Regardless of what type of connection is available, be it RCA or direct wired, it is highly recommended to use shielded, heavy gauge cabling specifically designed for subwoofers. Such cables provide a cleaner, more noise-free audio signal. The image below shows two subwoofer outputs.

What cables do you need for a subwoofer?

If your subwoofer doesnt have an internal amplifier, youll definitely want to connect an amplifier to it. To do this, youll need your subwoofer, an amplifier, at least one set of RCA cables (these are the red, white, and yellow jacks on a single cable), speakers, and speaker wires.

Do subwoofers require special cables?

Subwoofers do not require any specific form of audio cabling. The specific type of cable needed to connect a subwoofer to an audio system will depend on the audio input jacks built onto the subwoofer itself.

Are LFE and RCA cables the same?

More often than not, a subwoofer will use a singular LFE (low-frequency effects) input cable to connect with its receiver. However, another method is using the left and right inputs (RCA connectors) in which low frequencies are sent through the right and left channels.