Connect a Subwoofer to XDA 1

[Dr. Feel Good]

Has anyone tried to connect the use a pair of XRCA-1X2 to multiply the RCA outputs on the XDA then run one set of RCA’s into your amp and another Set into your Subwoofer?
Off course you’d do this to work around the issue of having no sub output on the XDA.

My current system consists of:
DXA 1
Denon AVR 3300
Rotel 991 AE cd player
Carver A 500 x amp (2 in monoblock mode)
DCM Time Window 7 speakers (signature series)
B & W ASW 700 Subwoofer

I have the XDA going into the Denon AVR because I like using my Subwoofer. And my Carver amps only have RCA inputs.

So food for tought here ..has anyone tried this? Is anyone willing to try this?

Thanks
DrFeelGood of California ;D

[jackfish]

You could use inexpensive Steren 254-206IV RCA Y-adapters to find out and then you could tell us. My guess is that with the output voltage of the RCA jacks and the input sensitivity of the Carvers it should not be a problem.

[FLcanuck]

...you could get some RCA to balanced cables and use the balanced outputs of the XDA-1.

....does your sub have a balanced input? If so, then you could just use that.

[House]

i have been pondering just using the xlr outputs of my xda to go to my amps and then the unbalanced outputs to go to a sub and let the sub do its own xover and gain adjustments...

havent tried it out though yet.

[pdaddy]

House,
I have done the latter. RCA to sub and XLR's to XPA2 to speakers.

[House]

Oct 26, 2011 18:50:44 GMT -5 pdaddy said:

House,
I have done the latter. RCA to sub and XLR's to XPA2 to speakers.

and how did that work out for you?

i have been tempted to buy another sub for occasional stereo listening when i want a little more low end but generally u just us my two towers..


my other thought was to run xlr's to an xref-10 then from the xlr out of the x-ref 10 to the xlr in on the xpa 2's a sub on each channel..

[Dr. Feel Good]

House,
I have done the latter. RCA to sub and XLR's to XPA2 to speakers.


So...what happened? you can't just say that and leave it open like that and walk away! ..c'mmon ..DETAILS MAN!

[House]

dfgkali,

im guessing it worked and sounded just fine...granted you lose the "balanced" when it comes to the sub but i dont think too many that are running a sub on two channel are going to care...

[robdog]

Dfgkali,

I played with this same thing for a while with different configurations and I ended up liking the sound of this the best: I kept my Emo RCA cables going from XDA-1 to XPA-2 amp. For the subwoofer I put a XLR to RCA adaper in to one of the XDA's XLR outputs which allowed me to use my existing RCA subwoofer cable. Works very well, the sound is great. It is nice, neat and clean with no extra wires or splitters and the XLR to RCA adapter costed $7.00 at a local music shop. (I should mention that I am running all of the XDA's outputs through my UMC'1's 7.1 analog inputs, but same principle applies. It gives me control of the sub volume on the fly, and for my set up it sounds better than XDA straight to amp - even with XLR cables.) Hope this helps. Here's one to look at. www.ebay.com/itm/XLR-FEMALE-JACK-RCA-FEMALE-MONO-JACK-PLUG-ADAPTER-/260761140254?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cb6933c1e

[Dr. Feel Good]

hi robdog ..

Thanks for the info, so you just need one out from an XLR to the sub?..that I did not know, that makes the setup way more simplified.

I can go straight from XDA1 to my Carvers via RCA and one XLR adapter out to my sub using current cable....I shall try this

Thanks guys!
Cheers

[House]

yes subs really only need one input :-) they typically give you a right and left rca and or a single xlr on many subs....

all is needed though is one rca at the least :-)

[pdaddy]

House,
Sorry for the late response. The XDA RCA to sub and XLR to XPA2 worked great. I had a pair of Magnepan MMG's that need the bass from a sub and once I got everything balanced and blended well, it sounds awesome.

[odedia]

Oct 29, 2011 21:05:29 GMT -5 pdaddy said:

House,
Sorry for the late response. The XDA RCA to sub and XLR to XPA2 worked great. I had a pair of Magnepan MMG's that need the bass from a sub and once I got everything balanced and blended well, it sounds awesome.

Hi pdaddy,
Sorry for the incredibly late followup question
Would you connect both left and right outputs from the XDA using an 2-to-1 adapter to the single LFE input of the subwoofer, or would you connect left and right cables to the left and right inputs of the subwoofer? For example, on the new Airmotiv S8 you have both options:



Thanks!

[pdaddy]

I did both channels.

[vcautokid]

It'll be fine splitting the signal. Since day one XDA outputs are buffered outputs and will do fine being split. This information I got when I had an XDA-1.

[leonski]

If available? You MIGHT be better off running speaker wire to the high level inputs of the sub.
They are fairly high input impedance so draw near-zero power. And you could use some wacky small and fairly inexpensive wire.

Than do NOT daisy chain to the speaker......Continue to leave everything hooked up as it is now....at least power to the main speakers.

The troulble, IMO is running the main speakers Full Range and having double coverage where they overlap with the sub. I see the diagram, above shows
the subs lower crossover as an inadequate (IMO) 60hz.

As kind of an aside? I see the speaker spec'd at 92db at 8 ohms voltage, on a 4 ohm speaker so you loose 3db right there. But still and all? The Carvers bridged are over the top......
They would appear to have a 8 ohm bridged rating (2x the 4ohm power.....) and as such would NOT be advised for these speakers......