80Hz - Full Range switch

DonnyHardo

I have a PSW404. I am using it for stereo music listening only. I have connected my amp's Speaker A output to my speakers, and Speaker B amp output to the subwoofer speaker input. It sounds pretty good. I have experimented with the 80Hz/Full Range switch in both positions, and I feel like I can notice a slight change when flicking the switch, but I don't know.

In this configuration, does the 80Hz/Full Range switch position matter? My understanding is it would only affect the speakers connected to the subwoofer (if I had any).

mlistens03

It would only affect the speakers connected to your sub.
It would probably be better for the longevity of your sub and receiver to use just channel A and have the speakers on the subwoofers speaker outputs. All the sub does is take the signal, convert it to line level, and then feed that’s line level input into your subs built in amp. The original signal also passes through the sub and to the speakers, although there are no speakers plugged into the sub, so that could present a problem for you that I would fix by putting the speakers on the sub outputs with cables going from the receiver to the subs speaker level inputs.
Clear as mud, right?
Basically, receivers channel A —> sub speaker level input —> sub speaker level output —> mains. Depending on the bass capabilities of your mains, set the sub to full range or 80hz.

DonnyHardo

Thanks for the confirmation. That's what I thought. The main reason I haven't connected my mains to the sub is that I have some really nice speaker cable, but not enough to do an extra hop. Also, I thought it would be better to keep the path from amp to speakers as clean as possible by going straight from amp to mains.

mlistens03

DonnyHardo wrote: »

Thanks for the confirmation. That's what I thought. The main reason I haven't connected my mains to the sub is that I have some really nice speaker cable, but not enough to do an extra hop. Also, I thought it would be better to keep the path from amp to speakers as clean as possible by going straight from amp to mains.

I belive that if you turn off the crossover it would be an absolutely identical signal to the original. No difference at all. If you were to turn it on, lows below 80 hz would be lost but aside from that it would be identical as well. If you can keep your sub right next to your amp, then you could maybe pull it off, but I understand if otherwise. May I ask, what are the speakers in question, and how big is your room? (In feet or meters, either is fine)
Also, the source of the slight change you noticed could be the sub turning the internal crossover down (or up) to 80 hertz. Where do you have the dial on the back set? If you intend to use the mains full range, then I would set it around 80 hertz.

DonnyHardo

The speakers are Celef Domestic III, I think. 2 way, front ported. Beautiful sounding speakers, but I find with the sub it fills out the sound nicely. I've got an old Luxman valve hybrid amp and Luxman turntable. Room is about 3m x 3m. I've got the sub volume and low pass knobs at the 12 o'clock position (90 hz). I've been meaning to experiment with different settings on those.

mlistens03

DonnyHardo wrote: »

The speakers are Celef Domestic III, I think. 2 way, front ported. Beautiful sounding speakers, but I find with the sub it fills out the sound nicely. I've got an old Luxman valve hybrid amp and Luxman turntable. Room is about 3m x 3m. I've got the sub volume and low pass knobs at the 12 o'clock position (90 hz). I've been meaning to experiment with different settings on those.

Sounds like an awesome setup!
Do you notice any difference when you do run through the sub versus when you don’t? That would be interesting to see.
If your speakers have enough low frequency output, you could be hurting the sound of your setup with a sub. If it sounds better to you the next it is better, but it wouldn’t have “as flat” of a frequency response.
However, that is not what really matters. As in my sig:

sure it has a flat response, and sure it has a lot of detail, and yes, it has good and clear lows. But is it enjoyable to listen to? Does it make you grin ear to ear? That’s what really matters.

I found a pair of Bose 201s very nice to listen to, very engaging and enjoyable. Were they audiophile? No. Did they have a flat response? No. Were they the most clear and resolving speakers? No. The list goes on and on, but they sounded good to my ears, and that was what really mattered. If they were my speakers, I would still have them (albeit in the closet), but my grandpa let me borrow them for a while to see how they really were.
Anyway, now that I have derailed your thread a little bit, lemme try to get it back on track...
All I can really tell you is I don’t know if it is safe to run a sub like that or not.. I don’t think it will cause damage to anything, but there is a possibility. It might, it might not.

DonnyHardo

Yes, I know what you mean about possibly degrading the sound. The speakers do probably have enough bass, especially at high volume, but at low volume I think the sub is adding a bit of warmth or richness to the sound. Interestingly, when you are in the room it sounds fine, but I've noticed with the sub, if you go into an adjacent room, you can hear a boominess that wasn't there before. Since your last post, I turned the lowpass down about 10 degrees, probably to about 80 hz, and I think it sounds better. I'll continue to play with it. Cheers!

mlistens03

I just had an idea. How big are the binding posts on your receiver?you could run channel A to the speakers with one cable and to the sub with the other. As in 2 cables from channel A, one to mains and one to the sub, the one going to the sub could be a cable of lesser quality. This might be basically the same as wiring in parallel, so be careful.