Making connections to PSW10

[g-bone]

Hi All,
My first post about my first Polk setup: 2-RTi A1's and 1-PSW10. Goods still in transit but want to forgo any possible connection- or power-related issues while optimizing audio performance.
I have read all the posts here as well as the manual.
Two areas of question:
1) The Onkyo TX 8511 will be driving the configuration. It is phenomenal classic receiver. As such is has provisions for neither "Sub Out" nor "Front/Rear/Center". "A/B" only. Of the several options discussed in this group, it seems the appropriate option is to connect
a. Onkyo "Speaker" out to PSW10 "Speaker In"
b.PSW 10 "Speaker Out" to corresponding RTi A1.
Is my understanding correct?
If not, please provide solution.
If so, what is recommended cable type and gauge for making the connections?
In the above configuration, what is driving the RTi A1 speakers, The ONKYO (100W/channel) or the PSW10 (50W RMS)?
What "Cross Over" or other settings are advisable?


2) What is the actual Voltage Input for the PSW10? I have read 220v in one place and 110 in others? Onkyo is set at 120v.

Thanks in advance for sharing the benefit of your collective experience.

[wheat]

Hello,
There is an error in the PSW10 owner's manual, there isn't an LFE input on that model. However, that shouldn't be a problem. All you would need to do is connect the single sub-woofer output, of the receiver, to either the right or left input on the sub-woofer (the sub-woofer's bass amplifier adds the two channels together so a connection to either one is fine). Or, if you prefer, you may use a "Y" cable to provide a connection to both inputs on the sub-woofer. While this doesn't change the sound quality it will allow the sub-woofer to play louder at each of it's volume control positions.
The second thing you would need to do is set the variable low pass filter, on the sub-woofer, to the highest setting (the variable low pass filter is the dial that has "Hz" labeled). This will set the internal low pass filter above the low pass filter frequency given by your receiver and, in effect, create an LFE input. If you have any questions please telephone us at 1-800-377-7655 and we'll be happy to help.
Regards, Ken, Polk Audio

wow amazingnever dreamed of that very valuable info.

[Geronimo]

I recently purchased a PSw 10 for use with a Haman Kardon AVR 35. I am hooked up by the subwoofer output on the AVR 135. I have tried connecting to each RCA input and to both (usinga Y connecter) in all cases my AVR seems to see the subwoofer and i do get bass out of it but when I run a test tone no tone goes to the PSW 10.

I contracted HK and they insist I am setting things up correctly but I am wondering if there is anything I need to know about the PSW 10 and the volume knobs or switches.

Any help would be appreciated.

[sawatzky]

...
In the above configuration, what is driving the RTi A1 speakers, The ONKYO (100W/channel) or the PSW10 (50W RMS)?
What "Cross Over" or other settings are advisable?

2) What is the actual Voltage Input for the PSW10? I have read 220v in one place and 110 in others? Onkyo is set at 120v.

The 50W PSW-10 would be driving your RTi's. I would connect the A channel to the RTi's instead, and send B channel to the subwoofer. Set the crossover frequency on the sub to end where the RTi's take over. ie: if the sub is 24Hz-200Hz, and the RTi's are 150Hz-20MHz, set the crossover freq at 150 where the RTi's begin.

"Voltage in" is the voltage of your country ie: 220v for Europe and 110v for North America. Signal volts are very low.

[sawatzky]

...but when I run a test tone no tone goes to the PSW 10.

Interesting... I have the HK AVR-140. I haven't played with the test tones, but maybe I should. Is the test tone the same for all speakers? What is the frequency? Maybe the bass crossover is set too low for the tone? Crank it all the way to the right to maximize the Sub response. Maybe that will help. In the meantime I'll test that at home...

[sawatzky]

Wheres a good place to find a 2m Y cable? with 1RA to 2RCA?

I've never seen them that long. You buy a mono RCA cable and a 6 inch y-splitter.

[sawatzky]

How then should I hook up both my New PSW 10 subwoofer and my KRK monitors to my imac which has only one headphone jack?
Wes

On my Mac Mini I have a 4 way headphone amp (Behringer - bought it at a music store for about $30). From there I go to a sub/sat system, headphones, home theater setup, and have one free for occasional use. Each has its own volume control knob, so I don't have to be constantly fiddling with cords and volume controls. I love it. The jacks are 1/4 inch though so you might have to buy five 1/4 to 1/8" adapters (one is for audio-in from the Mac).

[sawatzky]

Is it possible to find out if your sub is out of phase(polarity) by hooking up a AA battery to it?

If you connect a wire from the (-) terminal of the speaker to the (-) end of a AA battery, then touch the (+) terminal of the speaker to the (+) end of the AA battery, the speaker cone should move forward (for normal phase).
If you did the same thing on the cone of your speaker, just make sure that both the sub cone and the speaker cone move in the same direction when the terminals touch to see if they're in phase.

I've never tried this myself so I can't say that it works for sure, but the concept is pretty simple (even I understand it...I think).

Yikes! I don't know the exact voltage of an audio signal to the speaker, but I'm pretty sure that it's less than 1.5 volts. Maybe I'm wrong. That would be something to test... but applying 1.5 volts to the sub input, then amplifying the signal within the sub could stress some speaker components. The simplest way to check phase is to make sure you have the same wire (striped or plain) going to the ground (black) terminal on every speaker. The sub phase switch is there because it's not clear which part of the LFE wire is negative or positive. So if the sub bass sounds like it's competing with the front l/r bass, flip the phase switch. If the bass improves, leave it there.

[felipecryte2011]

SORRY,HELP MYhttp://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=118707

[kwczty]

Being the newbee to this blog, I realize I know little about all of this. Howerve, I am the proud owner of a new PSW110 subwoofer and I think I have a unique problem. My house was built 4 years ago and I had the Family room pre-wired for overhead speakers with a subwoofer drop near the rear of the room. The wiring is CAT5e and I am curious as to how to wire the subwoofer LFE R&L to the Denon receiver I received for Christmas. Reiterating that I am a newbee I hope this doesn't sound too bass-ackwards of a question. I appreciate any suggestions or recommendations for my pending wiring fiasco.
kwczty.

[Kenneth Swauger]

Hello and welcome!
I don't believe there will be a problem. You'll have to use the speaker level connection method to the sub. Just pretend the sub is a pair of speakers and run a right and left positive/negative speaker wires (cut into the CAT5 cable and separate out four wires) from the receiver's main speaker connections to the corresponding right and left speaker wire inputs, on the sub. The sub will work fine with using a right and left speaker level input as the input signal.
Regards, Ken

[kwczty]

I appreciate the response. I have a Denon 5.1 receiver and I'm not sure if I will have the speaker connection you suggest. I will have to check it out when I get closer to doing the install.
I'm sure I will be back many times, from this point on.
Thanks again,
KenC.

[shaneybrainy]

Hello, I am a little new to speaker audio, I have listened on headphones for years but I have a question about my recently purchased PSW10. What exactly does the "Phase" switch do?

[Kenneth Swauger]

Hello KenC,
The connections, on the Denon, you would use would be the "front" or "main" speaker connections. You can place the wires that go to the sub in the same connection terminals as your main speakers. The goal is to give the subwoofer the same audio signals as the front speakers.
Cheers, Ken

[Kenneth Swauger]

Hello SB,
The phase switch is to compensate situations where the sound produced by the subwoofer reaches the listening position either ahead or behind the sound produced by the main speakers. Because of this difference in arrival times there could be bass cancellation at the frequency range shared by both the main speakers and the subwoofer. The phase switch reverses the polarity of the woofer's motion to eliminate this bass cancellation.
It can be a little difficult hearing the effects of this switching, since it only involves the common crossover frequencies. The best method would be to use a test CD that can play specific frequency ranges which would let you hear the increase or decrease as you changed the switch setting. The auto calibration feature, found on most receivers, should address this as well.
I hope this is helpful information.
Regards, Ken

[kwczty]

Ken,
I have another dillema. I have just discovered that I do not have cat5e for my sub-woofer, I have Coaxial cable. I was not the one to run this wire and now I am at a dead end. I'm not sure I even have the knowledge to work with this. I can terminate coax for cable connections but not for sound. What to do? What to do?
KenC.

[kwczty]

Ken,

I have all of my speakers connected and have attempted to get my subwoofer to respond but with no luck. I have 5 speakers so using the center channel is out. I terminated the coax and have a coax to RCA connector attached. I used a splitter cable to connect to the two in ports on the SW. I have done the same thing with the other end and utilized the R/B cables for the SW out on my Denon system. I cannot get any output to the SW at all. What am I doing wrong?

[Kenneth Swauger]

Hello,
There might be one more thing you need to do. Go into the receiver's setup and choose "sub-out" on. This should be covered in the receiver's owner's manual.
Also, did you have any problems installing the two RCA plugs on the ends of the coaxial cable? You can always test the cable and subwoofer by connecting either the right or left audio output of a CD/DVD player and playing a CD.
Regards, Ken

[Albertmiranda92]

do u know how to connect it to a sony bdv e 580

[kwczty]

Ken,
Thanks so much for your help. I tested the SW out with an older DVD player with a music CD and the cable and SW checked out fine. I kept working with it (Never received a reply from Denon) and I was finally able to get the receier and SW talking to each other. I am in, as they say, hog heaven now! Everything sounds great.
Thanks again,
KenC.

[Kenneth Swauger]

Hello KenC,
That's good news, I'm glad the system is working! Enjoy!

Hello Albertmiranda92,
From looking at Sony's website it appears that system already comes with a woofer. The description lists all of the inputs it has but not any outputs. I'm not sure how you would add an external connection to a subwoofer?
Regards, Ken

[JimKellyfan]

I had port noise on my PSW10 until I had an A-Ha moment. While hooked to an old stereo to test the PSW10's operation, I noticed it was having that "port noise". I pulled the cover off to check the surround, and it went away completely. It was the PSW10's cover all along. I confirmed this by adjusting the Hz and the volume all over the place and could not duplicate my port noise. The cover doesn't seem broken at all. It merely was moving back and forth with the ported air and vibrating, thus was the port noise. This does come with an unrelated question on the Y splitter though. Will a Y splitter hooked to a single port out harm the receiver (7.1's typically have only one out) ? Or can you just hook one or more Y splitters to the receiver with no issue to it ? In essence can I really have a home made 7.2 or 7.3 or 5 ? (merely a signal, so long as not shorted can be multiplied without issue to stereo). The receivers manual doesn't discuss it, but does clearly show a single cable going to sub. I ask this, because my receiver has no sub out signal anymore. Luckily, it is under warranty. Or, so I hope, the Y doesn't or hasn't voided it.

[JimKellyfan]

For additional reference, I was previously constantly adjusting the PSW10 so as to not have that "port noise" on my main stereo(s) of present and past. Now once I get up and running again with my main stereo, I have to find a safer place for it, so it doesn't get poked with the cover off, so as to avoid the noise and finally truly enjoy this subs capabilities.

[JimKellyfan]

Also for reference, I have had the current stereo hooked via Y connector since last October with no issue until a week or so ago. It's last use was a spirited event (the receiver quit sending a signal to the sub somewhere in there / PSW10 is cool, tested on 2 other stereos), the Y I will test this morning, but assume it is fine (1M/2F) hooked directly to back of receiver.

[martmania]

I have a new Yamaha RXV471 receiver New Polk Monitor 70's and Polk PSW10 Sub. I have the anoying won't go away Radio frequency Interference. I bought excellent quality double insulated sub cable and a Y addapter all high quality. I have tried running just the one cable by itself as well as using the single cable. Both same problem of RFI. Honestly it was better with a cheap RCA cable. I have read up on this issue and it seems like I may just have to return or sell the sub. There is a big cell tower about a mile away from me. Being that the sub is not insulated? I have read about using ferrite cores etc. Any suggestions greatly appreciated! I kind of wished I never heard the Sub as it is great! Still the RFI is a bear I may just not want to fight and settle for the not so much bass 70's

Martmania

[Kenneth Swauger]

Hello martmania,
Welcome to Polk's forum, I'm sorry there's an RF problem. It sounds as though you've tried all the possible solutions and in all likelihood the radio frequencies are being detected by the subwoofer's bass amplifier. Sometimes this problem can be reduced by moving the sub to another area of the room, but if that isn't an option, a different unit might be the answer.
Regards, Ken

[martmania]

Hello martmania,
Welcome to Polk's forum, I'm sorry there's an RF problem. It sounds as though you've tried all the possible solutions and in all likelihood the radio frequencies are being detected by the subwoofer's bass amplifier. Sometimes this problem can be reduced by moving the sub to another area of the room, but if that isn't an option, a different unit might be the answer.
Regards, Ken

Ken

Thanks for the reply. Is there a insulated sub model you can suggest. I have moved around the sub already no luck :(

Thanks!

Martmania