Can I connect this subwoofer

L

Lord Nikon6

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Hi All

So I purchased a new Sony AV receiver, and a set of 2 CAV front floor speakers to go with them. I have a subwoofer from my old system that I wanted to connect, but here is the issue:

The subwoofer has the following:

an ac power cord.

2 sets of speaker wire coming out if it, one to connect to left, and one to connect to right. As far as I understand, it needs to connect with your front speakers, but I am worried that this might damager something on the new av reciever, as it has coax output ports for the subwoofer.

Please advise if I can connect my current subwoofer?
 
Does your sub have a coax input. If so then I think it'll be fine. Just connect the coax output of the amp to the coax input of the sub. Should be fine
 
What you have is a passive subwoofer. Your amp requires an active subwoofer. Best to invest in the active one for best performance. If you add the passive one to your system, you might end up causing a strain on the front channel output.
 
Tremayn said:
Does your sub have a coax input. If so then I think it'll be fine. Just connect the coax output of the amp to the coax input of the sub. Should be fine
Click to expand...

Nope, it does not have coax, just the 4 cables and power cord.

Fox1 said:
What you have is a passive subwoofer. Your amp requires an active subwoofer. Best to invest in the active one for best performance. If you add the passive one to your system, you might end up causing a strain on the front channel output.
Click to expand...

This is what I was afraid of, thank you.
 
stevenv said:
Doesn't the power cable indicate that it's an active sub?

http://hometheater.about.com/od/lou.../Passive-Subwoofers-Vs-Powered-Subwoofers.htm
Click to expand...

As far as I understood this before, Active means it has its own preamp type thing, and passive has no external power and relies on your Amplifier.

I was really hoping I could use this one, Can someone please suggest one that would be worth purchasing, but not one of those premium jobs, something affordable, I will put together something decent over time?
 
lcbxx said:
Pic of the back panel where the connections are, please.
Click to expand...

Of the subwoofer?

I will do so when I get home, but there is basically no back panel, it simply has the following coming out of the back at the bottom:

1 x power cable
2 x speaker wires ( so 2 x 2, left and right)

and that is it. Then there is a diagram expaining that you have to connect the one wire with your left front speaker, and the other with your right front speaker.
 
Lord Nikon6 said:
Of the subwoofer?

I will do so when I get home, but there is basically no back panel, it simply has the following coming out of the back at the bottom:

1 x power cable
2 x speaker wires ( so 2 x 2, left and right)

and that is it. Then there is a diagram expaining that you have to connect the one wire with your left front speaker, and the other with your right front speaker.
Click to expand...

That explains power in for the unit, and audio out to left and right speakers. What connector/s does it have for audio in?
 
riscbroker said:
That explains power in for the unit, and audio out to left and right speakers. What connector/s does it have for audio in?
Click to expand...

It has not other connections on the subwoofer. I believe that the speaker wire is actually the input, as you need to connect it to the front speakers' wires, and then connect them into the amplifier together.
 
Lord Nikon6 said:
It has not other connections on the subwoofer. I believe that the speaker wire is actually the input, as you need to connect it to the front speakers' wires, and then connect them into the amplifier together.
Click to expand...

OK, makes sense. You'll have to determine whether your new amplifier can handle the load presented to it if you connect the subwoofer as well.
 
How would I do that though?

It says I can use 6 - 16 ohm speakers, the front speakers are 8 ohm, but the impedance on the subwoofer says 22 Khoms (havent seen this before) but I think that is why it has the extra power connection, not entirely sure.
 
Wait for the specialist AV guys to chime in. The subwoofer probably just 'sees' an audio signal and then processes it through the integrated amp and filter/crossover.

I suspect you can use the subwoofer without problems, but might have a volume mismatch. Does the sub have a volume/gain control on it somewhere?
 
Lord Nikon6 said:
Of the subwoofer?

I will do so when I get home, but there is basically no back panel, it simply has the following coming out of the back at the bottom:

1 x power cable
2 x speaker wires ( so 2 x 2, left and right)

and that is it. Then there is a diagram expaining that you have to connect the one wire with your left front speaker, and the other with your right front speaker.
Click to expand...
If it has a power cable/socket it might be safe to assume that the subwoofer is powered/amplified, meaning that the amp does not need to drive it, only give it audio signals. Are the 'speaker wires' round connectors like this:
rca-socket1.jpg
If they are, then you can connect it via RCA cable to the amp - connect it to the RCA connector on the amp typically marked "SW-Out/Sub-Out/Subwoofer/etc. You might need one of these as the amp's sub-out will one have 1 RCA output but I suspect if you connect it to one or the other, the sub will still work.
 
Last edited:
lcbxx said:
If it has a power cable/socket it might be safe to assume that the subwoofer is powered/amplified, meaning that the amp does not need to drive it, only give it audio signals. Are the 'speaker wires' round connectors like this:
View attachment 88743
If they are, then you can connect it via RCA cable to the amp - connect it to the RCA connector on the amp typically marked "SW-Out/Sub-Out/Subwoofer/etc. You might need one of these as the amp's sub-out will one have 1 RCA output but I suspect of you connect it to one or the other, the sub will still work.
Click to expand...

No, they are regular speaker wire, as in 2 split ends with bare wire, that makes connection to the amp. If it was rca, I would not have had an issue.
 
Lord Nikon6 said:
No, they are regular speaker wire, as in 2 split ends with bare wire, that makes connection to the amp. If it was rca, I would not have had an issue.
Click to expand...
Curious? Have you used the sub before? Does it work without it being connected to a power outlet?
 
riscbroker said:
Wait for the specialist AV guys to chime in. The subwoofer probably just 'sees' an audio signal and then processes it through the integrated amp and filter/crossover.

I suspect you can use the subwoofer without problems, but might have a volume mismatch. Does the sub have a volume/gain control on it somewhere?
Click to expand...

Nope, No volume or fain control. What I used to do with my previous amp that I used it with (it was very old and a cheap device, so didnt care much for destroying it, lasted a good couple of years though) is just set the bass down on the front speakers, to even out the sound, as the bass would be way too much if turning up the front speaker volume.

lcbxx said:
Curious? Have you used the sub before? Does it work without it being connected to a power outlet?
Click to expand...

Yes, I have used it before, in the manner mentioned above. I havent tried it without it being plugged in, as it has an on/off button at the front.
 
From what you describe this sub uses high/amplified signal leeched from one of the speakers. Unless your amp specifically cautions against it, it should be okay.
 
Do you know what the ohm rating of the front speakers and sub is?
Do you know if the fronts have passive crossovers?

From what you have described it seems like the sub is meant to be wired in parallel to your front speakers and contains a active crossover to filter out the higher frequencies.

If your amp is able to send the full frequency to the front speakers and the front speakers can filter out the lower frequencies so that they dont get damaged and your amp supports the load of the combined speakers it should work fine.
 
Beachless said:
Do you know what the ohm rating of the front speakers and sub is?
Do you know if the fronts have passive crossovers?

From what you have described it seems like the sub is meant to be wired in parallel to your front speakers and contains a active crossover to filter out the higher frequencies.

If your amp is able to send the full frequency to the front speakers and the front speakers can filter out the lower frequencies so that they dont get damaged and your amp supports the load of the combined speakers it should work fine.
Click to expand...

The front speakers are 8 ohm, but the impedance on the sub says 22 Khom, and I am not sure what that rating is exactly, as I have only seen ratings of ohm, and not Khom. I am not sure if they have passive crossovers, is there a way to check this?
 
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