What type of cable is used for subwoofers

It is not at all difficult to connect a subwoofer to equipment reproducing sound. As a rule, it is enough to link input on a sound source and output on a receiver with a cable. It is a matter of several minutes. You are likely to spend more time on tuning your equipment and placing it so that the audio signal is transmitted without interference.

However, this does not mean you can use any subwoofers’ cable. Some nuances still should be kept in mind. There are different equipment types requiring specific transmitters. Study instructions attached to your audio and video devices in order to understand which option suits you.

There are several ways to sync a bass sound source and a receiver. In most cases, a SUB OUT or LFE output is used. Also, your music equipment may need a speaker or RCA wire. This article considers both options so that you could unite any devices into a full-fledged system.

Connecting audio devices with an LFE cable

LFE cables are most often used for establishing a connection with receivers and processors of home theaters. A special output intended for the processing of bass sound may be found on a device’s body.
Surround sound systems (also called 5.1 audio) have a special channel for low-frequency signal (designated as .1) complementing five usual audio channels. You may take a wire with RCA ends on both sides and insert them in an LFE jack (on a receiver) and LFE In / Line In (on a source device).

How to connect a subwoofer to a receiver with a speaker wire / RCA cable?

Some audio devices do not have an LFE input or output. Instead, they have RCA connectors for right and left channels. In such case, it is worth using RCA cable for a subwoofer and a necessary port (R/L). With a cable having a split end (y-type), you can use both ports simultaneously.
Also, some manufacturers use spring clips. Speaker wire would do for such cases. Your audio equipment may be connected just like a usual stereo speaker.
Pay attention to channels. If there are both IN and OUT on a subwoofer, you can sync it with other speakers and transmit sound to a receiver. With only one channel, connections would be similar to those that regular speakers have.

Helpful tips for purchasing the best subwoofer cable

Even if you have top-notch sound generator and receiver, hum and radiated noise caused by a low-quality cable can spoil an overall operation of an audio system. That is why you should treat the purchase of a wire seriously. Make sure it has duly soldered and crimped ends as well as reliable shielding. Otherwise, interference would be attracted from adjacent devices in the same way as magnetizing influences the metal.

If you have passive equipment, a wire should have a limited length and a 10 or 12 gauge to maintain an optimal resistance level. Then low frequencies would be processed smoothly.

Capacitance is very important for the normal work of wires. If it is unnecessarily high, the bass sound is transmitted improperly and a receiver is overloaded. This happens when a cable is way too long. Please note that wrong exploitation may result in a dead short.

When choosing the material of cabling, give preference to copper. It is cheap and ideal for bass sound, while silver is more suitable for a high-frequency audio signal.

We hope that this article has proven useful and your audio system would sound great!