How to get passive subwoofer to work with RSX-1067?

[BlueSander]

okay, so i ended up with a new rsx-1067. The sound is great (i kinds want to go seperate now but prob not for awhile now). The current problem now is I'm running a stereo with a passive subwoofer. I connect the passive woofer to left and right font, then connect the front speakers from that woofer. Everything is great but I have almost no Bass. Is there a way to crank it up? So far, I set front speaker to Large, maxed out LF but no help. 40hz crossover to front and No for subwoofer setting.

[peepaj]

Hi BlueSander,
I don't have a 1067 but here are some things you can try.
Are you sure connections are right?

Settings in 1067 should be fronts large all others small, no subwoofer. I don’t think the crossover works when no subwoofer is selected but set crossover to 80hz. If you still don’t have any bass, the next thing I would try if you can is connect cd player using the analog connections and using the cd-bypass on your 1067. See below:

Analog Bypass: For 2-channel analog inputs, there is a special stereo mode that bypasses
All of the RSX-1067’s digital processing. The two front speakers receive pure analog
stereo full-range signals with no subwoofer crossover, no delay, no level adjustments, and no contour adjustment.

Also if you have a crossover setting on your subwoofer try setting that to about 80hz

[srb]

okay, so i ended up with a new rsx-1067. The sound is great (i kinds want to go seperate now but prob not for awhile now). The current problem now is I'm running a stereo with a passive subwoofer. I connect the passive woofer to left and right font, then connect the front speakers from that woofer. Everything is great but I have almost no Bass. Is there a way to crank it up? So far, I set front speaker to Large, maxed out LF but no help. 40hz crossover to front and No for subwoofer setting.

If you have a passive subwoofer, you are saying that it doesn't have an amplifier built into it.

If it was an active subwoofer, you would connect the Subwoofer pre-out RCA from the Rotel to an LFE RCA input on the subwoofer.

The subwoofer speaker settings in the Rotel are only going to have an effect on the subwoofer if you are using the Subwoofer pre-out RCA connection from the Rotel. When you are connected that way, when you select SMALL for the Front speakers, you will get Subwoofer output when the Subwoofer is set to YES. If the Front speakers are set to LARGE, you will not get any Subwoofer output unless you set the Subwoofer to MAX.

If indeed the subwoofer is passive with no built-in amplifier, and you have connected the Front L/R speaker outputs of the Rotel to it (main), connected your Front L/R speakers to another set of speaker posts (satellite or HF) on the subwoofer and set the Front speakers on the Rotel to LARGE, the only way to vary the amount of subwoofer output is with some kind of subwoofer level control on the subwoofer. Any Subwoofer speaker settings on the Rotel will have no effect.

I apologize if I have misunderstood, can you elaborate further or tell us what brand/model of subwoofer you have?

Steve

[BlueSander]

Thanks for the replies guys.

Yes, my subwoofer is "passive". Everything else is great except the bass level is low. I tried stereo bypass but bass doesn't improve + other things sounds like it's coming off from a cheap boombox. I know other receivers have an option letting users connect their passive woofer to the rear channels but Rotel doesn't have that option.

[srb]

BlueSander,

Generally, a passive subwoofer means that there isn't an amplifier in the subwoofer box, and an amplifier would be provided for it externally.

Since it is passive, and you don't have an external amplifier for it, then you are somehow combining it in either series or parallel with your front speakers and changing the impedance load presented to the front channels of the Rotel amplifier.

I'm not familiar with any setups designed to work like that.

What is the make and model of this subwoofer and what front speakers do you have?

Steve

[Kevin D]

Make sure your speaker cables have their polarity correct. Having one side out of phase can kill your bass.

Kevin D.

[BlueSander]

I got everything right since the first setup. The bass is there but it's really low. I'm using a set of JBL speakers now. They were driven by some cheap amp I have before and the music does blend well together. The 1067 makes me feel like something is seriously missing. The bass is low, the vocal is clear but they're not blended in together.

[Nuthed]

Whatever problem you're having with low bass isn't the fault of the 1067. I have heard a couple of those before. One driving some Paradigm Studio 60s and the other driving a pair of B&Ws, can't remember the models, both set-ups produced plenty of bass.

[srb]

Since it is passive, and you don't have an external amplifier for it, then you are somehow combining it in either series or parallel with your front speakers and changing the impedance load presented to the front channels of the Rotel amplifier.

What is the make and model of this subwoofer and what front speakers do you have?

We are familiar with the Rotel, but at this point if you don't tell us what model of speakers and what model of subwoofer you have so we can see how it might be hooked up and resulting impedances, it is likely we can't help you any further.

Steve

[BlueSander]

I got this JBL passive set for a very long time ago. I tried to look up but there isn't a single serial number nor model number on the thing. The only there is JBL logo and warning label. I'm thinking about getting a complete B&W speakers set now. Eyeing the 805 & HTM2 center but at $1600 + 600 for a used set, I rather pay 4000 for a set of Nautilus 802.

[eelco74]

okay, so i ended up with a new rsx-1067. The sound is great (i kinds want to go seperate now but prob not for awhile now). The current problem now is I'm running a stereo with a passive subwoofer. I connect the passive woofer to left and right font, then connect the front speakers from that woofer. Everything is great but I have almost no Bass. Is there a way to crank it up? So far, I set front speaker to Large, maxed out LF but no help. 40hz crossover to front and No for subwoofer setting.

I have about the same setup. A passive subwoofer, connected to 1 channel of my RB-985MKII amp. The RCA sub out on the pre-amp is connected to the corresponding input of the 985 amp. This works just fine.

Do I understand that the sub settting is set to NO. I you set your speakers to large, and sub to no and 40hz crossover. There will be no output to your sub.

Set yor sub to yes or max and select large for your front speakers.

[srb]

I have about the same setup.

I'm not sure you do. BlueSander has one of the JBL passive setups where his front left and right receiver speaker outputs go to the sub, and the front left and right speakers are connected to the sub.

There is no separate amplifier channel for the sub and no subwoofer pre-out from the receiver being used. That's my understanding.

Steve

[eelco74]

I'm not sure you do. BlueSander has one of the JBL passive setups where his front left and right receiver speaker outputs go to the sub, and the front left and right speakers are connected to the sub.

There is no separate amplifier channel for the sub and no subwoofer pre-out from the receiver being used. That's my understanding.

Steve

I think you are right.

The settings on the 1067 on subwoofer level however have no impact then, as well as setting a 40hz cutoff on a "large" speaker.

the tone/contour control might work in this case.

[gp4Jesus]

I've had 2* Rotel SSPs. This is what I did w/my 980 (dead SW channel) Both sent the lower bass from ANY speaker set=small to the sub channel OR front LR channels if front=LARGE, sub=no.
* 980 & my current 1068

That said, connect the sub to the receiver's LR speaker outputs by itself; disconnect ALL other speakers. Then play some music or movie soundtrack. read on

for your first listen, try front=large, sub=no; no XO or cutoff frequency. try different settings till you find the one w/the most output. Reconnect the rest of your system

hope this helps, tony