LFE Or No LFE? I Need To Learn.

[therock]

I have a listening problem with Bass levels fluctuating too much between listening applications and need some help info.
See my audio equipment details in my signature.
First the sub is a fantastic unit. Clean accurate tight bass.
The problem is the bass right on one broadcast or source and the next has bass that is just horrid. Too loud and boomy. I have to get up and adjust the sub volume or turn the bass down at the receiver or what ever.
The Onkyo TX-SR800 and a Dahlquist Sub are LFE capable.
I do not know the difference between or which to apply.
I am currently running from the receiver's single sub out and splitting it at the sub to the left & right inputs.
The LFE would be one cable from sub out to the LFE input on the sub? My receiver menu has separate LFE adjustments from 0 dB to -10 dB and infinity for the Dolby Digital and DTS.
The manual suggests a Zero setting but states if a rsource is recorded with the low frequency range too strong, lowering the setting may be required. Does this relate to my sub input\output quality or the whole recording?
Help?

What sub settings do I start out with if I go to LFE. I have volume and freq knobs.

[Chris D]

therock, what MAY be happening is that you need to adjust the LFE output for Dolby Digital and DTS. The level may be just right for, say, an analog input from your CD player, but if you change over to a DVD movie that is inputting Dolby Digital, the LFE could be off. So what I would do is calibrate you speaker and subwoofer levels using an analog input, so everything is at reference levels and balanced. Then do the same for a Dolby Digital input, but instead of changing your SUBWOOFER output level in your receiver's menu, change the separate level option it has for DD or DTS.

Just a thought, see if that's the problem. It sounds like you have the correct setup. You need to run FROM your receiver's sub out TO the actual subwoofer. For this discussion of differences in source levels, it makes no difference whether you're just going to a single input on your subwoofer or splitting with a Y-cable to two inputs.

[therock]

OK, One more.........

You need to run FROM your receiver's sub out TO the actual subwoofer. For this discussion of differences in source levels, it makes no difference whether you're just going to a single input on your subwoofer or splitting with a Y-cable to two inputs.

.........Thanks, I'll try it soon. Hang in here with me.

What about,
I am going from the recievers sub-out to the sub's-in via the splitter. Also on the sub there is a single RCA jack labled LFE.
If I go into it instead of the red and white jacks, what will be the difference? Is this (sub out connection) it's designed intent to recieve?
As per experimenting, the LFE Dolby & DTS adjustments tamper with the low frequency across the all the sound. I guess what I want, is to control the sub's output only. I am usually happy with all the rest, I just get too much sub when going from one movie to another.

[Audiophiliac]

Most of the time when you have stereo inputs AND an "LFE" input on a subwoofer, the stereo inputs allow the use of the sub's internal crossover and gain adjustment. The LFE input may bypass these and only use the upstream Processor to do the job.

Your sub manual should explain the exact case for your model.