Connect two active subwoofers to HiFi setup

[karlallemyr]

Connect two active subwoofers to HiFi setup

Hi!

I have a HiFi setup that I would like to add two active subwoofers for stereo music listening.
I use Nad 375BEE and Nad 275BEE together with a pair of Dali Mentor 6.
The perfect add on would be to add two SVS SB-2000 Pro subs.
What is the best way to connect those? I've read that its best to give them the full audio picture and let the subs do the selection in range.

Can I connect the active subwoofers pair to the remaining "Speakers B" ports of the bi amp Nad 375 and 275?

 

[Friesiansam]

You should check the manual online. The subs have RCA line inputs, I would not want to send the output from the amp's speaker terminals to that input. I should think you need to use the "pre out" sockets.

 

[Al ears]

And if you use pre out sockets you could just get one subwoofer

 

[karlallemyr]

Thanks for you answers Friesiansam and Al ears,

Yes, I have to find a solution for 2 subs since the preout 1 is used for the biamp 275BEE.

Would you say that the maximum is one subwoofer with this setup?

 

[Gray]

Maybe feed two from one?

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[Deleted member 116933]

Connect two active subwoofers to HiFi setup

Hi!

I have a HiFi setup that I would like to add two active subwoofers for stereo music listening.
I use Nad 375BEE and Nad 275BEE together with a pair of Dali Mentor 6.
The perfect add on would be to add two SVS SB-2000 Pro subs.
What is the best way to connect those? I've read that its best to give them the full audio picture and let the subs do the selection in range.

Can I connect the active subwoofers pair to the remaining "Speakers B" ports of the bi amp Nad 375 and 275?


View attachment 2013

If you're dealing with hifi and not surround get Rel or BK electronics these will hook up to you speaker terminals (high level) though i wouldn't do 2. Much faster reactive bass and is receiving exactly what the speakers are, so should be perfectly time-aligned. In theroy. The subwoofer is also more sensitive this way

If you're running monoblock amps 2 would be possible.

Some you can daisy chain but will be working mono not stereo

 

[nads]

First I would like to ask how are you connecting the two amps.

as I would you say bi amped but show the Mono set up bridged?

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

The perfect add on would be to add two SVS SB-2000 Pro subs

Why do you say this - what's wrong with the sound as it is?

I'd be thinking better floorstanders - you'd need a vast room to need floorstanders and two subs. WHF's review suggested that the Dali's were a little bass-shy, so maybe that's where you should be starting? If I'm reading prices correctly, adding two of those subs would nearly double your total speaker spend. In my experience, that should give you gains everywhere, but it won't if you add sub(s).

 

[MUSICRAFT]

Thanks for you answers Friesiansam and Al ears,

Yes, I have to find a solution for 2 subs since the preout 1 is used for the biamp 275BEE.

Would you say that the maximum is one subwoofer with this setup?

All things being equal two subs should be preferable to one. Use C375's pre out 2 - left pre out into left sub's input and right pre out into right sub's input.

 

[MUSICRAFT]

Connect two active subwoofers to HiFi setup

Hi!

I have a HiFi setup that I would like to add two active subwoofers for stereo music listening.

Nice one 👍 IME/IMO a subwoofer is the most important component 🙂

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

I'm not necessarily saying that's wrong, but it seems illogical. The imaging and the timbres that most make music sound organic don't come from the lowest reaches.

I really can understand how good, deep bass massively enhances music, and listen with my hands face down on the furniture as 'feeling' the bass as well as hearing it does make it feel more real. But the most important element? I'd take some persuading.

 

[nads]

I'm not necessarily saying that's wrong, but it seems illogical. The imaging and the timbres that most make music sound organic don't come from the lowest reaches.

I really can understand how good, deep bass massively enhances music, and listen with my hands face down on the furniture as 'feeling' the bass as well as hearing it does make it feel more real. But the most important element? I'd take some persuading.

Agreed you don’t need 2 and position does not matter. The wave length is so long. Remember when surround systems are reviewed/set up there is no critical analysis of the sub position.

 

[karlallemyr]

Agreed you don’t need 2 and position does not matter. The wave length is so long. Remember when surround systems are reviewed/set up there is no critical analysis of the sub position.

It depends what subs you get. If you use subwoofer that plays around up to 100hz - 150hz you will here where they are located and it those kind of subs I'am after, like the SVS SB 2000 Pro.

 

[karlallemyr]

All things being equal two subs should be preferable to one. Use C375's pre out 2 - left pre out into left sub's input and right pre out into right sub's input.

Thank you very much, my pre-out 2 has a volume "switch". Which seams really dumb. Hopefully the volume "switch" can be disabled in some way. Do you have any advice on the volume on pre-out 2?

Thank you all for the replies its good suggestions, REL is also a alternative and at the local store they recommended REL for highspeaker output. But was talking warmly about the 2000 Pro that they also have.

 

[karlallemyr]

Just checked the manual about it and when the volume of pre out 2 is set to max the volume of the pre out 2 is identical of the volume set on the "main" volume control on the front. I also read that its preferable to connect subwoofers to pre out 1.

 

[karlallemyr]

First I would like to ask how are you connecting the two amps.

as I would you say bi amped but show the Mono set up bridged?

Hi nads!

Very good question. Bi-amp might be the wrong word for it. I use the 375 for the right channel and 275 for the left channel. I'am not 100% sure that its connected the right way to the 275BEE from the pre out 1, and left channel of pre out 1 to main in left.

I will read about it a bit more to get it right.

I will switch 375 pre out and go for left to left. **** i'am playing two right channel... now.

 

[MUSICRAFT]

Thank you very much, my pre-out 2 has a volume "switch". Which seams really dumb. Hopefully the volume "switch" can be disabled in some way. Do you have any advice on the volume on pre-out 2?

Thank you all for the replies its good suggestions, REL is also a alternative and at the local store they recommended REL for highspeaker output. But was talking warmly about the 2000 Pro that they also have.

You're welcome 👍

Firstly I would caution against using the amps in bridge mode. Your speakers have an impedance of 6 ohms and therefore in bridge mode the amps effectively being presented with half of that load at 3 ohms. On paper at least bridging the amps with this load is probably not a good idea. Bridging amps is fine however this should normally be done with speakers that have an impedance of 8 ohms. Best to double triple check with NAD and DALI to see if its ok to use the amps in bridge mode with your speakers.

The C275BEE should be gain matched to the C375BEE. If so, then it's best to use the C375BEE's pre out 1 > C275BEE. Use pre out 2 to the sub/s as the ability to vary the output level of pre out 2 might make it easier to bring the sub/s at the same output level as the rest of the system.

REL subs are also an excellent option. I'll be looking at using a No. 25 in due course. Fwiw, JL Audio subs are also top drawer and worth bearing in mind.

Btw, pay as much attention and try and push the boat out on subs as much as possible. IME, with all things being equal when a subwoofer is effectively aligned, calibrated and dialled in the difference a subwoofer can make to a system is profound.

 

[karlallemyr]

You're welcome 👍

Firstly I would caution against using the amps in bridge mode. Your speakers have an impedance of 6 ohms and therefore in bridge mode the amps effectively being presented with half of that load at 3 ohms. On paper at least bridging the amps with this load is probably not a good idea. Bridging amps is fine however this should normally be done with speakers that have an impedance of 8 ohms. Best to double triple check with NAD and DALI to see if its ok to use the amps in bridge mode with your speakers.

Thank you! Yeah when reading more 6 ohm speakers with this setup doesnt sound like a good match. 3 ohm from each speaker sounds like these two things can happen:

"if the speaker impedance is too low, the amplifier will tend to overheat and more power is used up in the amplifier than is delivered to the speaker. "

"Too low an impedance will result in weak output and poor tone."

Doesn't sound too good at all 🙂 Thx for pointing that out. Selling the 275BEE or getting new 8 ohms speakers... haha

I see that Dali doesn't make 8 ohms speakers only 4, 5 and 6 ohms?

 

[MUSICRAFT]

Thank you! Yeah when reading more 6 ohm speakers with this setup doesnt sound like a good match. 3 ohm from each speaker sounds like these two things can happen:

"if the speaker impedance is too low, the amplifier will tend to overheat and more power is used up in the amplifier than is delivered to the speaker. "

"Too low an impedance will result in weak output and poor tone."

Doesn't sound too good at all 🙂 Thx for pointing that out. Selling the 275BEE or getting new 8 ohms speakers... haha

I see that Dali doesn't make 8 ohms speakers only 4, 5 and 6 ohms?

You're welcome.

I'll recommend holding on to the C275BEE and the speakers. Try bi amping the speakers with the C375BEE powering mid/HF and the C275BEE powering LF.

 

[karlallemyr]

You're welcome.

I'll recommend holding on to the C275BEE and the speakers. Try bi amping the speakers with the C375BEE powering mid/HF and the C275BEE powering LF.

Thank you again.

3 months ago a friend and I tested his speakers on this setup and we both thought his speakers sound better, they are 8 ohm and way cheaper. Shure they lacked the bass, but the sound was a little better. I will try with one amp and see what it sounds like.

The place where this NAD Dali setup is bought at is where Dali points for questions in Sweden the dealer is called HifiKlubben.

If I bi amp like the picture shows, thats the same as you recommend?

Thx for your time!

 

[MUSICRAFT]

If I bi amp like the picture shows, thats the same as you recommend?

Yes 👍 C375BEE for mid/HF and the C275BEE for LF duties.