Q. I have a single subwoofer output on my Onkyo TX-SR705 A/V receiver but want to run two subwoofers and a basshaker amplifier. What is the best way to pull this off? - Dennis, St. Louis

A. This particular receiver is designed for 7.1 surround, which means it only supports a single channel for a subwoofer. Technically speaking, this cannot be done. However, if you want to do it anyway, you could use the 2-zone capability of this receiver to make this work. Install a 5.1 surround system, then use the 2 remaining zone-2 channels to run your extra subs and shakers. This will take some on-screen programming and finagling, but this could work for you.

Another option is to simply split the receiver’s subwoofer output, 3-ways (simple audio splitters will do) and run each of your new subwoofers off those. You will be limited by the output amplification/power to the subwoofers and it won’t be technically balanced, but will work.

I would consider hooking up one subwoofer to the LFE jacks on the receiver, which sends the special effects sounds to one subwoofer and possibly the basshaker, then connect the other subwoofer to a speaker terminal jack. There are a multitude of subwoofer connection types, so this has an effect on what and how you can connect. Also, based on the varied connections, the sound can be drastically different based on the settings for the speakers and subs in the OSD or setup screen of your receiver, so experiment with these settings too. 

About the Author:
Dan Fulmer - President, FulTech Solutions, Inc.

FulTech Solutions is a high-end, custom, systems integration, design & installation firm, offering unique systems for more than a decade. FulTech is an award winning and nationally recognized company offering it's services across the East Coast and Carribean.