Manually set subwoofer setting to Yes on Marantz NR1403

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Kit_1_

Commendable
Aug 14, 2016
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1,510
I have a Marantz NR1403 receiver connected to Polk TR-15 speakers, and I am trying to connect a Polk PSW-10 subwoofer to the receiver. There is an SW Out setting on the back of the receiver but the only way I've been able to make the sub play is by plugging the single end of the Y-split cable to the red Pre Out jack next to the SW Out jack; that is, into technically the wrong jack.

The reason it doesn't work in the SW Out jack is because (I think) the Marantz receiver is set by default to a Subwoofer "Off" setting –– and that setting should be set to "ON" for my purposes.

To complicate matters, I got the receiver at an amazing price but as an "open box" item ... without set-up disk, manual, etc. I downloaded a PDF manual for the NR1403 and have been manually trying to change that setting.

And here is the problem. Although it ought to be simple to change the Sub setting on the Marantz from Off to On, I can't seem to do it. I start by manually clicking on AUX with the remote, then using the SETUP button on the remote to go to AUDIO, then using the down-arrow to go to INPUTS, then using the down-arrow to go to SPEAKERS, and then I get stuck. Sometimes, I get as far as SPEAKERS CONFIGURATION, and even to SUBWOOFER "OFF" ... but I can't find a way to change Off to On. The remote has nothing (obvious) that says YES or NO, so I've not been able to do what seems intuitive, which is to say NO to the default setting and click something that says YES to the "On" setting.

Sometimes I get settings for the AUDYSSEY setup, but again, this was an open-box receiver without certain stuff. So I'm not setting anything up via a TV menu, and instead am trying to do it manually.

Finally I should add that I simply want this system to play music. I've no interest in Home Theater, DVD, etc. I just want to plug my laptop in and listen to music (from an external hard drive). All of which I've been able to do successfully. The speakers work, the music plays, I just want to get the Sub working out of its SW Out jack.

Sorry this is so long and concrete. I'm not at all technical and I'd be thankful for any ideas.
 

ien2222

Distinguished
As AA mentioned, it'll be easier if you temporarily hook it up to a tv/monitor for navigating the menu, once setup is done you can remove it again.

By any chance, did you get the mic for Audyssey? If you did I'd suggest using it, if only to get the distance values and volume offset. I can talk more about it later if you did.

Just so you're starting fresh, look on page 93 of the manual and do a microprocessor reset, on other forums usually you get the advice that you should do it 4-5 times in a row. I'd think once would be enough but that advice is from people very familiar with Denon/Marantz and it only costs you a couple of minutes doing it.

If you are going to use Audyssey, stop right here and I'll help in another post working through that.

Otherwise:
(I use a Denon, but I believe the menu is pretty much the same, so if something I say is different and you can't figure it out, just ask and I'll dig through the manual)

For the Polk speakers, I'm not aware of any TR-15 but there is a T-15 so I'll be basing this off of that.

Go into setup -> speakers -> manual setup: First, go into speaker config and in here you'll set front speakers to "small" and subwoofer to "yes". Center and surrounds should be set to "none" (it sounds like you are just using 2.1).

After that go back up to manual setup and choose bass: Here make sure subwoofer mode is set to "LFE", and not "LFE+Main". For LPF for LFE, set that to "80Hz"

Again go back up a level to manual setup and choose crossover: For crossover choose "individual" and then set front to "80Hz"

Now go back to setup and choose -> audio -> subwoofer level: Subwoofer should be set to "on" and then set the level to -5.0dB

At this point bass management should be working.

Now, on the sub itself, turn the low pass all the way up to 160Hz (this is because we are letting the AVR handle the crossover), turn the volume all the way down and hook it up as describe in your sub manual to the sub pre-out.

Since we are not using anything to measure the sound what you'll want to do now is start playing some music you are very familiar with and slowly turn up the volume on the sub until it sounds balanced with the speakers. Sit where you'd normally listen and evaluate that balance between sub and speakers then go back and adjust as needed.
 

Kit_1_

Commendable
Aug 14, 2016
3
0
1,510
Thank you to both American Audiophile and ien2222. I got both of your responses after I returned today to the place I had bought the NR 1403 and had someone who seemed pretty competent set it up on one of their subwoofers. I never did have the Audyssey mic (didn't have much, this being an open box model: just the receiver and a remote) ... so all along, whether at home or at the store, the setup was going to be a manual one. Anyway he did pretty much what you both suggested, he set it up on a large TV screen in the store. (Where I was unable at home to find the relevant menus on the receiver's screen, he was able to find such and then make choices.)

The setup person's actual settings dovetail closely with ien2222's suggestions (front speakers = "small," subwoofer= "yes," LPF for LFE at 80Hz, etc.) –– the one difference being that he suggested that I set the low pass at about "11:00 o'clock" (about 80Hz I guess) when I got back home and connected the receiver to my subwoofer. I'm beyond clueless at this stuff so I don't know how to evaluate the different "low pass" suggestions (11:00 o'clock versus 160).

But the system sounds pretty good at the moment and I'm a lot happier. Mostly I want to (again) thank both of you. And ien2222, I'm truly appreciative for your generous, detailed response.
 

Kit_1_

Commendable
Aug 14, 2016
3
0
1,510
Addendum to ien222: I think your suggestion of "Low Pass = 160" tallies with both the Polk PSW 10 manual guidelines and also the advice I got earlier from elsewhere ... so I'm going to follow it. By advice "from elsewhere," I mean this: I was told that if I operated the sub out of the "wrong" jack (red Pre Out jack), I should set the Low Pass at 80-100 Hz; but if I operated the sub out of the "correct" SW Out jack on the back of the Marantz, then I should set it to the high setting (as you suggested).

Thanks again.
 
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