there any way that I can get the receiver to send a signal to my subwoofer without setting it to All Channel Sereo. ( I like the sound of plain old stero music but I want the deep bass too). THanks, I would appreciate it if anyone could give me some advice.

[Eric W]

As far as I know there is not a way to turn the sub out on in stereo/direct mode. This is one of the reasons we usually recommend hooking up subwoofers via the speaker level method.

Sometimes, this can be advantageous though, if you want to watch a late night movie or listen to music minus the subwoofer, then the 'no sub' feature can be a plus for some.

[John K.]

Barney, most(or possibly all)receivers, including the 503, provide an output to the sub in stereo mode. If you study the description of the listening modes in your manual you'll see that it specifically states that in stereo mode the output is to the front speakers and the subwoofer. Unless your particular unit has a defect in the bass management circuit(unlikely), if you have the setup done as described, e.g. sub yes, speakers A, and set small, etc., your sub should receive low bass(if present in the source material) below the crossover which you set. You should also be sure that your sub crossover isn't interfering with the receiver crossover by bypassing it(if available)or turning it all the way up to get it as far out of the way as possible.

[adam2434]

As mentioned above, check to see if your main L and R are set to small. If so, you should get sub output.

Perhaps your center and surrounds were already set to small, and the sub output you're getting in other listening modes is from those channels.

[tugboat]

I know that my old Pioneer unit only sent a signal out the sub output when in surround mode. Switching to stereo meant no sub. My new Denon sends the sub signal in all modes and not just surround. If your unit only sends in surround, you'll have to hook the sub up to the L & R front preouts unless there is a setting to enable it in all modes.

When I called Pioneer about it, they said that the sub output was only meant for the LFE channel and any channel set to small for surround. So they saw fit to disable the output in any other mode (stereo, mono...). Go figure.

[F1nut]

You don't need no stinking sub for stereo.

[dpowell]

You don't need no stinking sub for stereo.

I agree unless the mains are small.

[BobMcG]

I agree unless the mains are small.

......or you enjoy the prodigious, bone vibrating lows when present in the source material.

[unc2701]

Onkyo's are a bit wonky when it comes to bass management... I wouldn't be surpirsed if what you describe is exactly what they intended for it to do.

[barney]

Thanks guys. I tried everything..... My front speakers are set to small, the crossover on the receiver set to 80 hz ( I even tried up to 150) and my sub's internal crossover was set all the way. Still no bass in stereo when listening to music. Then I read in the manual that the receiver won't send a signal to the sub if there is no LFE information; so, I tried playing a DVD in stereo. Not surprisingly the sub turned on, but I was dissapointed that I can't get bass in stereo. I listen to a lot of bass heavy music (classical, rock, hip-hop) and bass is really important to me. Guess I will have to start buying SACD and DVD-A. Thanks again for everything

[Frank Z]

Re-read Eric's post.

[unc2701]

yeah, just switch it up, turn off the crossover, set sub to "no" and route the mains through the subwoofer.

This is one reason why onk's drive me nuts.

[PolknPepsi]

I heard some receivers are designed that way.....to run without a sub in stereo mode which is crazy if you ask me! I run my sub all the time and it make a wonderful difference with movies of course and with all music, although usually needing less bass with music than movies. What were those designers thinking!

[Frank Z]

A true 2 channel system doesn't need a sub. The "Stereo" or "Direct" is a feature that makes perfect sense for 2 channel listening. You listen to the recording the way it was intended to be heard by the recording engineer(s), no goofy DSP modes.

If your speakers aren't full range and you need a sub....re-read Eric's post. It's simple and easy to do.

[PolknPepsi]

Yeah,
Now those goofy DSP modes are a waste.

[John K.]

Barney, you clearly want to use your sub in stereo mode, so don't give up yet. As stated before, your manual indicates that the sub is active in stereo(not direct)mode. The statement you refer to, probably from the trouble shooting section, is incomplete and apparently wasn't meant to apply to stereo. When there's no LFE in a particular part of a 5.1 DVD, then there's nothing for the sub to do(unless it would get some bass redirected from speakers set small). Besides the manual, note this Crutchfield discussion under "Hands-on Research", especially as to the stereo mode and the double bass adjustment. If you've set everything right and the sub still doesn't work in stereo your 503 may be defective and you should contact Onkyo about the problem.

[barney]

Well I figured out what the problem is. It turns out there is a signal sent to my subwoofer but since my subwoofer is set to AUTO it doesn't turn on because there isn't a loud enough signal sent to it. If I switch it to on the subwoofer is active and stays on. However, I don't know if I have a defective PSW10 or if it just needs a loud signal to turn on. Anyone know how loud a signal has to be for my sub to turn on?????

[Holydoc]

This is one reason why onk's drive me nuts.

There is nothing wrong with the design of his Onkyo receiver. In Stereo mode it is suppose to route sound to the sub if it is setup correctly. Onkyo also supplies a Direct mode that only supplies sound to the left and right speakers for 2-channel listening. Heck, my receiver even supplies an option called Pure Audio that shuts all video circuitry and turns off any displays on the receiver so that you remove all possible noise sources from the audio and thus get true 2-channel sound. As John K quotes:

Barney, you clearly want to use your sub in stereo mode, so don't give up yet. As stated before, your manual indicates that the sub is active in stereo(not direct)mode.

therefore either 1) Barney has the receiver set-up incorrectly, 2) the receiver is defective, 3) the cabling between the sub and receiver is defective, or 4) the subwoofer is defective.

So you can remove the "fact that Onk receivers don't handle stereo with sub" as one of the things that drive you nuts. Now all the other reasons Onkyo drives you nuts are probably still valid, but that is another story. *smile*

[barney]

Does anyone know the answer to my last question?

[unc2701]

not loud at all- if i bump my turntable it makes enough noise to click the sub on.

[barney]

Sorry, I don't know what you mean by "bumping" your turntable. I guess my sub is defective though? Should I exchange it or just manually turn it on when it won't?

[unc2701]

Oh- if you take you knuckles & rap them against a turntable you can hear it through your speakers... but it's not loud at all. If you had a turntable that would have given you an idea of the volume,but I guess not so much.