Got Subwoofer?

[The Cramblersons]

When I bought my Voltage 3305, the Voltage brochure said it came with a 150W subwoofer for the media system. During our first trip, I was disappointed to find very little bass response in the sound system, so I searched around the RV for the subwoofer to see if I could make some level adjustments. I couldn't find it anywhere so I called the dealer who sold it to me to ask where it could be. They told me the V-series doesn't come with the sub. Only the "full Voltage package" has the sub. Well, damn. I guess I could always put one in myself at some point.

Fast forward 5 years, to our current interior remodel....
Today I removed the fireplace so I could add a 5mm thickness subfloor "spacer" so the edge of the new flooring would slide under it for a clean finish. When I looked inside the space behind the fireplace (clear into the back side of the basement storage panel), not only was I amazed at the tangle of haphazardly installed wiring and plumbing, but I was astounded to find a powered subwoofer, installed high up inside the left side of the fireplace facade, immediately below the stereo!! Even better than that - after tracing the wiring, I determined the audio inputs to the sub were mis-wired to the audio INPUTS of the stereo head unit, IMMEDIATELY BELOW THE CLEARLY LABELED MONO SUBWOOFER OUTPUT! Well, that's never going to work. So a quick trip to Best Buy for an RCA Y adapter, and I have the system humming along nicely. And the powered sub actually has a reasonable number of level, crossover, low pass and phase adjustments. And it sounds pretty decent.

Now mind you, I am a career audio/video technology professional (as in broadcast centers and performance venues, not simply "stereo systems") so I know a few things about the dynamics of sound reproduction. And having a subwoofer installed inside a sealed cavity, is not optimum. Wherein it will shake and rattle everything around it (much like in a car stereo), low frequencies need a longer "throw" for optimum fidelity. Yes, even with mediocre products in an RV. So I relocated the sub to the space below the curbside stairs . The risers are outfitted with vented panels to allow the furnace to suck fresh air in, so this allowed the woofer to face directly into the living area without obstructing furnace airflow. These panels can also be removed to access the sub for maintenance and adjustment if needed. Interestingly, the sub also has an RJ12 connector labeled "Remote", so next I'll look into whether a remote control for fine tuning the sub can be installed next to the stereo head unit.

So, what began as a 30 minute project, turned into an entire day of effort. But well worthwhile in my opinion. I love my tunes. Now to replace those crappy car stereo ceiling speakers!! ��

[BassinBill]

In my 3305, I also have a subwofer not hooked up correctly. I removed my fire place seen it. ( 6month ago) Not much room to check wiring. I'm going to check mine again later to see exactly what it needs to function.

[The Cramblersons]

Let me know if you need help with troubleshooting. There’s an “AUTO” switch that will sense input and turn the amplifier on/off. Probably hard to see that and the power light up behind the fireplace. I recommend unscrewing the unit and checking it where you can see it.
For my on/off fu cation, I ran a dedicated wire and hooked up the remote trigger from the stereo. This way it turns on before the sound comes up. Check to make sure your RCA jacks are plugged into the “Subwoofer out” jack on the back of the radio. You’ll need a Y adapter for that mono signal to get to both channels of the sub.
Good luck. Worth the effort for sure!