Hook up Subwoofer

[Luke]

There are a number of ways to hook up subwoofer.
1) Use LFE
2) 2nd LR Pre-out
3) Speak wire

I am currently using LFE and can control the cross over in the prepro. There are also two modes LFE and LFE+Main in prepro. Setting LFE+main means that you send bass over to both sub and the main speakers. This is similar to use 2) above. I don't like the hearing from both sub and main speakers no matter what I change the phase on the sub. After I changed the mode to LFE, I hear better bass integration.

I guess there is another way to set up sub. Connect Pre-out to subs and connect high pass out to amp and then to LR speakers.

What's your setup? Have you compared different settings?

 

[MOON]

I have my sub running from the pre out by rca cables to a depth, the amp is connected by the XLR pre out . The sub integrates well with my ML's. I have the sub directly between the speakers.I am only running 2 channel , no ht.

If there is a better preferred way to hook it up , I would be interested as well.

Cheers,

 

[Audioseduction]

I myself am using the 2nd set left preout RCA to my sub. This is only a 2ch system. The sub is very well integrated acoustically.

 

[marlin]

Sub hook-up

Having only one output from my Cary SLI-80 , I use a splitter to run outputs to my Depth and to my Mac 7270 that I use for the low end on my Aeon I's.
Would I be better off running speaker outs to the Depth? Seems to work fine now.

 

[rhom]

Would I be better off running speaker outs to the Depth?

The cleanest signal will be from the low level outputs of your preamp/source directly to a powered sub or to a subwoofer amp (if using a separate amp w/non-powered sub). Coming out of speaker outputs (i.e. from a power amp) adds any noise or distortion created by the power amp.

 

[Luke]

Connecting 2nd preout to sub is probably making both main speakers and sub play low end. How does it compare to filtering the low end only to sub? I am kind of liking feeding the low end only to sub.

 

[Nielsen]

I tend to disagree some. Anyway, in the manuals for ML subs you will find various hookup options.
REL for instance recommends, for stereo use, that speaker cables are used, either from the amplifier speaker terminals, or the speaker terminals themselves. The reason for this is that now the subwoofer gets exactly the same signal as the main speakers, vital for REL, and I can tell you REL owners tend not to disagree with this.
But, REL subwoofers normally has 2 inputs, an LFE and a line, each with their own volume controll, so its easy to integrate in a system.
REL also recommends that your main speakers run full range so no electronics is in the way. Then you just adjust frequency on the sub where it should cut in, and this is generally a very low number, not high as many tend to think. With a Strata sub, and small Aerial 5 speakers Stereophile used 27 hz as cut-in frequency.
For multi channel LFE is LFE and can very rarely be routed to the main speakers, at least by dvd players. If you have only 2 speakers you will loose the LFE even if you put the front speakers to large and subwoofer "No". There are a few exceptions though, but right now I cant think of one....
"LFE and Main" normally means that the subwoofer also will play when you choose a stereo source.
LFE is present in movies, and sacd multi channel cd´s for instance, and although a sacd player normally has bass management LFE is a "fixed" signal really. You dont get LFE from a cd.
If you have an LFE input on your subwoofer you use this from the LFE out of your preamp, and forget it. You cannot adjust frequency cutoff for LFE as it is a separate soundtrack on the movie.
There is a lot of confusion sometimes, and you do not state what equipment you use and how you transfer sound, is that analogue or digital from dvd player for instance, I guess so since you are talking about processing in your preamp.
What speakers do you have ?
http://www.dolby.com/assets/pdf/tech_library/38_lfe.pdf