About Home Theater Subwoofer Crossover

The crossover setting on home theater receivers and powered subwoofers are often total mysteries to their owners. Knowing about and being able to properly set your subwoofer crossover can really improve the quality of your sound system.

Function

In a surround system, the subwoofer's purpose is to carry the low frequency of your sound. The crossover sets the point at which your satellite speakers stop producing the bass and your subwoofer begins. Therefore, setting it can make a big difference. Setting it too high will produce a muddled sound, and setting it too low can make it seem hollow.

Receiver's Crossover

Most home theater receivers have a crossover setting built into its setup. In some easy setups, choosing "small" or "large" in the receivers' speaker settings tells the amp where to set the crossover. In many cases, setting this correctly is all you need to do.

Subwoofer's Crossover

For a more tuned sound, some subwoofers have a crossover dial. This dial allows you to set the crossover on a more exact spot on the sound curve. These adjustments are not night and day changes for most customer's ears. It's best to experiment with the crossover dial to find what works for your room.

References

• DIY Subwoofer: Integration
• Axio Home Theater: Subwoofer Setup