How to Hook Up Surround Sound to Show a Subwoofer

Subwoofers are part of a surround sound system.

You can hook up surround sound to show a subwoofer by connecting the speaker correctly to your home theater receiver. A subwoofer is typically used with a home theater system for the bass from an audio source, such as an audio CD or when watching a movie. Most home theater receivers have a "pre-out" connection that is used specifically to connect to a subwoofer, with a standard RCA audio cable.

Things You'll Need

• Home theater receiver
• Surround speaker system
• Subwoofer cable

Instructions

1. Find a location for the subwoofer, such as in a corner near the home theater receiver.

2. Plug one end of the subwoofer cable into the pre-out on the back of your home theater receiver. The pre-out will be indicated by "Sub in", "LFE", "Direct", or "Bypass."

3. Plug the other end of the cable into the back of the subwoofer.

4. Turn on the home theater receiver and play a music CD or a movie to test out the bass that is coming from the subwoofer.

5. Adjust the audio level of the subwoofer by using the volume controls on the receiver. There may also be a volume control that you can adjust on the subwoofer.

Tips & Warnings

• The subwoofer volume may need to be adjusted by using the home theater receiver remote.

• Refer to the manual for your home theater receiver for instructions to properly set up the subwoofer.

• If the subwoofer is placed too far away from the front speakers, the bass will not appear to be coming from the main speakers.

References

• Cnet Australia: How to Set Up a Subwoofer