Help in hooking up a sub woofer.


Hi, I have a PrimaLuna ProLogue integrated amp.I have a pair of PSB Synchrony 1B's which until now I have enjoyed very much.
(I have a small living room)I just bought a PSB SubSeries 150 (subwoofer) but when I got it, I knew I was in trouble.The sub has "only" RCA jacks. My Amp of course only has the speaker terminals and no other dedicated Sub  hookups.What is a bit irritating is the PSB "Owners Manual" indicated you could attach speaker wire to the sub. I then discovered they use the same manual for all their subs; possibly some of them do.Does anyone know a way to connect the amp and the sub? And would it be a method you would find acceptable or is it a horse it in job?Thanks for any and all help.

246810
246810,

     This is a viable option but it's not needed if you buy a sub with speaker level inputs, like either of the $500 SVS subs.  $40 you don't really need to spend plus the extra hookup complexity.  Why bother?

Tim
Hello 246810,

     Well, it seems like you're not going to buy a decent sub anytime soon due to your lack of space.  Maybe I'll respond to a future thread you post when you're ready to add a sub or two.

Good Luck,
Tim
  
Hello Tim,Thank you very much for that information. Getting that Sub with only RCA jacks actually surprised me. I would have never thought it would come like that.To answer one of your original questions which I failed to do; I use my stereo for music only. I'm not much of a TV guy and certainly not a home theater guy, I own 3 dvd's; The Last Waltz, Roy Orbison Black&White and Dr Strangelove, ha.
I have my old "5 Disc" Yamaha CD player, which I kept because it has room for 5 discs for background music during the day. About a year ago I finally made the deep dive in to the digital world and bought a Marantz ND8006. It's a combo CD player and streamer. My first attempt at "streaming". I like the CD player; it's decent enough for me. I also have my faithful old turntable (well it's not that old) but I bought my first record player in 1957 and have had one ever since.My faithful little PSB's still sound pretty good to me and I listen to every thing but opera.
I may be able to incorporate a sub into this system at some point, I am just really jammed for space (hence the "toy")Thanks for responding, and actually telling me what the connection should be, I appreciate it. I really wasn't getting that anywhere else.
246810:
" I would want to keep a direct connection to my current speakers and run another direct connection from my amp to the sub. Is that an electrical reasonable method?

Hello 246810,
    What gillatgh stated is correct, your only choice is to get a sub that can be connected thru the speaker terminals.
    Your preferred method of connection, quoted above, is exactly the connection method you would use for either SVS sub. Yes, it is an electrically reasonable and safe method of connection. You'd just need to ensure your PrimaLuna and sub are not powered 'ON' when making the connections.
    Once all connections are made and you turn on your amp and sub, the final steps are to precisely adjust the Volume level, Crossover frequency and Phase setting until the newly added bass output of the sub seamlessly blends with the output of your PSB Synchrony1Bs.  
     Ideally, you would use a CD with test tones playable at your crossover frequency (I believe it will be between 40 and 50 Hz) to properly set the volume and phase settings on your new sub.  Do you have a cd player?


Tim
  
As I see it you cannot use the subs with only RCA connection. In your case the only way to integrate a sub is thru the speaker terminals. A different kind of sub is needed.
Thank you both for responding to me.As I mentioned I have a small room and was hoping to fit this toy (ha, yes it is) in and just pick up a bit more bass from the system.I now intend to return this unit and dig a bit deeper in to the hookup I would need for my PrimaLuna unit.One thing that bothers me is; even considering that this sub woofer had the proper connections (for my application) it appears PSB thinks it's OK to run a connection from the amp to the sub and THEN a connection continuing on from the sub to the system speakers. That type of connection would never occur to me. I would want to keep a direct connection to my current speakers and run another direct connection from my amp to the sub. Is that an electrical reasonable method?
Again thanks to you guys for taking a moment to respond to me.
Hello 2468100,

     No offense but the PSB Subseries 150 at $499 seems like a bit of a toy compared to similarly priced alternatives.  It only outputs bass down to 26 Hz and you want a sub that goes down to at least 20 Hz.
     I suggest you return it and purchase either one of these SVS subs, the PB-1000 that has a port, extends to 19Hz , has a 10" woofer and is 15"wide x 19" high x 20" deep or the SB-1000 that is sealed, extends to 24 Hz, has a 12" woofer and is 13" wide x13,5" high x 15.5" deep.  Both are $499 and have  both line level/RCA inputs and speaker level inputs.
Here's a link to both subs:
ttps://www.svsound.com/pages/subwoofers
     Either of these subs will provide significantly better bass performance than the PSB 150 and the connections to your PrimaLuna integrated via the speaker terminals are legitimately good methods. 
     I'm assuming you don't want a large sub and both of these would be classified as small to medium sized subs, which should be able to be located in an inconspicuous location or even as an end table in your room. 
     They both have the typical adjustable controls for volume, crossover frequency and phase to allow for a smooth integration of the additional bass power, detail and dynamic impact with your PSB speakers.
     You haven't mentioned if you use your system for just music or for both music and home theater.  If it's just for music, the SB-1000 may be the better choice since it's a sealed design and blend well in its detailed character with your sealed PSB Synchrony 1Bs.  If it's for music and ht, the PB-1000 may be a better choice since the bass extends a bit deeper on both music and ht. 
     If you have the room, utilizing two subs usually provides even further significant bass improvements in the areas of bass smoothness, detail levels, power, dynamics and impact.  SVS is currently having a small sale of $50 off when two identical subs are purchased, so a pair of either would be $950.

Tim