Dumb? Sub help.

The knob that says "level" (min-max) controls volume. Adjust it until the subwoofer volume is at your preferred listening level. If you have a disc with test tones and a SPL meter, you can dial in your sub's volume more accurately, but doing it by ear should be ok.


The switch that says "normal" and "reverse" controls phase. I'd leave it at "normal", listen to some bass-heavy music for a little bit, then set it to "reverse" without changing anything else, and listen to the same stuff again. Whichever setting gives more bass output is the correct setting.


The "cut off" knob is your sub's internal crossover. It tells the subwoofer what frequencies to play up to before it stops and lets the other speakers take over. If you're connecting the subwoofer with an RCA cable to your receiver's "sub" output, just turn this knob to 200hz, or if there's a way to turn off the crossover, do that. The receiver will set the crossover frequency for you. If you're connecting your speakers with speaker wire to the subwoofer, find a point at which the crossover frequency makes the subwoofer and other speakers blend together well and sound balanced.


This is just a very basic explanation. If you need or want more assistance, I'm sure many people here will be ecstatic to smother you with technical details . Good luck.


Stephen

Glad to be able to help. A couple more things...


First, I somewhat misspoke (or mistyped?) earlier when referring to the crossover. I said the receiver will set the crossover frequency for you. What I should have said is you can choose which crossover point to set the receiver to. Some really cheap receivers are fixed at a certain crossover point. Most better receivers will give you a range of options between 50-150hz. 80hz is the THX standard, and it's a very good starting point. You might want to try different crossovers on your receiver to see which crossover allows your speakers and sub to integrate the best.


Second, what sub(s) do you have? Not that it's a big deal, but it's always fun to know what gear everyone else is using . Also, what settings did you end up using with your sub, after experimenting with the volume, phase, and crossover?


Have fun!


Stephen