Bought the wrong subwoofer!


I was planning to buy a Rel subwoofer but stumbled across a good deal for a SVS sb-2000 pro so I decided to give it a try. Turns out that the the pre-outs on my integrated amp aren’t pre-outs at all but are rec outs (should have put on my glasses). The Svs doesn’t have high level inputs and my amp doesn’t have pre-outs so I’m screwed right? Guess it wasn’t such a great deal after all.

emiliop

Showing 3 responses by elliottbnewcombjr

have you considered buying a preamp with pre-out/main in.

ANY sub (self-powered), using line in/internal crossover/line (minus low bass) back to preamp is the best way

because

the self-powered sub’s amp takes the job of low bass, most of the power needs

the stereo amp driving the main speakers doesn’t need to make low bass, thus it can be lower power, less cost/size/weight, more placement options

and

main speakers don’t try and make low bass, thus they do a better job.

this is the best way to try tube amps with speakers of lower efficiency than horns, or other high efficiency ones.

hickamore,

I can see the point of keeping full range signals to mains that go as low as yours do, makes sense, and then you simply make sure that the main amp is good for those speakers/space.

my latest kick:

Have you bought a SPL meter and measured what the speakers actually produce, at your listening position. I finally bought an inexpensive one as a tool to adjust and refine location, toe-in, and my vintage speakers have L-Pads for the mid horns and horn tweeters. 

You would learn/adjust both the mains and the subs, refining the sub’s crossover as well.

I wish I had bought one many years ago.

doesn’t need to be perfectly calibrated, just indicate SPL in relation to the adjacent frequencies. Or, if you want to know actual rather than relative numbers, calibrate it, they come with instructions.

I have several test lps and cds, I find this test cd is most helpful, among other content: 29 individually selectable frequencies, each track 1 minute long, i.e. not annoyingly short. select, see results, pause, adjust, play; next frequency, it takes a while.