Question for What Hi-Fi - connecting a subwoofer to a stereo amplifier

[admin_exported]

I am thinking of getting a subwoofer to go with a stereo hi-fi, for listening to music and movies. For me, the style of the system is very important, and for this reason I am leaning towards a 2.1 sub / satellite speaker system. One of the packages I am liking the look of is the Tannoy Arena Highline 500. The stereo amplifier that I will be using doesn't have an output for a subwoofer, only L and R speaker terminals, so I am wondering how I could connect the sub to the system (if that is possible). Am I right in thinking that you have to connect the sub to the amp's L and R speaker outputs, and then use the subwoofer's internal crossover to seperate the low frequency from the higher range part of the signal. The higher range signal is then output from the sub to be sent on to the normal L and R speakers, while the sub holds on to the low frequency and does it's magic with it? Is this true, and are all active subwoofers capable of doing this (especially the Tannoy Arena Highline one)?

 

[Andrew Everard]

AFAIK Arena sub only has a line-level input, so wouldn't be suitable for the set-up you require.

Some other active subs have a speaker-level input, and some also have a speaker-level high-pass output to feed your stereo speakers, but I'd suggest running such subs in parallel with your existing speakers, running the stereo speakers full-range, and dialling in the sub to slot in below the stereo speakers.