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Post by Jinx Jinxed on Nov 1, 2014 10:24:17 GMT -5
Hello all! i need to know how to setup 2.1 hifi (bookshelfs) system on my desktop to my pc. (total budget 650 euros) i've been spending some time on other forums and narrowed down my choices of speakers: bookshelfs: Wharfedale Diamond 121 (129 euro)
Subwoofer: Yamaha YST-SW012 (79 euro)Amp: Emotiva Mini-x a-100 
now my question is: can i connect the Emotiva Mini-x a-100 to my computer? can the Emotiva Mini-x a-100 power the specified bookshelf and sub at the same time? this is the back the subwoofer: sound39.ru/image/cache/data/Yamaha%20YST-SW012%20black%20indoor%20back-900x600.jpgOpinions and recommendations are very much appreciated! things that might be usefull to know: My room size= 13 x 6 measured in feet. i listen to trance,electro house,EDM,vocal types of songs. i watch movies and play videogames pretty often. |
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Post by repeetavx on Nov 1, 2014 10:43:41 GMT -5
With the equipment you have there is two possible configurations.
First, if your computers sound card has a Subwoofer output, then you would run a RCA interconnect from the sub out to the subwoofers input. Then the Right and Left of the sound card would go to the A-100.
The second possibility would be to run the Right and Left outputs to the A-100. Then use a RCA interconnect from one of the A-100 Outputs to the subwoofers input. You would get only one channel feeding the subwoofer with no crossovers, but you may be able to adjust the subwoofer to your liking.
To get a crossover with a bass output external from your computer will require a preamp.
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Post by cheapthryl on Nov 1, 2014 11:52:53 GMT -5
Computer - dac - amp - sub with pass thru - speakers
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Post by Jinx Jinxed on Nov 1, 2014 15:03:07 GMT -5
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Post by brand on Nov 1, 2014 16:21:35 GMT -5
You keep mentioning whether or not device "X" can handle the sub. Your Yamaha YST-SW012 sub seems to be an active sub what is there to handle? I would not get the CRX 332 it doesn't seem to be anything really. With the Mini X you get 50 Watt of actual power.
I would get the speakers (260?), the X-mini (190) or the UPA-200 (270 USD) and an external Dac that doubles as a "preamp". I'm not sure if the Schiit Loki (150) would do the job. I would then wait a bit to then spend a bit more and buy a sub from a dedicated sub company such as PSA Rythmik SVS etc.
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Post by cheapthryl on Nov 1, 2014 16:35:53 GMT -5
The mini-x has volume control so just about any DAC will work. Split the signal from the dac to the amp "and" the sub. (the sub you show only has 1 line in so you can connect right or left channel) You then connect speakers to amp.
If you choose a different "active" sub. One with speaker connections You can connect the dac to the amp. Then the amp to the sub and speakers. That sub will not draw power away from your speakers. This is how I run my setup
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Post by garbulky on Nov 1, 2014 16:53:57 GMT -5
Okay...I think the people here may be speaking a little too complex for you. Let's simplify things. Yes you can connect it to your computers sound card port (usually a green hole). But you don't want this if you care about good sound. Because the computer sound card usually sounds like a steaming mess  You want to buy this: www.amazon.com/Behringer-UCA202-Audio-Interface/dp/B000KW2YEI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408248334&sr=8-1&keywords=Behringer+UCA+202That will act as your computer soundcard. Connect it via USB to your computer. That should get you MUCH better sound than your computer. It's only $30 one of the cheapest DAC's (soundcard) avaialable at good quality. Then.... Buy two pairs of RCA cables. One pair will go to the RCA cable on that behringer 202. The other end will connect to the input jacks on your mini-x. Then use the second pair of RCA cables to connect from your mini-x (OUTPUT jacks) to connect to your subwoofer,. You can either just connect one which will only give yo uthe bass from one speaker. Or if you want to go a little bit better...buy a summation cable: This one: ($4.00) www.amazon.com/Pyramid-RY6-Male-Female-Adaptor/dp/B0007LCKJQConnect the two ends from the output RCA's to this. And connect the single cable to the subwoofer. To make this work....you have to control the volume control from your keyboard. |
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Post by Jinx Jinxed on Nov 1, 2014 19:33:29 GMT -5
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Post by cheapthryl on Nov 1, 2014 19:40:15 GMT -5
That looks like a winner.
Enjoy the music.
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Post by Jinx Jinxed on Nov 1, 2014 20:07:09 GMT -5
not quite  im afraid i need to search for an alternative amp. thats some expensive shipping right there! Subtotal: 152.89 EUR Shipping: 80.01 EUR Duty / Tax: 63.23 EUR Insurance remove: 5.92 EUR Order Total: 302.05 EUR |
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Post by garbulky on Nov 1, 2014 23:00:55 GMT -5
Hey I think I messed up on the advice I gave you. But the basic components you need is correct. For sure you need the beringer uca 202 (at least) tghat I linked. You may need a RCA splitter and a summer splitter,...I will try to update when I can
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Post by Jinx Jinxed on Nov 2, 2014 9:08:45 GMT -5
there's 1 thing i forgot to mention is that i have a soundcard for my pc (Creative Soundblaster Z) not sure if it matters though  |
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Post by Boomzilla on Nov 2, 2014 9:17:27 GMT -5
Uh - garbulky - I don't think you can just sum the two channels like that for the subwoofer. Why? Because if the R&L signal are jumped to the subwoofer, they will also be jumped to the amplifier inputs - meaning that the "stereo" is now "mono." One can build a passive box that will sum the signals with only partial damage to the stereo separation, but to maintain full separation, some active electronics are required. What you've proposed will not damage the equipment, but it will completely kill all stereo separation. Boom |
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Post by garbulky on Nov 2, 2014 9:20:57 GMT -5
there's 1 thing i forgot to mention is that i have a soundcard for my pc (Creative Soundblaster Z) not sure if it matters though Yeah I used several generations of creatives. The live, audigy 1, 2. All of them aren't very good. Though they are better than the onboard card. You want to use the behringer instead  I use a more expensive dac in my system which is better than the behringer...but for $30 you can't beat the quality of the behringer and I think it will match well with the rest of your stuff. It sounds very close to my Emotiva XDA-1. Okay the problem with your subwoofer is that it needs to change with the volume. To make that happen, you need to have a keyboard that has a volume control button as the behringer cannot have its volume changed in another way (the icon on the desktop cannot change the volume). The RCA passthrough in the mini-x will not change volume with the volume knob on the mini-x and that's why the volume needs to be changed BEFORE it gets to the mini-x. So you can do it with a keyboard with volume control button. OR....if you prefer the physical knob.... What you will need is a passive pre-amp that connects from the behringer on one side, and output to the mini-x. This one. : emotiva.com/products/electronics/control-freak$40 And then you would connect the RCA wires in the same order on the mini-x. And that should work. |
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Post by Boomzilla on Nov 2, 2014 9:22:05 GMT -5
In fact - Here's the passive setup (by P.W. Klipsch) for a summing network (works for either a subwoofer OR a center channel)!  |
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Post by garbulky on Nov 2, 2014 9:23:26 GMT -5
Uh - garbulky - I don't think you can just sum the two channels like that for the subwoofer. Why? Because if the R&L signal are jumped to the subwoofer, they will also be jumped to the amplifier inputs - meaning that the "stereo" is now "mono." One can build a passive box that will sum the signals with only partial damage to the stereo separation, but to maintain full separation, some active electronics are required. What you've proposed will not damage the equipment, but it will completely kill all stereo separation. Boom Are you saying they will cancel each other out? He has only a single sub I'm hoping for a mono channel but with both stereo bass info in it. I am a little worried it may overload the mono input on the sub but if that's the case he can just use a single RCA jack. His subwoofer only has a single input. |
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Post by Boomzilla on Nov 2, 2014 9:27:23 GMT -5
No - what I'm saying is that if you jumper the right & left channels, you are jumping them not only to the subwoofer, but also to the main amplifier. At the speed of light (that those electrons are traveling at, nearly), the couple inches of wire between the subwoofer jumper and the amplifier input are effectively a "dead short" between channels. The source doesn't care, the sub doesn't care, and the power amp doesn't care - but you've got ZERO right-to-left separation - it's now a mono signal.  |
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Post by garbulky on Nov 2, 2014 9:30:52 GMT -5
No - what I'm saying is that if you jumper the right & left channels, you are jumping them not only to the subwoofer, but also to the main amplifier. At the speed of light (that those electrons are traveling at, nearly), the couple inches of wire between the subwoofer jumper and the amplifier input are effectively a "dead short" between channels. The source doesn't care, the sub doesn't care, and the power amp doesn't care - but you've got ZERO right-to-left separation - it's now a mono signal. Ah I gotcha. It was supposed to combined AFTER the passthrough. The mini-x has an RcA passthrough output. So it recieves a stereo RCA signal. And it also outputs the same signal through. after it has outputted this, that's where it's supposed to get "summed". So after the amp but before the sub. Hope that made sense the way I wrote it. |
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Post by Boomzilla on Nov 2, 2014 9:38:39 GMT -5
NO - It doesn't work that way. The pass-through on the Mini-X is not an active buffer - it is a passive connection from the inputs to the outputs. That being the case, ANY connection between the right and left channels STILL shorts the two channels together (to the amplifier AND the sub). They're STILL shorted:  Having the jumper on the "outputs" is exactly the same as having a virtual jumper on the inputs!  Or, to put it another way, here's the inside of the Mini-X:  |
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Post by garbulky on Nov 2, 2014 9:54:51 GMT -5
NO - It doesn't work that way. The pass-through on the Mini-X is not an active buffer - it is a passive connection from the inputs to the outputs. That being the case, ANY connection between the right and left channels STILL shorts the two channels together (to the amplifier AND the sub). They're STILL shorted: Okay I think I see what you're saying. I don't quite understand why it should summ up the channels behind it, but since you say it does, then what I suggested with the summing thing won't work for him. He'll just have to use a single RCA cable on the passthrough. Maybe there is a low cost box that will output a subwoofer channel for him? I would reccomend a pre-amp or a different subwoofer that has the pass through built in. But it's likely out of his budget. But at this point, I think it would make sense to get a sub with a passthrough on it and connect it to the mini-x. That way he doesn't have to buy a control freak or anything. |
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