Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

General discussion

Home-made subwoofer

Jan 28, 2004 1:21PM PST

I've got a 10inch sub laying around and would like to make it a sub for my PC. Can this be done? If so, how would I go about doing this? I've tried some shoddy setups just to see if I could get it working, but I could not figure it out. I have harman/kardon speakers with a subwoofer plug built into the back. I've never had or seen the insides of a computer sub before so I am not sure of how to make it. Any special wiring involved?

Thanks in advance

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Re:Home-made subwoofer
Jan 28, 2004 4:36PM PST

Because your receiver has a separate woofer output all you have to do is connect the woofer speaker there. But if there isn't any separate connection then the woofer would need L-C filter for it (which might be cheaper just to get a completed unit).

- Collapse -
Re:Re:Home-made subwoofer
Jan 29, 2004 2:28AM PST

Sorry if this double posts.. my first reply seems to have disappeared...

There's a separate output, so I won't be needing a filter.

I've got the plug w/ wire, and I've got the the woofer. The problem I'm having is wiring the two together. I attach the wire to the woofer, then insert the plug into the subwoofer output receptical. However I get no life from the woofer.

I think one thing I should mention is that the woofer I have is just the speaker, meaning it is not enclosed in a box (yet.. I plan to make one). I know regular stereo speakers sometimes have special wiring inside the box to get the speakers working, so would I need to do that kind of wiring to get my woofer working, or should it just work by directly attaching it the wired plug?

If this isn't the place to ask, or if there's another forum or website that anyone can recommend to help me, I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks again.

- Collapse -
Re:Re:Re:Home-made subwoofer
Jan 29, 2004 3:30AM PST

Almost all computer speakers have a built in amplifier. And your subwoofer would need to be amplified too.
My SoundBlaster Live card has a Center/Subwoofer output jack, so I just ran that into an old 20 Watt amp I had laying around, set the treble to minium, and bass to maxium, with an 8" speaker, and results are pretty good, IMO.

- Collapse -
Re:Re:Re:Re:Home-made subwoofer
Jan 29, 2004 4:03AM PST

I see what you're saying.. so I'm not getting any life out of the subwoofer because it needs to be amplified?

- Collapse -
Right
Jan 29, 2004 4:40AM PST

The raw output from the sound card is probably about 1 volt RMS. This will not drive a 10" woofer.

- Collapse -
Laptop to sub woofer
Mar 10, 2009 8:05AM PDT

If you want too hook up to a sub, all u have is have an in put port on your stereo receiver (Usualy a rca port red, yellow & white). The cable is called rca y one end has rca & other end has a 3.5 millimeter jack. plug it in the laptop's headphone port. viola u have whole system connected. any ?'s just ask.