Is there a way I can hook up a subwoofer to a receiver that has no hook up for a subwoofer.?

Question

The receiver is a Yamaha RX-V470. If I can, can I use a passive sub or does it have to be powered. Thanks.

Answer 1

You can use a passive sub. Most passive subs will have a cross over which will send out the higher frequncies to your other speakers and keep the low stuff in the sub. THey connect to your speaker jacks just like regular speakers.
Otherwise you can get an adapter which will convert the speaker level to a line level output which can then be fed to a powered sub. This is the route I would take If I was going to add a sub to a system without a sub connection. They go for around 60 bucks online. Do an internet search for a speaker level line level converter. or
Russound makes one ADP-1.2 ...or check this one out
http://www.hometech.com/audio/spline.html#AT-SPKCNV

Answer 2

What the other two people have said will work, but there is another alternative. Some of the best subs on the market, including REL, (and possibly others, but I don't know them) have "high-level" hookups. You connect the sub to the speaker-level outputs on your amp, in parallel to your existing speaker connections. Your speakers continue to receive the full-range signal, and the crossover in the sub is adjusted to play from the end of the speaker's capability down into the lowest sub-bass notes. This design not only allows you to hookup without a "sub out" on your receiver, it actually allows the speaker to do the full job it was designed for, and lets you use a powered sub instead of a passive one. Check it out and make up your own mind.

Answer 3

The sub has to have 8 speaker wire jacks: 4 for input, 4 for output.

If the sub has this:

- Run speaker wire to the inputs on the sub from the L/R speaker outputs on the receiver.

- Run more speaker wire from the L/R sub outputs to your L/R speakers.

The sub will strip off the low-frequency sounds it wants, and pass the rest onto your L/R speakers.