Estimated time: 2 hours
Estimated cost: Up to US$100Step 1: Getting started
Everybody knows subwoofers deliver floor-shakin' bass, but they can also pump up the realism and sound quality of your home theater. Or not. If you plopped your sub behind a potted plant, you're probably missing out on most of the sub's potential. We'll take you through the process of connecting, setting up, calibrating, and placing your subwoofer. Invest an hour or two following our step-by-step process, and you could very well end up with a home theater that offers dramatically improved sound. .Step 2: What you'll need
THX-certified subwoofer cables from Monster Cable.
Assuming you already have a full home-theater audio system with an A/V receiver, surround-sound speakers, and a subwoofer, the cost of the performance upgrade ranges from nil (if you don't need additional cabling) to less than US$100 for a new--and possibly longer--subwoofer cable. For example, a 24-foot MonsterBass 300 cable goes for US$60. That length might seem a bit extreme, but it may come in handy even in an average-size, 6 x 8m room, especially when you're running it along a baseboard to keep it out of sight. Also, keep in mind that you may wind up moving the sub to the opposite end of the room from your receiver in order to get the best sound.
Depending on the size and weight of your subwoofer, you might want to enlist the aid of a strong buddy to do a bit of heavy lifting. It's also helpful to have a second pair of ears to verify your listening tests.
Tip:
Before starting this project, read the setup portions of the owner's manuals of your A/V receiver and subwoofer. They should contain information relevant to your specific models beyond the generalities we present here. If our recommendations conflict with the manuals' advice, stick with the manufacturers' methods.Tags: cable, home theater, Monster, performance, manufacturer
