Subwoofer amplifier connections?

2michaud

Ok, so you'll have to forgive me for being so stupid...if this turns out to be a really bad idea. With my gear and amp in mind, would it work to bi-amp my speakers using the speaker terminals off the back of my sub? ( In other words, can I have a length of cable running to the speakers from my amp and one from my sub amp?

OR, let's see if this makes sense. If one or more of the channels on my harman kardon aren't being used, does the power from that channel get split up between the other channels getting used? If so, I might hook my surrounds up to the subwoofer to give my other speakers a little more umph.

Please respond in simple newbie lingo

Thanks

engtaz

Hook up speakers as HK 247 shows.
Use Sub pre amp out of HK 247 to to Velo L/lFE rca.
That is the way your show hook it up.
When you get a external amp you would take Front speaker pre amp out to amp then hook up Front speakers to amp speaker out.
You can bi wire them from your amp. Bi amping is best done with 2 similar amps other wise the highs or the lows can over power the other.

I do not recommend your suggestions.

engtaz

2michaud

Meh, just thought I'd give it a whirl. Thanks for your input, I guess I'll leave what is good alone.

John K.

Mich, neither the amplifier in the HK nor the internal sub amp work the way that you're thinking. The sub amp powers only the sub itself and can't in any way power the main speakers, even if they're connected through the sub. That type of connection, using the speaker output terminals on the sub , is simply a straight through feed of the power from the receiver and has nothing to do with the internal sub amp.

As to the HK, the separate channels have no power of their own which they can lend to give more "umph". There's one power supply section in the receiver which sends its power through the output transistors in each channel, which act as valves to measure out how much power needs to be sent to each speaker. If some of the channels aren't connected to speakers, this obviously doesn't increase the capacity of the power supply section, so there's no doubling of the power available to a speaker, as is sometimes imagined, and in fact no increase at all occurs. There's only one amplifier involved, so this isn't real "biamping" as it's sometimes termed.

2michaud

Ah, thanks for the great explanation! Makes sense now to my newbie mind:)