Subwoofers Overly Quiet and Keeps Going into Standby at Low Volume Listening

[ja_kub_sz]

Hello,

Just got a new Integrated amplifier (Technics SU-R1000) and have dual stereo subwoofers connected via the preout R/L RCA connections (RCA Y-splitter at each Line In R/L connection) on my KEF 12b sub's.

While listening at low volume my subwoofers keep going into standby mode and turn off. The subwoofers also don't sound very lively at all. I have the crossover and volume at "Max" just to try to hear them and they don't sound loud or overly bass heavy at all, which at max volume would've sounded very over the top with my previous integrated amplifier.

Wondering what could be causing this, and how to potentially fix it?

But dually concerning is that even when I crank up the volume on the subwoofer, they sound extremely tame and subdued.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[davidf]

It’s because the output to the subs - which you have halved by splitting, is too low to keep the subs on at lower levels. As you have two subs, they’re not acting as a stereo pair unless they’re plugged individually into the left and right outputs. Plugging one sub into the left output and one into the right output will make them genuinely stereo, and feed them a louder signal.
You should only need to split an audio out if you have a single subwoofer output going to two subs.

 

[ja_kub_sz]

Plugging one sub into the left output and one into the right output will make them genuinely stereo, and feed them a louder signal.

Thank you very much for the reply, but I'm confused.

I have a single "Pre Out" RCA R/L (2 port white and red) on my amplifier.

Each subwoofer has a "Line In" RCA R/L (2 port white and red) input.

I am plugging one sub into each of the Pre Out ports, which as you put it would have the signal

Amp Preout (R/L)
R --> RCA cable --> RCA Y --> Sub (1) R+L input
L --> RCA cable --> RCA Y --> Sub (2) R+L input

I kept each sub separate to each of the amp's pre out ports, R (pre out) and the other L (pre out) wanting "stereo" sub's.

Am I all wrong in this thinking?

 

[Tinman1952]

Thank you very much for the reply, but I'm confused.

I have a single "Pre Out" RCA R/L (2 port white and red) on my amplifier.

Each subwoofer has a "Line In" RCA R/L (2 port white and red) input.

I am plugging one sub into each of the Pre Out ports, which as you put it would have the signal

Amp Preout (R/L)
R --> RCA cable --> RCA Y --> Sub (1) R+L input
L --> RCA cable --> RCA Y --> Sub (2) R+L input

I kept each sub separate to each of the amp's pre out ports, R (pre out) and the other L (pre out) wanting "stereo" sub's.

Am I all wrong in this thinking?

Surely you don’t need a splitter cable?
R—>RCA cable —>Sub (1) R input
L —>RCA cable —>Sub (2) L input
Otherwise as previously stated you have split (halved) the signal and sent one channel into both channels of each sub…..

 

[ja_kub_sz]

Surely you don’t need a splitter cable?
R—>RCA cable —>Sub (1) R input
L —>RCA cable —>Sub (2) L input
Otherwise as previously stated you have split (halved) the signal and sent one channel into both channels of each sub…..

Okay 😂... Alright I get it!

Thanks a ton!

 

[Deliriumbassist]

Back when I was a retailer selling KEF, they had a feature that would detect whether there was a single or dual signal input, and the single signal would be bumped up internally to match. Assuming they still do this, using a splitter cable would bypass that.

 

[ja_kub_sz]

Yeah, hooked them up with a single RCA cable to each for the R/L preout and that did seem to help, I also flipped the phase from 0° to 180° and that too added volume.

I'm still gonna try speaker level/high level connections because I noticed on my last set up when I did that the volume of the subwoofer drastically increased to where I had to turn it down.

But now I'm still a little puzzeled to as how I'll do stereo high level connections since my sub's have a 4 pin speaker wire input.