Subwoofer output not working on pioneer vsx-1020-k (1 Viewer)

just got the pioneer vsx-1020-k receiver and upon speaker setup, i cannot get any sound from the sub. further, its not see'ing the sub during manual or mic test. i get an error message that says the sub is too low and to turn to max. problem is its already at max. it's a powered aiwa sub connected via an rca wire to the sub pre out on the receiver. the sub works great with my HK AVR347 receiver that the pioneer is meant to replace (more HDMI) i tried going to the bass setting in settings to try and turn up but for some reason it wasent there. the manual notes that some settings will not appear due to current setup/config of the receiver however the manual does not explain how to remedy this. so i tried several different setting to get to the bass setting but could not get it appear. the speakers are all setup as small at this point im not sure if its a settings issue or a hardware issue. can anyone offer any enlightenment? i would be greatful.

I haven't played with a Pioneer in ages... But is subwoofer turned on in the Pioneer? I would assume you could still set all speaker groups "small" even if subwoofer is still "off". Also, what crossover are you using? I would imagine an Aiwa subwoofer barely gets below 50hz to begin with...and if your crossover is 40/60 there is great possibility it just isn't doing anything...depending on source. Your HK won't set the sub crossover any lower than 80 and is independent of the rest of the speakers. In the Pioneer, it isn't...by design.

still trying to figure it all out but as far the settings in the pioneer go. i have not seen anything that turns the sub off or on. in manual setup, when your setting your speaker sizes, you can select sw yes/no. in mic test it detects the speakers connected. in this event, it does not see the sub. so far i have only been able to find a setting that toggles the eq off or on. i have not been able to get to an actual eq on the receiver to make adjustments. my big concern is that the system doesnt see the sub. i will look into the hz now.

so when i go into eq settings, the field for the bass is shadowed out and wont let me select it to adjust. is it possible that i need a specifec wire other than an rca cable? i have read on a few forums where the majority of people say rca is fine.

RCA is "non-shielded". Subwoofer cable is shielded(same cable as composite video and digital coax). In "theory" there is zero sonic(or visual) difference...unless there is a lot of interference. Which since "household current" is 60hz...and EMF can run rampant...it could be the problem.

they are decent monster cable rca's but in truth i do not know if they are shielded. I may run out and grab a sub wire just to narrow the possibilites. also x.over is set at 100hz by default and anywhere i can set the sub to "on" has been done. i still cant get to a bass setting anywhere. and the low freq on the eq is dark and no adjustable. probably because it's not detecting a sub. it seems at this point anyway that the receiver is either sending all signals to the l/r fronts and nothing to the sub. the manual says that that only happens if the sub is set to "no" instead of "yes" or "plus". it's just not detecting it and i cannot manually set it up unless it see's a sub connected. im worried that the receiver might be defective.

Let's start with the easy stuff first. Here's what I would do:
[*] Is the sub powered on?
[*] Is the RCA/Sub cable plugged into the correct Subwoofer output on the receiver
[*] Is RCA/Sub cable plugged into correct input on the sub?
[*] In receiver speaker settings is Subwoofer enabled?
[*] Is subwoofer level in receiver muted?
[*] Is subwoofer volume (on sub) muted
[/list] Once I did all these, then I might start digging deeper.

sub is powered on. there is only one input on the sub and one output off the receiver so yes, it is installed correctly. i have gone through all the setting on the receiver and enabled the sub per the manual. if there is something im missing, its not in the manual. turned the sub freq to 3ohm on receiver default x. over is 100hz and max on the sub. cant even adjust low gains on eq because it doesnt detect a sub and therefore wont unlock the channel. wish i had another sub to test my problem is the receiver doesnt see the sub connected. its some cases im reading, people are getting little sound. in my case, during callibration, the receiver doesnt detect the sub at all. all other speakers are fine. i have been reading other blog sites and found two other people who had the exact same issue with this receiver and it turned out to be a bad pre out off the receiver. im hoping to talk with customer service at pioneer and verify. this sub worked(works) fine with my HK receiver so im confident its not the sub. thanks for the help.

Okay, then. Unfortunately, if others are having the same issue then it might be the receiver. I hate for that to be it.

turned the sub freq to 3ohm on receiver

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That makes no sense at all.

this sub worked(works) fine with my HK receiver so im confident its not the sub.

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Test it now. Plug a short RCA cable into the sub. On the other end, touch the center conductor with your finger. You should here a thump coming from your sub.

ive tried the sub from 0ohm to 3 just to see if i hear anything. tried your suggestion with a short rca cord. i did not hear a sound from the sub. your thinking its the sub? i also have considered that and looking for another sub to test.

Does this sub have a permanent cord? And again(Robert was first)... This means ABSOLUTELY NOTHING... "ive tried the sub from 0ohm to 3 just to see if i hear anything" So...WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

not sure i follow. power yes, data, no. found a M&K MX80 sub (older) that im gonna pick up and test tonight.

yo sammy, cool your ass down. are you trying to help or just talking shit? im not as savvy as you guys so im just explaining what i have done. the x.over has sub set at 0ohm. i dont know if thats just because its not detecting it or if thats the right ohm for a sub so i just played around with the number to see what happens. so what im talking about isnt that complicated.

I don't know of any subwoofer that has an Ohm setting. That is why we're a little confused about your setting it to 0 or 3. Can you give us the model number of the Aiwa subwoofer so we can try and find a picture of it on the 'net somewhere? Thanks . The only other ways your subwoofer wouldn't get a signal is if you selected "Pure Audio" instead of stereo or some other option and if "LFE" in the Audio Parameter menu is set to "Off"(see pg 68). But the receiver should still send a signal during the calibration process. I have an Elite vsx-23 (but they all work the same) and I can't duplicate your problem so it might very well be a defective receiver . Also, I couldn't find a Factory Reset procedure in the manual but sometimes if you un-plug the unit from the wall for about 30 minutes things work better after you plug it back in again. It's a long shot but worth a try.

There is no such thing as a "0ohm setting" for subwoofers, period, end of every single discussion of subwoofers. We can not, at all, ever, help you if you continue calling a setting "0ohm or 3"....

wow sammy, your like nick burns buddy....look it up... Gene, thanks for the useful feedback. If you look at the x.over setting in setup it stats an ohm for every channel INCLUDING SW SAMMY! thats the only reason i referenced it. after Genes post, i realize that the 0 setting is probably fixed by design although it is adjustable. just saying... to be clear im talking about the setting on the receiver not the sub itself. never the less i understand very clearly the whole sub/ohm dedacle now. gene, ill get back shorlty with the make/model of the sub. thanks alot for the input

Why don't you take a picture of the menu of this AVR. I'm looking at the manual and no-where is there anything at all resembling "set for 0ohm or 3". Period. By the way, 0ohm is a short circuit. There is absolutely no chance, at all...there is a setting in your AVR called "short circuit", I mean "0ohm".

thats about enough outta you nick burns(he is referring to the SNL skit for those who don't want to waste time Googling...Sam) how bout i take a picture of my nut sack smart guy? can you find that in the manual? gene is more than enough help here so why dont you go run your mouth on someone elses thread you friggin forum troll.

Seriously? I'm not the only one confused by this "0ohm or 3". Robert asked before I did what you were talking about. Go ahead, call him a forum troll as well. And I'm sure Gene is baffled by whatever you are talking about.