Subwoofer Stereo Connections

[Samd]

Is there any advantage or disadvantage please gained/lost by using the B speaker posts to connect to the amp other than the slight advantage during setup - easy on/off of subwoofer?

 

[muljao]

Is there any advantage or disadvantage please gained/lost by using the B speaker posts to connect to the amp other than the slight advantage during setup - easy on/off of subwoofer?

Not sure if you mean on the denon or the CA but on my last av receiver the b speakers were independent of the rest so I ran stereo through them without having to disengage the 5.1. So A was evrything, b was just stereo

 

[Samd]

Should have been clearer. Denon connected to sub as normal but CA amp has A or B or A+B speaker options. Instructions say to connect sub through Neutrik connection to either but just wondered if there were any advantages/disadvantages.

 

[scene]

One real advantage will probably be in terms of wiring up the connection at the back of the amp. If you wire the connectors for the stereo speakers and the sub to the A connectors, it's going to get a bit messy round the back. If you wire the speakers to the A connectors and the sub to the B connectors, it's going to be easier and tidier, and probably easier to ensure a good connection on both.

Acoustically it's almost certainly going to make no difference, as when the amp is sending signal to the A connectors or the A and B connectors, the signal is going to be following the same path (there's only one phyiscal amp - not one per set of connectors) and the only difference in path will be after the speaker selection switch - in circuitry terms the 3050s and the XXLS400 will be wired in parallel with the amp whichever option you choose.

One advantage you do get is the option of running the 3050s with or without the sub when running stereo signals, by selecting A or A+B speakers - which might be of some interest.

 

[Samd]

Very useful - connect to B it is!

 

[jonathanRD]

A quick look at the CX80 on Cambridge's website, and downloading the manual (reference) offers two options - 'sub out' connection or a 'pre-out' connection - both to active sub woofers. So when I purchased my XXLS400 BK asked me what kind of connection I wanted into my stereo amp (I had no sub out so I had the 3 x wires connection). Did you get a choice of connection? The easiest way to connect the sub to the CX80 is to use the 'sub out' or 'pre-out', or am I missing something? *scratch_one-s_head*

 

[Samd]

A quick look at the CX80 on Cambridge's website, and downloading the manual (reference) offers two options - 'sub out' connection or a 'pre-out' connection - both to active sub woofers. So when I purchased my XXLS400 BK asked me what kind of connection I wanted into my stereo amp (I had no sub out so I had the 3 x wires connection). Did you get a choice of connection? The easiest way to connect the sub to the CX80 is to use the 'sub out' or 'pre-out', or am I missing something? *scratch_one-s_head*

..to connect the CXA 80 using RCA sockets would mean I then could not also use the 400 for my AVR which is really its main purpose.

 

[jonathanRD]

A quick look at the CX80 on Cambridge's website, and downloading the manual (reference) offers two options - 'sub out' connection or a 'pre-out' connection - both to active sub woofers. So when I purchased my XXLS400 BK asked me what kind of connection I wanted into my stereo amp (I had no sub out so I had the 3 x wires connection). Did you get a choice of connection? The easiest way to connect the sub to the CX80 is to use the 'sub out' or 'pre-out', or am I missing something? *scratch_one-s_head*

..to connect the CXA 80 using RCA sockets would mean I then could not also use the 400 for my AVR which is really its main purpose.

On the back of my XXLS400 the Neutrik input is the 'high level' input for music, in my case the 'amp end' of the cable is three bare wires that connect to three of the four amp speaker output posts. If the amp - such as the CX80 has a sub out, then those three wires would instead (depending on either what you asked for or what BK supplied) be a single phono type connection instead.

The low level (for movies/AVR) input on the back of the XXLS400 are two phono inputs, in my case the cable supplied by BK is a single phono to phone cable, at the sub I am using the top 'mono' input, and into the AVR the sub out output.

 

[Samd]

A quick look at the CX80 on Cambridge's website, and downloading the manual (reference) offers two options - 'sub out' connection or a 'pre-out' connection - both to active sub woofers. So when I purchased my XXLS400 BK asked me what kind of connection I wanted into my stereo amp (I had no sub out so I had the 3 x wires connection). Did you get a choice of connection? The easiest way to connect the sub to the CX80 is to use the 'sub out' or 'pre-out', or am I missing something? *scratch_one-s_head*

..to connect the CXA 80 using RCA sockets would mean I then could not also use the 400 for my AVR which is really its main purpose.

On the back of my XXLS400 the Neutrik input is the 'high level' input for music, in my case the 'amp end' of the cable is three bare wires that connect to three of the four amp speaker output posts. If the amp - such as the CX80 has a sub out, then those three wires would instead (depending on either what you asked for or what BK supplied) be a single phono type connection instead.

The low level (for movies/AVR) input on the back of the XXLS400 are two phono inputs, in my case the cable supplied by BK is a single phono to phone cable, at the sub I am using the top 'mono' input, and into the AVR the sub out output.

OK thanks but I did not know that nor was I offered that option. The only discussion on cables I had with them was concerning cable length. It's also of interest that their own user manual makes no mention of your point. I downloaded their manual pre-purchase so there was nowt there for me to discuss with them. Perhaps they no longer offer this alternative.

 

[jonathanRD]

Hi Samd - so what cables did BK supply you with?

If you have a Neutrik cable, what type of connection is at the 'amp end'? and what cable did they supply for the low level (AVR) connection? I am assuming it was a single phono cable?

 

[scene]

IIRC: BK supply as standard a Neutrik cable with bare wires and mono sub cable - or did when I got mine 18m-2y ago.

- it's what I've got.

 

[Samd]

Same as Scene's response. Single phono and neutrik with black, red and white (for single negative post).

If I am allowed to hi-jack my own thread(!) do subs need running in please?

 

[scene]

As far as I can tell, you can have one mono/stereo low-level input going into the low-level input(s) on the XXLS400, and a "high-level" input going in via the Neutrik. As the OP has a low-level feed into the sub from his AV amp, that leaves the high-level input for use with his stereo amp. Now the CXA80 may have a sub out, but not sure how easy this would be to wire up to the Neutrik plug - probably possible, just a bit of a pita.

I know there are L & R low-level inputs for the Sub, but I'd be loathe to connect one to the AV amp and use a second sub cable to the CXA80 - not without checking directly with BK-Elec first - who are usually pretty helpful in my experience

 

[jonathanRD]

A quick look at the CX80 on Cambridge's website, and downloading the manual (reference) offers two options - 'sub out' connection or a 'pre-out' connection - both to active sub woofers. So when I purchased my XXLS400 BK asked me what kind of connection I wanted into my stereo amp (I had no sub out so I had the 3 x wires connection). Did you get a choice of connection? The easiest way to connect the sub to the CX80 is to use the 'sub out' or 'pre-out', or am I missing something? *scratch_one-s_head*

..to connect the CXA 80 using RCA sockets would mean I then could not also use the 400 for my AVR which is really its main purpose.

On the back of my XXLS400 the Neutrik input is the 'high level' input for music, in my case the 'amp end' of the cable is three bare wires that connect to three of the four amp speaker output posts. If the amp - such as the CX80 has a sub out, then those three wires would instead (depending on either what you asked for or what BK supplied) be a single phono type connection instead.

The low level (for movies/AVR) input on the back of the XXLS400 are two phono inputs, in my case the cable supplied by BK is a single phono to phone cable, at the sub I am using the top 'mono' input, and into the AVR the sub out output.

OK thanks but I did not know that nor was I offered that option. The only discussion on cables I had with them was concerning cable length. It's also of interest that their own user manual makes no mention of your point. I downloaded their manual pre-purchase so there was nowt there for me to discuss with them. Perhaps they no longer offer this alternative.

I was begining to doubt myself as my memory is not always great. So I looked up Neutrik Speakon connectors (I have the NL4FX) and although they are not abundent, you can get a Speakon to single RCA cable. Perhaps BK don't offer that option any longer but I can't think what else they may have offered me in terms of connections? (the connections at the sub being a contsant). *scratch_one-s_head*

 

[jonathanRD]

Same as Scene's response. Single phono and neutrik with black, red and white (for single negative post).

If I am allowed to hi-jack my own thread(!) do subs need running in please?

I've never read anywhere that they do, but maybe run-in provides the same benefits to those suggested with speakers, but I am guessing*scratch_one-s_head*

 

[MajorFubar]

Same as Scene's response. Single phono and neutrik with black, red and white (for single negative post).

If I am allowed to hi-jack my own thread(!) do subs need running in please?

I've never read anywhere that they do, but maybe run-in provides the same benefits to those suggested with speakers, but I am guessing*scratch_one-s_head*

Probably another one of those subjective things which doesn't have solid proof either way. Subwoofers don't generally get the same amount of 'exercise' as drivers which handle higher frequencies, but when they do move they're expected to shift the most amount of air. It would seem then that to sound best they need to be fairly supple. I've seen videos of people who have built their own subwoofers and subjected them to several hours of sweeping 20-40Hz sine waves to try to loosen-up and 'break in' the spiders and cone-surrounds for just that reason, and I can see the logic behind it. However conversely, I've used my BK Gemini II for about 10-20 hours all in and I can't say I've noticed any change during that time.

 

[Samd]

Thanks for all the responses. I'm still experimenting in trying to make the 400 'discreet' - sound-wise that is. I've had it with the cabinet!

 

[scene]

Thanks for all the responses. I'm still experimenting in trying to make the 400 'discreet' - sound-wise that is. I've had it with the cabinet!

One thing you can do is, if you've got a long enough sub cable (and I know the ones BK Elec supply are pretty long) is put the sub where you'll mainly be sitting and play a test tone through it. Then move around the room to find where it sounds best/loudest (or be more scientific and do it with a sound level meter - I got a cheap one for <£20 a while back). Then put your sub where the loud spot is...

One question - have you got the XXLS400-DF (downfiring)?

 

[Samd]

I've done the 'moving' bit but am severely limited gven the amount of clutter in the room! It's a Forward Firing version and yesterday I got much closer to ideal by using Audyssey (again!) but had to make some changes from its results e.g. it had crossovers set for all my speakers at 40Hz (my floorstanders only go down to 44). Additionally, it set the front speakers to large which, I thought, meant full range. Any road up, I changed crossovers to 60 (front) and 80 for others and set all to small and things seem to be getting there.

Newbies eh!