How to Connect a Passive Subwoofer at Home

Use the sub output jack on your home theater receiver to connect an amp for the passive subwoofer.

A passive subwoofer is a bass speaker without an amplifier. Unlike a powered sub, which contains its own amp, a passive sub must be connected to an amplifier, which in turn is hooked up to a home theater receiver that sends the audio signal to the sub. Standard speaker wire can be used for the connection to the amplifier, while the amp-to-receiver hookup requires a 1/4-inch audio cable.

Things You'll Need

• Receiver
• Audio cable
• Amplifier
• Speaker wire
• Wire strippers

Instructions

1. Connect the 1/4-inch audio cable from the sub output jack on the rear of the home theater receiver to an input jack on the amplifier.

2. Cut a length of speaker wire to connect from the amp to the passive sub. Remove 1/2 inch of insulation from the pair of wires on each end.

3. Attach the striped or colored wire to the positive (red) terminal on the rear of the amp and the other wire to the negative (black) terminal.

4. Connect the two strands on the other end to the terminals on the passive subwoofer in the same way.

5. Set the amplifier's selector switch, if it has multiple inputs, to the input for the home theater receiver. Some amps also have a button or switch to select a specific speaker connection, so set this switch to the subwoofer connection.

References

• Smart Home: Hooking up a Subwoofer