3 Common Problems with Subwoofer Wiring in Your Home Theatre

There are several common problems that can occur with your subwoofer wiring in your home theater. Whether you installed the subwoofer wiring for your home theater yourself or it was professionally installed there are at least three common problems that occurs, which will be discussed in this how-to article. The 3 common problems with subwoofer wiring that will be discussed in this article includes improper wattage to power the subwoofer, subwoofer out of sync and the subwoofer that works intermittently.  

This article will discuss these issues in very general terms. Specific solutions for the common problems that may occur with your subwoofer wiring in your home theater should be addressed by a trained technician or troubleshot using the installation information that your relied upon when you wired your home theater. If the problems that persist with your subwoofer cannot be addressed, you may consider replacing the wiring in order to eliminate the problem altogether.

What is a Subwoofer?

A subwoofer, in order to establish a common understanding of its use, is a component that is found in entertainment systems that are found in your home or in your car. The subwoofer is a speaker that produces a low frequency bass sound. The subwoofer is a large speaker in comparison to other speakers that are found in an entertainment system. The most common use for the subwoofer is in home theaters that produce an audio sound that is accented or highlighted by the punch of the speakers powerful bass audio.

Problem #1 - Improper Wattage for the Subwoofer

A problem with the wattage needed to power the subwoofer is a common problem that may be as simple as checking to see if the power output matches the output available for your home theater. If you have mixed component brands when building your home theater it is possible that a mismatch may exist between the power capabilities of your base system and the capabilities of the subwoofer. This problem may be addressed by adding a power booster to the base system in order to raise the capacity of the system to accommodate the power requirements of the subwoofer.

Problem #2 - Subwoofer Operating Out of Sync

Another problem with your subwoofer wiring can be that it is out of sync with your home theater’s base system components. This again can be more prevalent when using different component pieces and not relying on matching components from the same manufacturer. Compatibility may eliminate the syncing problems that you are experiencing. You may also need to change the wiring to that of the same manufacturer in order to reestablish a proper sync between the components of the home entertainment system.

Problem #3 - Subwoofer Operating Intermittently

If you are experiencing problems with your subwoofer working in and out and not producing a consistent, low rumble bass, it could be indicative of a short or bad wire that is hooking the subwoofer to the other home theater components. Use an electrical voltage or current meter to determine which wire is bad and replace it in order to eliminate the problem of intermittent performance of the subwoofer in relationship to the rest of the home theater.