HKTS 5 - Harman Kardon Audio Service Manual (repair manual). Page 4

HKTS 5

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HKTS 160SUB Rear-Panel Connections

Crossover control: This knob adjusts the subwoofer's cutoff between 50Hz and 150Hz.

The higher you set the Crossover control, the higher in frequency the subwoofer will 

operate and the more its bass will "overlap" that of the system's other speakers. This 

adjustment helps achieve a smooth transition of bass frequencies between the subwoofer 

and the system's other speakers for a variety of different rooms and subwoofer locations. 
NOTE: If you have connected the subwoofer to a receiver/processor with a low-pass 

filtered LFE output, set the subwoofer's Crossover control to the 150Hz positon (fully 

clockwise).
Phase switch: The Phase switch determines whether the HKTS 160SUB’s piston-like 

action moves in and out in phase with the satellite speakers. If the subwoofer were 

to play out of phase with the satellite speakers, the sound waves produced by the 

subwoofer could be canceled out, reducing bass performance and sonic impact. This 

phenomenon depends in part on the relative placement of all the speakers in the room. 

In most cases the Phase switch should be left in the "NORMAL" position. However, it 

does no harm to experiment, and you can leave the Phase switch in the position that 

maximizes bass response and impact.
Power On Mode switch: If this switch is set in the"AUTO" position and the Power switch 

is set to "ON", the HKTS 160SUB will automatically turn itself on when it receives an 

audio signal and will enter the standby mode once no audio signal has been received for 

about 15 minutes. When this switch is set in the "ON" position, the HKTS 160SUB will 

remain on whether or not it is receiving an audio signal. An LED on the HKTS 160SUB’s 

top panel indicates whether the subwoofer is in the on or standby state:

 

• When the LED glows white, the HKTS 160SUB is turned on.

 

• When the LED is not illuminated, the HKTS 160SUB is in standby mode.

When the Power switch is set to "OFF", the LED will not be illuminated, no matter what 

setting the Power On Mode switch is in.

Subwoofer Level control: Use this control to adjust the HKTS 160SUB’s volume. Turn 

clockwise to increase the volume; turn counterclockwise to decrease the volume.
Line-Level In/LFE connector : Connect the subwoofer output of your receiver or preamp/

processor to this jack. The signal from this connector passes through the subwoofer's 

internal low-pass crossover.
Power switch: Set this switch in the "ON" position to turn the HKTS 160SUB on. The 

subwoofer will then either be on or in standby mode, depending on the setting of the 

Power On Mode switch.
Power cord (non-detachable): After you have made and verified all subwoofer and 

speaker connections described in this manual, plug this cord into an active, unswitched 

electrical outlet for proper operation of the HKTS 160SUB. DO NOT plug this cord into the 

accessory outlets found in some audio components.

Crossover control

Phase switch

Power On Mode switch

Subwoofer Level control

Line-Level LFE connector

Power switch

Power cord