How to Connect a Powered Subwoofer Directly to a TV – Nerd Techy

Although subwoofers were first developed in the 1960s, they have gained prominence among audiophiles and artists alike. In the 1970s, with the development of sensurround used in movies, an immersive audio and video experience was realized. Many surround sound systems have indicated that they include subwoofer technology as part of the package, and today your setup isn’t complete unless you have one.

There are many reasons why you would want a subwoofer as part of your audio repertoire. First, it will help you reveal sounds that your speakers can’t reproduce. most speakers don’t produce sounds below 50hz, which means you’re missing out on all the depth of the bass tones. With a subwoofer this problem is solved because it can reach well below 20hz. you don’t want to miss out on sounds that can completely alter the experience of an audio track in a movie or even the music you listen to.

Another great feature of subwoofers is that, in most systems, you can turn up the volume without creating distortion. When combined with the pitch-perfect bass a subwoofer can deliver, you’ll be able to hear sound exactly as producers and musicians intended. you also get the ability to add speed and control over low-end transients. That means you can present the bass with more realism and punch while rendering each bass line individually and accurately. When included as part of a complete speaker system, the subwoofer acts as the extension that completes the audio range.

Subwoofers dramatically improve the audio experience of your surround sound system. they are speakers that specialize in handling lower frequencies and bass. Subwoofers can reproduce Low Frequency Effects (LFE), which is the .1 in a 7.1 or 9.1 audio system. it’s essentially an entire amp dedicated to low-pitched sound. A subwoofer will generally consist of one or more woofers that are mounted in an amplifier cabinet. the enclosure itself is usually made of wood so it can handle air pressure while resisting warping.

Subwoofers come in two different types, active and passive. an active subwoofer requires a dedicated power supply, while a passive one does not. the passive version will use the power coming from the amplifier instead of a dedicated power outlet. if you want a truly immersive audio system, a subwoofer will play a vital role. most home theater systems are not capable of reproducing the full range of frequencies sent to them by source files. if you don’t have a subwoofer, you’ll miss out on those low frequencies, as well as the ability to achieve a full three-dimensional sound experience. For those of you who really want to feel the bass reverberate inside of you, a subwoofer is an essential piece of the puzzle.

So now that you know you need one, how exactly do you connect your subwoofer to your TV?

method 1: intermediate speakers

There are a few ways to connect a subwoofer to your TV. for the first option, you need to make sure you have an active subwoofer. This means that it cannot receive power through any USB or 3.5mm interface connection. the subwoofer will need to have its own power cord plugged into an outlet.

In addition, you’ll also need a set of external speakers. the reason you need external speakers is that connecting your subwoofer to its audio jack will cut the audio from the tv and send it all to the subwoofer. so in this case you would connect the speaker system to your TV and then connect the subwoofer to your speaker system directly.

method 2: port converter

If your TV doesn’t have a headphone jack, you can use the converter method. for this you will need a port converter that will transform one signal into another. for example, you can convert the coaxial output to digital so it can be connected to your TV. I would connect the digital coaxial cable to the port on the converter and connect an hdmi cable to the hdmi input on the opposite end of the converter. Now you can connect the hdmi cable to the hdmi input of your subwoofer and the whole connection is complete. pretty simple.

method 3: a/v receiver

another approach would be to use an audio/video receiver. It should be noted that you will need to have an a/v receiver that works as a transformer for the signal input and also has the correct connection ports for each device in your audio system. If you meet that criteria, you can make a direct connection from the A/V receiver’s input port to the TV’s audio output. once this is done, you will need to connect your speaker system to the a/v receiver. Next, you’ll need to locate the dedicated subwoofer connection port on the receiver (usually built into most A/V receivers) and connect your subwoofer to that port using an HDMI cable. once everything is complete, all that remains is to power it on and test the system.

old technology

if your tv is a bit older and doesn’t have hdmi ports or an audio jack, it may need to be replaced. though if you live near an electronics store that has highly-skilled technicians, you may be able to take it apart to modify the TV and add the headphone gimmick, although there are some obvious additional risks with this option. With an older TV, it might actually be less expensive to replace your TV than to modify it, so definitely shop around before committing to either option. Sure, your TV might have cost thousands of dollars when you first bought it all those years ago, but now it’s relatively easy to find a 65-inch smart TV at an incredibly affordable price. this is especially the case if you buy one that is an older generation than the latest technology available. Either way, to get back to the point, once you have an audio out jack and your speaker system hooked up, you can connect your subwoofer to your speakers.

final thoughts

A subwoofer is a speaker designed to reproduce low-pitched audio frequencies that you may know as bass or sub-bass. these frequencies cannot be generated by traditional speaker systems, so without a subwoofer, a significant portion of the artist’s intended sound is lost. Of course, a subwoofer is never used alone and must be connected to a quality speaker system to realize its full potential. From amplification to equalization to phase control, subwoofers create a powerful complement to music and sound effects used in television and movies.

Almost every movie theater you visit will have their dolby digital “theater sound” setup that will include a set of powerful subwoofers. To bring that cinematic experience to your own home, a subwoofer is just one part you can’t overlook. there are more than three ways to connect one to your TV, but others require splicing wires or using exposed wires and clamps. Do you know any other way to connect your subwoofer? if so, please comment below and let us know what we missed.