Hooking up a subwoofer crossover??

[Early B.]

OK, I recently purchased a Reckhorn B-1 bass management system. My goal was to hook up a pair of passive subs to supplement the bass in my 2-channel system and HT. The idea was to power the subs from the two unused channels on my 7-channel amp (Emotiva LPA-1) and hook up the subs to the LINE OUT connections on my pre/pro (Emotiva LMC-1). Anyway, I hooked it up today and got zilch. I'm not sure if I hooked everything up properly, but here's what I did:

The manual says the LINE OUTs can be used to hook up another amp. I'm assuming the pre/pro allows you to run two pair of front speakers simultaneously. I got the LINE OUT RCAs on the pre/pro hooked to the Line In on the crossover and the inputs on the amp hooked to the Line Out on the crossover. The subs are hooked to both pairs of unused binding posts on the amp via speaker cable. Everything powers up fine, but no sound from the subs.

Any ideas? Thanks.

[RuSsMaN]

Try using the subs on the front l&r preouts, leaving everything else the same and see what you get.

Make sure the subsonic freq isn't set too high on the Reckhorn also.

[unc2701]

Using the line out is generally not what you want. They tend to NOT be controlled by the volume knob, so every time you changed the volume, you'd have to adjust the level on the Reckhorn.

Anyhow, a lot of new processors allow you to have the line out set to a different input than the system is on (ie, system is playing input 1 & line out is on input 2). My guess is that's what's going on.

Your long term solution is gonna be to get some y-cables and use the pre-outs.

[RuSsMaN]

Agreed unc, but even if the outputs are fixed (not variable), he should still have something sound wise.

[unc2701]

OK, just looked up your manual, just use the zone 2 outputs and set them to sync with the main. It'll follow the same input & volume as the mains. See page 42-43.

The y-cable I mentioned before might be a little problematic. The input impedence on the Reckhorn is 10k ohm, which in parallel w/ the amp might be a bit low.

[unc2701]

Agreed unc, but even if the outputs are fixed (not variable), he should still have something sound wise.

Agreed- unless the line out is set to an input that's not playing anything. Still looking through the manual to see if it follows the main... but I'm rapidly losing interest.

Oh, if he's on a digital input, the analog line out might not be active....

[RuSsMaN]

Agreed- ... but I'm rapidly losing interest.
...

YES!

[Early B.]

OK, I got it to work. No volume control issues, unc, and no y-cables. However, the volume on the Reckhorn has to be set high.

I'll post my results in another thread after I play around some more with the settings. But here's a teaser preview -- if there was an athletic event for audio, the level of my game has changed completely, and I'd be demolishing my opponents with solid bass play.

[dorokusai]

Didn't you go thru some disillusion about audio phase not too long ago? .....but now your using subwoofer xover's in your 2CH rig? As long as it's working out well, rock on.

[treitz3]

Yes, I seem to recall that at well on a post not too far ago..........

[Early B.]

Didn't you go thru some disillusion about audio phase not too long ago? ....

Who, me??? Ha!

Show me the link. You guys surely must have me confused with some other hypocrite on this forum...

[RuSsMaN]

No, you still retain the chief hyprocrite belt, along with chief lunactic too - although many a member these days is trying to take that title from you.....

[Early B.]

No, you still retain the chief hyprocrite belt, along with chief lunactic too - although many a member these days is trying to take that title from you.....

Huh? Someone wants to take my chief lunatic title? Bring it on, wussies, bring it on!!!!!

[ben62670]

The subs are truly passive with no amp?

[Early B.]

The subs are truly passive with no amp?

Not quite. No plate amp. They are being powered by a multi-channel amp.

[unc2701]

OK, I got it to work. No volume control issues, unc, and no y-cables. However, the volume on the Reckhorn has to be set high.

I'll post my results in another thread after I play around some more with the settings. But here's a teaser preview -- if there was an athletic event for audio, the level of my game has changed completely, and I'd be demolishing my opponents with solid bass play.

Interesting! I've never seen a pre where the line out that was volume controlled, but it's an option that I've wished for on many an occasion. So when you turn up the volume on the pre, the sub gets louder, too?

[jm1]

Who, me??? Ha!

Show me the link. You guys surely must have me confused with some other hypocrite on this forum...

An Amazing Discovery

[shadowofnight]

OK, I got it to work. No volume control issues, unc, and no y-cables. However, the volume on the Reckhorn has to be set high.

I'll post my results in another thread after I play around some more with the settings. But here's a teaser preview -- if there was an athletic event for audio, the level of my game has changed completely, and I'd be demolishing my opponents with solid bass play.

How high ? On my B-1 , I have the LFE output on my Onkyo feeding the input to the B-1....then it goes to 2 15" subs that have large plate amps in them that have line level ins and outs so the signal goes in one...the out feeds the others in...then the out of the second plate amp feeds a bridged RF2000 amp feeding a 3" xmax monster sub.

The plate amps gain adjust is set at mid level , and I have the RF2000's gain set at mid level as well...I never have the B-1's main level volume over mid position if I want to keep my teeth in while watching movies :D

I dont turn on the 3rd monster sub when listening to music...the 2 15's blend to the full range speakers perfectly with the B-1 at the 11 oclock position ( I have 2 different calibrations I use for music and movies....the B-1's volume is awesome for that as I dont have to access the LFE's level adjust between the 2...the B-1's adjustment is right in front of me. )

[Early B.]

An Amazing Discovery

Nope. That's not it. When that was posted, treitz3 wasn't a member yet, so it had to be a more recent thread. Feel free to keep looking, though, but you'll never find it.;)

[Early B.]

How high ?

...I never have the B-1's main level volume over mid position if I want to keep my teeth in while watching movies :D

Mine is currently set at 3 o'clock. However, the subs are being underpowered right now (only 95 watts into 4 ohms), if that makes a difference with volume. They'll get twice this amount of power in a couple of weeks when the new amp arrives.

[ben62670]

OK it is a plate amp on there. If you hook up your speaker wires to the terminals of the plate amp then you are only feeding the high input, and not using it as a passive subwoofer. You would have to open the sub, and run terminals to the exterior to hook it up as a true passive subwoofer. Good luck EB.
Ben

[Early B.]

OK it is a plate amp on there. If you hook up your speaker wires to the terminals of the plate amp then you are only feeding the high input, and not using it as a passive subwoofer. You would have to open the sub, and run terminals to the exterior to hook it up as a true passive subwoofer. Good luck EB.
Ben

Nope, no plate amps, ben. I have speaker wire running directly from the sub drivers to my multi-channel amp. So I guess my subs are what you're describing as "true passive subwoofer."

[unc2701]

Mine is currently set at 3 o'clock. However, the subs are being underpowered right now (only 95 watts into 4 ohms), if that makes a difference with volume. They'll get twice this amount of power in a couple of weeks when the new amp arrives.

Huh. That extremely low level coming out of the Emotiva requiring a very high level on the Reckhorn would be consistent with a 200mV fixed level output.

Anyhow, the fact that they're on getting 95 watts shouldn't matter until you really start cranking it...