Dual Subs
GuitarheadCA
Posts: 400
Just wondering what the best way to hook up two subs to a reciever with one pre-out is.
The subs I would use have speaker level ins only; and line level ins and outs.
So I was wondering, is it better to split the signal at the reciever and run a seperate cable to each? Should I go one step further and put Y's on each end for left and right? It seems like alot to split the pre-out four ways: left and right for each sub. Don't line level connections have impedences as well? Would it be harder on the reciever to split it four ways?
Or should I run the cable into one sub, and then out that same sub and into the other one?
What the heck good do speaker level ins do without speaker level outs? Why would you send an amplified signal only to be amplified again?
Guitarhead
The subs I would use have speaker level ins only; and line level ins and outs.
So I was wondering, is it better to split the signal at the reciever and run a seperate cable to each? Should I go one step further and put Y's on each end for left and right? It seems like alot to split the pre-out four ways: left and right for each sub. Don't line level connections have impedences as well? Would it be harder on the reciever to split it four ways?
Or should I run the cable into one sub, and then out that same sub and into the other one?
What the heck good do speaker level ins do without speaker level outs? Why would you send an amplified signal only to be amplified again?
Guitarhead
Post edited by GuitarheadCA on
Comments
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"So I was wondering, is it better to split the signal at the reciever and run a seperate cable to each? Should I go one step further and put Y's on each end for left and right?" ~~ I would do all of these things, and feel good about having done it.
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See all this madness just to run multi sub's in one room.I'm not into it.
Here's how I do it when I run more then one sub in a room.
I use a Y spltiier right at the receiver, run Independant line to each sub.
Now if the first sub run is on the way to the 2nd sub,I use the loop in the sub...some have a buffered loop.Then just a single cable to the first sub.....looped out to the second sub.
Now after you got all this wired up.....here's the fun part......Balance both sub's to the room.....long day my friend.
You really can do it anyway,I'm not sure what way is beeter, but I can say try it different way's and the one that works best go that way.Dan
My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time. -
I forgot something,'
try stacking the subs on top of each other then your wire runs will be the same length.I found this way to sound the best, still hard to balance but works.Dan
My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time. -
If you stack your subs, how are you going to experience them in stereo?
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OrangeToupee
Please edit your last post before mantis logs back on.......Think about it?Oh, the bottle has been to me, my closes friend, my worse enemy! -
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Speak and spell man, speak and spell.Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service. -
Speak and spell man, speak and spell.
She-at......I thought I did? You are just one mean **** I tell ya....one mean ****....
Oh, the bottle has been to me, my closes friend, my worse enemy! -
Nah, I was referring to another wacko who seems to type with cloven hoofs......
Hopefully it will get 'beeter' over time, however, we have 'yeat' to see if it's in his 'sole'.....
-RCheck your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service. -
Mantis
What do you mean by a "buffered" loop?
Also, Nascarman hit it on the nose that no matter where I put them, they won't be in stereo, it's a mono signal.
I still have no idea what speaker level imputs could be good for.
Guitarhead -
But I've got mono subs in stereo in my sole Korea.
Look, listening to your mono subs in stereo is an extremely personal decision. Don't read into that you sick F*^&#$@!!! -
I have no idea what that post is supposed to mean
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OKOh, the bottle has been to me, my closes friend, my worse enemy!
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I never realized that I would/could influence so many into speaking/posting like me...something like a trend ??
I can't type to save my life.........like beeter.....better....whatever!!!Man it's all my keyboards fault.I tell it what to write but it has a mind of it's own.
GuitarHeadCa........I'm suprised that know one else answered your question.A buffered loop is a no lose signal pass.Meaning what goes in comes out the same.
As far as speaker level and why it's there...well lets put it this way........if your mating the sub with a older receiver that doesn't have preouts, then you can run the sub in speaker level and crossover where you want it at the sub.Sub's that have speaker out are intended to be ran with sat speakers.Small.Dan
My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time. -
Yeah, it makes sense that the speaker level in is what you would use with an older reciever, but what reciever has an extra speaker level output not meant for speakers? The sub has no speaker level out, only speaker level in, so you couldn't put it in between the reciever and the speakers.
Anyway, thanks for all the posts, I'm about an inch away from buying a second sub, and wanted to explore options. -
Most receivers have a B side.Use the A side for mains and B for the sub.
Subs on the market have speaker in, and some have speaker in and out.Shop around.Dan
My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time. -
Nascarman,
I let that one slide(stereo subs).Your warning was funny.But right from a certian point of view.Dan
My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time. -
So splitting the signal four ways has no negative side effects whatsoever? This seems to me like hooking up multiple speakers into one post, it would make the amp work harder because there is less resistance. I never did get a response about impedeces with pre-outs. It seems to me like this would be a factor.
Thanks,
Guitarhead -
I am not sure about the impedence. But with the voltage thing you can look at it in another perspective. A car has only one battery and yet eveything still gets 12 volts. That is split far more than two ways.The guy with $40.00 mains and a $700.00 subwoofer.
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Guitarhead, I am not sure if this will help but here is my spill. I have 4 "powered subs." off of my recievers LFE. I not sure about all the technical hoopla but all you are doing is sinding a signal over to your subs. Has nothing to do with "power". Anyway I am using Moster Bass Cable and Y adapters from one to the other. This is the strongest/best signal path that I have found. It works VERY well for me- no feedback or anyother problems -period. I have never had any luck with speaker level in's especially with a powered sub.
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i would just run a loop like thke the sub out and run it in the the first sub then use the out to run to the seccond sub
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Just what goingganzo is saying is the way i am running all my subs. I am using Y's on all of my and simply running off on sub to the next. Using quality cables - this works really well.;)Anyway I am using Moster Bass Cable and Y adapters from one to the other. -
Just for everyones Info, there is a matter of impedance when running wires from speaker to speaker..whether it be in serial or in parallel it varies greatly. If you run speakers in parallel you increase current by reducing resistance thus amp works harder. In series you increase resistance and reduce current thus being able to add more speakers without blowing your amp. Check your amps manual to see what is the limit of impedance (resistance) it can take. Also when using RCA-type cables there is only a minimal amout of voltage pushing the signal out from the amp (anywhere from 1VDC - 5VDC) but as you split and extend the signal from speaker to speaker there is always loss of signal strenth.
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When you split the signal from the LFE jack, theoretically, the signal strength should not change, no matter how many times it is split.
If you run your sub test tone and measure the voltage, and then split the signal, the voltage remains the same at both jacks. This is analogous to the voltage in your house - it is 110v everywhere. The limiting factor is the current that can be delivered.
There is eventually a practical limit to splitting the LFE signal, as the tiny LFE signal amp only has so many milliamperes it can deliver into a resistive load before it runs out of juice, but running a few subs off a splitter shouldn't tax the LFE amp at all.
Doc"What we do in life echoes in eternity"
Ed Mullen (emullen@svsound.com)
Director - Technology and Customer Service
SVS -
Thanks Doc,
That's actually the answer I was looking for, I'm not concered with the signal strength as many people have addressed, but rather I was worried about the long term effects of putting more stress on the Pre Out amp. I figure it would act much like a speaker circuit and splitting the pre out signal being like wiring speakers in parrallel, only on a smaller scale. -
You're welcome. Your assumption is correct. If you really want to see just how many times the signal can be split, you would have to connect every jack to a resistive load which mimics a subwoofer plate amp and actually analyze the signal on a scope and look at the quality of the signal. When it starts to deform, the little amp can no longer keep up.
Doc"What we do in life echoes in eternity"
Ed Mullen (emullen@svsound.com)
Director - Technology and Customer Service
SVS -
I'd hook the 1st sub to your LFE. Tune this one to your fronts and center for a smooth transition.
I'd hook the 2nd sub to your rears. Try both series and parallel connections. Set to large.
When looking for placement I'd look for the 2 best sounding locations for your room. Hook the 2nd sub to whichever is closest to your rears.Make it Funky!
