Do you have a home theatre system and just added a subwoofer to it? Do you have any questions about the low pass filter option?
Are you weighing the benefits of having a subwoofer low pass filter turned on or off?
Should You Keep Your Subwoofer Low Pass Filter On or Off?
The subwoofer low pass filter should be off if you’re watching movies with heavy production values. This allows you to get the full theater experience. Keeping the LPF on will limit the bass. You should adjust the low pass filter to 70% for the lowest frequency of the main speaker.
Are you confused about how a low filter works?
Don’t worry we’ve covered the low pass filter in detail in the following paragraphs.
What is a Subwoofer’s Low-Pass Filter?
A subwoofer low pass filter limits how much frequency can be produced by the subwoofer. It prohibits the subwoofer from playing frequencies above it. A subwoofer may typically play frequencies ranging from 20 to 200 hertz, whereas, A low pass filter of 80 Hz will only allow sounds below 80 Hz to pass.
If the subwoofer is set at a certain level, higher frequencies than that can’t be played. This is done to get better bass from the subwoofer.
This adds more depth to the playback and is one of the main reasons why it is used.
Low-pass filters allow low-frequency impulses to flow whilst blocking high-frequency tones.
A Low-Pass Filter is used in many subwoofer amps to prevent high frequency from being detected.
A subwoofer, in essence, allows the user to adjust how much bass is produced. It restricts the subwoofer’s ability to produce bass beyond a specified threshold.
Because subwoofers recreate low-frequency bass tones, a low-pass filter is critical. With different choices of subwoofer size, the outcome from the LPF can vary a lot.
Hence, make sure that you don’t have such incompatibility or mismatches between the subwoofer and LPF.
Have you been using the subwoofer for some time now? Do you want to upgrade your current subwoofer? Here are a few subwoofer’s that we recommend:
| Image | Title | Price |
|---|---|---|
  | Bose Bass Module 500, Black | Check Price |
  | Definitive Technology Descend DN12 12" Subwoofer | Check Price |
Why Use a Low-Pass Filter?
A low pass filter has numerous applications and benefits. It can help bring out the bass to its full potential. The LPF accomplishes this by cutting the higher frequency.
This brings out the lower frequency. If you want to hear extra bass from your speakers, you can utilize it.
An LPF can be used to give a muted effect to your music. This isn’t common, but it looks good when mixing music. To utilize low pass filters, you must also know what a high pass filter does. It helps to mainly enhance the audio by attenuating low frequency sounds.
LPF, on the other hand, enables you to give depth to your music and separate the instruments while mixing.
Understanding Subwoofer LPF Settings
A subwoofer is designed to handle sounds that cause your main speakers to weep for their mother.
Obtaining the optimum subwoofer settings for home theatre entails correctly adjusting each component.
To achieve the best results, they should collaborate rather than compete.
The Low-Pass Filter should indeed be adjusted to around 70% of the lowest frequency of your main speaker.
Take, for instance, your speaker’s frequency response goes down to 70Hz. 70% of 70 Hz equals 49, so set the subwoofer’s low pass filter to 49Hz.
What are the Home stereo low pass filter frequency settings?
| Type of Subwoofer | Frequency Set |
| Powered Subwoofer | 70-80 Hz |
| Subwoofer in 2 way system | 1.5 to 3.5 kHz |
| Subwoofer in 3 way system | 250 Hz |
70 – 80 Hz is the recommended low-frequency setting for getting the best sound quality in-home theater.
What are the Car stereo low pass filter frequency settings?
| Type of Subwoofer | Frequency Set |
| Powered Subwoofer | 70 – 80 Hz |
| Subwoofers in a 2-way speaker | 1.5 to 3.5 kHz |
| Subwoofers in a 3-way system | 250 Hz |
We suggest almost the same settings for subwoofer LPF of both Home Theater and Car stereo.
Small speakers aren’t very excellent at producing low-frequency sound. A high pass crossover helps in improving quality and reducing distortions.
For the front speakers, a high-pass filter set to around 56-60Hz will keep them from distorting.
What Happens if the Subwoofer LPF is on?
If the Low-Pass filter is enabled, the subwoofer’s Hz output is limited. The low pass filter prevents higher frequencies from being produced than what it is set to.
So, if you turn on the low pass filter, you’ll hear lower frequency noises from the subwoofer. It enables the production of additional bass.
You can turn on the subwoofer LPF if you want to listen to the bass. It can also be turned on to listen to the other lower frequency sounds more clearly.
Nowadays all kinds of music have bass, so keeping it on when listening to music is a good idea.
What Happens if the Subwoofer LPF is off?
When the subwoofer’s low pass filter is turned off, higher frequencies are produced. The subwoofer’s higher frequencies can overshadow the sound from the main speakers.
Subwoofers can produce sounds at frequencies ranging from 20 to 200 Hz. It’s critical to tune the LPF such that the subwoofer compliments the sound.
The subwoofer is designed to provide bass, but higher frequencies might be overpowering.
Keep the LPF off if you prefer that the subwoofer produces higher frequencies of sound.
If the LPF stays off the subwoofer can play any frequency sound up to its factory-set limit.
So, Should you Keep LPF on or off?
A subwoofer is intended to produce a specific frequency range of sound. Most of the time, the range is restricted to low bass.
A subwoofer’s ability to produce high-frequency audio in music is limited.
You should keep the LPF on if you want to produce sounds at a lower frequency. Also, keep it on to add more depth to the sound.
Keep it on if you don’t want higher frequencies from overpowering the bass. Keeping the LPF on will allow you to ultimately control the bass that you want.
It’ll allow you to create a muffled effect which will add a greater effect to the playback.
The LPF being kept on brings with it a lot of uses and benefits.
Now, that we’ve discussed why you should keep your LPF on., we’ll be covering why you should keep it off.
Keeping the LPF off will allow you to keep as much bass as you like.
The higher frequencies of bass won’t always overpower the playback and sound better as additional support to the main speakers.
If the LPF is off then higher frequencies of bass can be played by the subwoofer. We understand that higher frequencies of bass aren’t up to everyone’s liking.
But if you like uninterrupted bass keep the LPF off and enjoy the playback.
In the end, keeping the LPF on or off is a personal decision that is up to your discretion. Don’t let anyone tell you that your taste in music or the bass is too much!
Low Pass Filter Settings for Home Theater
We’ve discussed in detail below the steps you need to follow to set the low pass filter for your home theater.
Step # 1 Configuring the Crossover
Set the crossover to a frequency above which your main speakers can handle sounds. The subwoofer handles sounds below that point.
We suggest setting it to 80Hz for most systems.
Step # 2 Bass Frequency Swap
One of the most useful tools is a bass frequency sweep. This is a tone with a higher register, to begin with.
The drop in frequency reflects how well your system manages the transition. You wish to go from a frequency of 200Hz to a frequency of 20Hz.
Use this test to discover the appropriate crossover setting.
Step # 3 Setting Speakers to Low
When you set your speaker to low, you enable the subwoofer to do its work. This is a good thing.
It relieves the speaker of the strain of replicating the lowest frequencies. It gives your main speakers new vitality.
They can now play the frequencies, they’ve got the greatest affinity and competence.
Step # 4 Setting LPF to Maximum
Set the subwoofer’s low-pass crossover to its maximum setting. Do so if you have a competent receiver with suitable bass management features.
As a result, the crossover on your subwoofer will not override the crossover on your receiver.
You must ensure that the sub is free and clear to playback anything is handed to it.
Step # 5 Switching the Phase Adjustments
A subwoofer has phase adjustments as well. Some include a switch that may be set to either 0 or 180, while others have a revolving dial.
If you can’t obtain a smooth response from your subwoofer and you can’t relocate it, try this switch.
A subwoofer’s adjustment phase is comparable to what happens when you slide it along a wall.
It modulates the waveform somewhat, causing the peaks in the room to shift. We constantly strive for the greatest sound at the default settings.
Additional Advice: Start with a lower level and work your way up until you find your sweet spot for bass.
You can adjust it to the mid-point setting once you’ve attained the optimum level. From then on, the volume will be regulated by the receiver.
These subwoofer settings ensure that each component is used to its best capability.
Are you thinking about buying a new home theater? Here are a few home theaters that we recommend:
| Image | Title | Price |
|---|---|---|
  | Platin Monaco 5.1 Wireless Home Theater | Check the Latest Price |
  | Polk Audio 5.1 Channel Home Theater System | Check the Latest Price |
Setting the Low Pass Filter in a Car Audio System
Have you recently placed a subwoofer in your vehicle and want to make the most of it? But you’re at a loss as to how to proceed.
Don’t worry, we’ve broken the operation down into several steps.
Step 1: Remove Distortion
Set the amp gain to a modest value. Play some music and increase the volume on your receiver until the sound distorts.
Then turn the volume down till the music is clean again.
This is the highest volume your receiver can produce while still functioning properly. Increase the gain of the amp until you hear distortion again.
Then progressively drop the gain until the distortion is gone. Because the amp gain has been set, you can now drop the receiver volume to a more comfortable level.
Step 2: Turn on the Low-Pass Filter.
Turn your subwoofer amp’s gain knob all the way counter-clockwise. Turn on the low-pass filter and turn it all the way clockwise.
If your remote has level control, set it to the middle position. This gives you the option of boosting or lowering the bass on a certain song.
Set your receiver’s bass tone control to the middle, zero, or “flat” position. Set the parametric equalizer on your subwoofer to the center of the “no gain” position.
Step 3: Adjust the Subwoofer Gain and Low-Pass Filter as needed.
Increase the gain of the subwoofer amp until the sound from your subwoofer is audible. Repeat until the distorted sound is drowned out.
Reduce the sub amp’s low-pass filter until all high- and mid-frequency tones are gone. Cymbals, strings, voices, and guitars should all be removed.
Remove the bass and low drums.
Step 4: Align the Subwoofer Volume with the Receiver Volume.
Increase the volume of the receiver to its maximum, distortion-free setting. Increase the subwoofer amp’s gain until the bass is in sync with the rest of the song.
Experiment with your remote bass boost or level control to see what it works.
Subwoofers do not blend their sound with the rest of the system’s sound waves due to the vastness of the acoustic region.
If your bass has lots of volumes but lacks punch, you can help it by reversing the speaker wires on your subwoofer.
This reverses the forward and backward movements of the subwoofer cone. It’s better to combine all of the sound waves than the other way around.
You can also use different types of speakers like the 5.25 or 6.5 speakers. These speakers have varying qualities and benefits that can be an upgrade.
Troubleshooting
If you hear distortion from your subs, reduce the gain of the sub amp. You’ll need to upgrade to a larger subwoofer and amplifier combo if your sound gets distorted.
You should not reduce the gain to compensate for a lack of subwoofer volume. This could cause the amp to deliver distorted, clipped signals.
This contradicts your goal of a clean, complete sound. More power is always better than insufficient power, especially in the bass.
FAQs
Read through all the previous paragraphs. But still have some confusion left. We’ve answered some common questions we’ve faced.
Should I enable a low-pass filter?
A low-pass filter filters out high frequencies. As a result, high frequencies can be accommodated in other instruments. For instance, if you have a mix with a lot of voice takes, it may sound congested. You can achieve a less muddy mix overall by using an LPF on the vocal takes that don’t require it.
What is the function of a subwoofer’s low pass filter?
The crossover point is controlled by a Low Pass Filter. It is the wavelength at which the subwoofer replaces the other speakers. We always recommend setting the crossover to 80Hz as a starting point. Crossover points can be a question of taste.
What Hz is best for bass?
Most subwoofers benefit from a frequency range of 20-120 Hz. The more bass you can get, the lower the Hz. This Hz range is found in some of the greatest subwoofers on the market. If you are purchasing a subwoofer with a set Hz rating. If the bass is crucial to you, make sure it is lower than 80 Hz.
Bottom Line
People tend to buy subwoofers to enjoy the bass at lower frequencies. But there’s more to just buying and connecting a subwoofer to get the best output.
Should I keep my Subwoofer Low Pass Filter On or Off is a question many film and music enthusiasts ponder over from time to time.
Both have their benefits and negative sides. We’ve covered both sides of the equation in detail.
If you have any queries for us. Let us know in the comments below.
