@millercarbon Thanks that's a lot of good info, I'll read up on it more closely, seems like real easy job. I ended up buying the Y-splitter to see how that works out in the mean time. I could already use some cheap stock rca's I have laying around to try out the resistors.
Sub wiring help, high level speaker terminal to RCA line level Sub inputs
I just received a new Rhythmic L12 sub, and surprisingly did not realize it only has RCA line level inputs. I had purchased it thinking it also had high level speaker inputs to connect it directly to the speaker posts on my power amp.
I have a Cambridge CXNv2 connected to a Schiit Aegir Power Amp through the line level RCA. Now, the CXN does have an additional balanced XLR out, but I can only connect the Schiit Aegir through RCA.
So these are my options and questions:
1. Connect the Power Amp to the Sub using a custom cable with speaker terminals on one end and RCA on the other end.
2. CXN XLR --> Power Amp RCA, and CXN RCA --> Sub RCA
3. CXN RCA --> Power Amp RCA, and CXN XLR --> Sub RCA
4. Return the Rhythmic and get an SVS SB1000 with high level speaker inputs.
In this case I’m not sure what the positives and negatives are about trying to connect the Sub via speaker terminals or RCA line level on the CXN. Or is it even advisable to use a cable that goes from the speaker terminals to the RCA line level inputs of the Sub?
Appreciate any help!
I have a Cambridge CXNv2 connected to a Schiit Aegir Power Amp through the line level RCA. Now, the CXN does have an additional balanced XLR out, but I can only connect the Schiit Aegir through RCA.
So these are my options and questions:
1. Connect the Power Amp to the Sub using a custom cable with speaker terminals on one end and RCA on the other end.
2. CXN XLR --> Power Amp RCA, and CXN RCA --> Sub RCA
3. CXN RCA --> Power Amp RCA, and CXN XLR --> Sub RCA
4. Return the Rhythmic and get an SVS SB1000 with high level speaker inputs.
In this case I’m not sure what the positives and negatives are about trying to connect the Sub via speaker terminals or RCA line level on the CXN. Or is it even advisable to use a cable that goes from the speaker terminals to the RCA line level inputs of the Sub?
Appreciate any help!
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- 28 posts total
A Y-splitter coming out of the pre-amp to connect the amp and the sub will probably work just fine. Doing it that way the pre-amp will see the input impedance of the sub and amp. Where now it sees only the amp. Should not matter but not knowing any of those its impossible to know in advance. The bigger concern I would have, and still not much but it is bigger, is this puts a splitter in the signal path to the amp. More to the point, it puts an additional connection in the signal path. No matter how high quality a splitter you get, or how great the connection, there simply is no getting around the fact you're degrading the signal. Whereas using the power amp speaker path leaves your signal path pristine, untouched. Frankly this is probably more a theoretical than practical concern. In all reality you will probably never hear the difference. But it will be there. That for me is enough to not even want to try, and is why I suggested the LOC instead. |
I completely agree, that's the main reason I didn't want to go with any kind of adapter/splitter and just figure out some way to get a direct connection. It bugs me to spend money on better speaker cables and then terminate them with a Y-splitter. Just for discussion using the resistors, is it possible to get unwanted feedback back into the pre-amp that can cause some other kind of distortion? |
Not sure I understand your question in the post just above. Regarding the first paragraph, a y-splitter would not be used to terminate the speaker cables. Regarding the second paragraph, the resistors would not be connected to the preamp. In any event, the resistors themselves would not cause any kind of feedback into the power amp to which they would be connected, aside from what is known as Johnson noise which would almost certainly be audibly inconsequential in this situation. And in the unlikely event that the sub itself sent some sort of feedback to the power amp, that might have audible consequences as a result of being injected into the amp’s feedback loop (assuming the amp has a feedback loop), the presence of the resistors would reduce any such effects, not increase them. And likewise with respect to any RFI/EMI that may be picked up by whatever wiring is between the resistors and the sub. Regards, -- Al |
- 28 posts total