When a subwoofer is silent on a Sony STR-DH590, it’s usually a setting, not a broken part. The three most common causes are a speaker pattern without “.1,” the “2ch Stereo” sound field, and front speakers set to Large while you use a music sound field. To fix all three, press AMP MENU and set “<SPKR>” – “PATTERN” to an “x.1” pattern such as “5.1.” Then pick a sound field other than 2ch Stereo and set the front speakers’ size to Small.
If none of that brings the bass back, check the hardware. The STR-DH590’s SUBWOOFER OUT jacks only work with a powered subwoofer, one with its own power cord. A passive subwoofer won’t play from them. The steps below go in order from the most likely fix to the least likely, so stop as soon as your sub comes back.
Match your symptom to the likely cause
| What happens | Most likely cause | Jump to |
|---|---|---|
| No bass ever, with any source | Pattern has no “.1,” sub is off or passive, or the cable isn’t seated | Fixes 1–3 |
| Bass with movies, none with music or TV | 2ch Stereo sound field, or all speakers set to Large | Fixes 4–5 |
| Bass cuts out in quiet scenes, then comes back late | The subwoofer’s own auto standby | Fix 2 |
| Bass is there but weak | Sub level or HDMI subwoofer level | Fix 6 |
Fix 1: Confirm it’s a powered sub on the right jack
Look at the back of your subwoofer. A powered (active) sub has a power cord, a power switch or light, and usually a volume knob. It has an RCA input labeled something like LINE IN or LFE. The STR-DH590’s SUBWOOFER OUT jacks send a low-level signal meant for that kind of input. They don’t carry enough power to drive a speaker.
- Powered sub: run one mono RCA cable from either SUBWOOFER OUT jack to the sub’s LINE or LFE input. If the sub has two inputs, one cable into one input is enough.
- Passive sub (speaker-wire terminals only, no power cord): it can’t be connected to SUBWOOFER OUT. It needs its own amplifier, or you need a powered sub instead.
Push both ends of the cable in firmly. A plug that’s only partly in is a common cause of a dead sub. If you have a spare RCA cable, swap it in. You can also try the receiver’s other SUBWOOFER OUT jack, since there are two.
Fix 2: Check the subwoofer’s own controls
- Make sure the sub is plugged into a live outlet and turned on. Its power light should be on.
- Turn its volume (LEVEL) knob up to around the middle. Sony suggests just below the halfway point as a starting spot.
- If the sub has a crossover or frequency knob, turn it all the way up. The receiver decides which bass goes to the sub, so the sub’s own filter shouldn’t cut in first.
- If the sub has an auto standby or auto-on switch, turn it off, or set it to always on. Sony warns that auto standby can put the sub to sleep based on how strong the incoming signal is. When that happens, bass may drop out during movies.
Fix 3: Set a speaker pattern that includes the subwoofer
The receiver only sends a signal to SUBWOOFER OUT when its speaker pattern includes a sub. That’s any pattern ending in “.1.”
- Press AMP MENU on the remote.
- Go to “<SPKR>” and press Enter.
- Select “PATTERN” and press Enter.
- Choose the pattern that matches your speakers plus the sub. Pick “5.1” for five speakers, “3.1” for front left, front right, and center, or “2.1” for just two speakers. Press Enter.
- Press AMP MENU to close the menu.
The full list of choices is “5.1,” “5.0,” “4.1,” “4.0,” “3.1,” “3.0,” “2.1,” and “2.0.” Anything ending in “.0” turns the sub off.
Fix 4: Use a sound field that sends bass to the sub
This is the cause people miss most, especially when the sub plays with movies but not with music. Some sound fields never use the sub, and some use it only in certain cases. Here’s how Sony describes it for regular two-channel sources, like most music, Bluetooth, and a lot of TV:
| Sound field (button) | Sub plays with stereo sources? |
|---|---|
| [2ch Stereo] (2CH/MULTI) | No, never |
| [Direct] (2CH/MULTI) with an analog input | No |
| [Multi Ch Stereo] (2CH/MULTI) | Yes, with an “x.1” pattern |
| [HD-D.C.S.], [PLII Movie], [Front Surround] (MOVIE) | Yes, with an “x.1” pattern |
| [PLII Music] (MUSIC) | Yes, with an “x.1” pattern |
| [Audio Enhancer], [Hall], [Jazz], [Concert], [Stadium], [Sports] (MUSIC) | Only with an “x.1” pattern and speaker size set to [Small] |
With true multichannel soundtracks, such as a Dolby or DTS movie, every sound field except [2ch Stereo] can use the sub. [Front Surround] depends on your pattern and the content.
The quick fix: press MOVIE or 2CH/MULTI on the remote until you reach a field from the “Yes” rows, then play something with bass. If you like the music modes, do Fix 5 too.
Fix 5: Set your speakers to Small
When every speaker is set to [Large], the receiver assumes your speakers can handle all the bass themselves. In the music sound fields, it then sends nothing to the sub, unless the source has its own bass (LFE) channel or you’re using [PLII Music]. Setting the speakers to [Small] sends their deep bass to the subwoofer instead.
- Press HOME and open [Speaker Setting] on the TV.
- Press the left or right arrow until you reach [Size].
- Select the front speakers and press Enter.
- Choose [Small] and press Enter.
Setting the fronts to [Small] sets the center and surrounds to [Small] too. You can then fine-tune where bass hands off in [Crossover Freq], a setting that only appears for [Small] speakers. You can also change size from the display panel under “<SPKR>” in the AMP MENU.
Watch out for one related behavior. If the receiver thinks no subwoofer is in use, it sets the front speakers to [Large] by itself. So always fix the pattern (Fix 3) before you set the size.
Fix 6: Turn up the subwoofer level
- Speaker level: Press HOME, open [Speaker Setting], then [Level], and raise the subwoofer. The same setting is on the display panel as “<LEVEL>” – “SW LVL.”
- HDMI subwoofer level: For PCM audio over HDMI, press AMP MENU and set “<HDMI>” – “SW LVL” to “SW AUTO,” “SW +10 dB,” or “SW 0 dB.” Each HDMI input keeps its own setting. This one does nothing on the FM, BT, SA-CD/CD, or TV inputs.
Fix 7: Test the sub with a test tone
A test tone tells you whether the problem is the receiver’s settings or the sub and its cable.
- Press AMP MENU.
- Select “<LEVEL>” – “T. TONE” and choose “AUTO.”
- Watch the display. A tone plays from each speaker in turn, and the display shows its name. Listen when “SW” appears.
- Set “T. TONE” back to “OFF” when you’re done.
If “SW” never appears, the pattern doesn’t include a sub. Go back to Fix 3. If “SW” appears but the sub is silent, the signal is leaving the receiver and not being heard. Recheck the sub’s power, volume, cable, and input (Fixes 1 and 2).
Other things that silence the sub
- Headphones are plugged in. Plugging headphones into PHONES switches the receiver to headphone listening, so all the speakers go quiet.
- The speakers are switched off. Press SPEAKERS on the receiver until “SPK ON” appears.
- Muting is on. Press the muting button to cancel it.
Still no bass? Recalibrate, then reset
- Run Auto Calibration again. With the sub on, its volume near the middle, and its auto standby off, run Easy Setup from the HOME menu. If you see Warning 43, the receiver couldn’t find the sub’s distance and position. Check the sub and retry in a quiet room. Our STR-DH590 calibration guide walks through it.
- Reset the sound fields. With the receiver off, hold MUSIC and press the power button on the receiver. The display shows “S.F. CLEAR.”
- Factory reset as a last step. If settings seem stuck, factory reset the STR-DH590 and set it up again. The reset erases your calibration and pairings.
If the test tone reaches “SW” and a known-good cable and a different powered sub still stay silent, contact Sony support about the receiver.
Quick answers
Can I use two subwoofers?
Yes. The STR-DH590 has two SUBWOOFER OUT jacks. With one sub, use either jack. With two, connect one to each.
Why is there no bass from my phone over Bluetooth?
Phone audio is two-channel, so the sound field rules in Fix 4 apply. In [2ch Stereo] the sub is silent. Switch to a field like [Multi Ch Stereo], or set your speakers to [Small] for the music modes. For connection help, see our STR-DH590 Bluetooth pairing guide.
Sony’s Help Guide explains the rules on its pages covering sound fields and speaker outputs and adjusting speaker level.