RMW8A: Wires, Inputs & Controls

Introduction

The Rockville RMW8A 8-inch powered subwoofer is designed to add deep bass to your car audio system with an easy-to-install setup. This guide will walk you through wiring, input connections, and control settings, so you can get the most out of your subwoofer.

What's Covered:

• Wiring the power harness
• Connecting the bass remote control
• Adjusting crossover and gain settings
• Connecting RCA inputs

Wiring & Installation

1. Powering the Subwoofer

On the side of the subwoofer, you'll find a power harness port where you plug in the included wire harness.

• Align the harness properly before plugging it in – it will only fit one way.

Harness Wires:

• Red Power Wire – Connect this to a 12V lead from the battery.
• Black Ground Wire – Attach this to a metal chassis or grounding point in the vehicle.
• Blue Remote Wire – Connect to either:
  • The ignition or accessory switch in your vehicle.
  • The remote out of your head unit (if available).

Tip: If you need help running the power, ground, and remote lines, check out Rockville's amplifier installation video for step-by-step instructions.

2. Status LED Indicator

Located at the bottom of the subwoofer:

• Blue LED: Power and signal are being received correctly.
• Flashing Red LED: The amp is clipping, distorting, or in protect mode.

Troubleshooting: If the subwoofer frequently enters protect mode, check out Rockville’s troubleshooting video on fixing amp protection issues.

3. Fuse Replacement

• The fuse is located under the power harness.
• An extra fuse is included in the package.
• If the fuse blows, remove the old fuse and insert the new one.
• Use pliers if needed to remove a stuck fuse.

Connecting the Bass Remote Control

The RMW8A comes with a bass remote knob, allowing you to adjust the subwoofer volume from the front of your vehicle.

How to Install the Bass Remote Knob

1. Plug one end of the included remote control wire into the "Electronic Bass Control" port on the subwoofer.
2. Connect the other end to the port on the back of the bass remote knob.
3. Use the included screws to mount the knob on your dashboard or a convenient location.
4. Adjust the bass level using the knob on the front of the remote.

Adjusting the Sound Controls

1. Crossover Knob (Frequency Adjustment)

• Controls the frequency range the subwoofer will play.
• Adjustable from 30Hz to 500Hz.
• Example: Setting it to 250Hz means the subwoofer will only play frequencies 250Hz and below.
• Higher settings = More mid-bass, while lower settings = Deep sub-bass.

Tip: Adjust based on your main speakers’ frequency range to ensure smooth bass integration.

2. Gain Knob (Output Level)

• Controls the overall power level of the subwoofer.
• Recommended setting: 75-80% to allow room for adjustments with the bass remote knob.

Tip: If the subwoofer distorts, lower the gain and increase the bass remote knob instead.

Connecting to a Head Unit

The subwoofer includes Left and Right RCA Inputs for audio signal input.

• Connect these RCA inputs to the subwoofer output of your head unit.
• If your head unit doesn’t have dedicated subwoofer outputs, you can use line-level converters.

Tip: Ensure the head unit’s subwoofer settings are properly configured to send low-frequency signals to the sub.

Conclusion

The Rockville RMW8A 8-inch powered subwoofer is easy to install and provides deep bass for your car audio system. By correctly wiring the power, ground, and remote connections, setting up the bass remote control, and fine-tuning the crossover and gain settings, you’ll achieve the best bass performance.