Zone 2 - adding passive subwoofer

[acousticmood]

Hello - I would like to add a passive subwoofer to my outdoor system  - currently running from Zone 2.  The speakers I have are by wetsound and they are mounted under the eaves, so I would like to mount a subwoofer in between the two speakers. 

Any Ideas how to hook up this subwoofer to play along with the Zone 2 stereo output?

FYI I’m looking right now at the Bose MB210-WR Outdoor Subwoofer.  I don’t know if it has a crossover.

Thanks for your help.

[Zombie]

May 28, 2024 17:42:32 GMT -5 acousticmood said:

Hello - I would like to add a passive subwoofer to my outdoor system  - currently running from Zone 2.  The speakers I have are by wetsound and they are mounted under the eaves, so I would like to mount a subwoofer in between the two speakers. 

Any Ideas how to hook up this subwoofer to play along with the Zone 2 stereo output?

FYI I’m looking right now at the Bose MB210-WR Outdoor Subwoofer.  I don’t know if it has a crossover.

Thanks for your help.

I’m assuming your Zone 2 is speaker level and not line level outs?  To give you an idea, the way I ran my last outdoor set up was using a Denon HEOS Link with line outs (R/L) to a Royce Crossover. Crossover outs to a Emotiva stereo amp and a dedicated sub amp. Both amps to a Russound selector box with volume controls. 2 Definitive Technology 6500AW speakers, 4 sub rocks and a rock sub. It actually sounded quite good with the crossover steering the highs/mids/lows. I plan on doing a similar set up when I move into the new house. 

[AudioHTIT]

May 28, 2024 17:42:32 GMT -5 acousticmood said:

Hello - I would like to add a passive subwoofer to my outdoor system  - currently running from Zone 2.  The speakers I have are by wetsound and they are mounted under the eaves, so I would like to mount a subwoofer in between the two speakers. 

Any Ideas how to hook up this subwoofer to play along with the Zone 2 stereo output?

FYI I’m looking right now at the Bose MB210-WR Outdoor Subwoofer.  I don’t know if it has a crossover.

Thanks for your help.

I’ve been considering a sub for my outdoor speakers as well, and would also prefer something passive, but I haven’t researched a solution (though might want something you bury in the ground). Here is the data sheet for the Bose, and it doesn’t mention a crossover, but recommends an 40 Hz HP filter, implying you’re on your own there. Sounds like a band pass filter between 40Hz and wherever your stereo speakers naturally roll off, would get you close. Sorry, don’t have any recommendations, but you got me thinking about it.

Bose MB210 Data Sheet

[acousticmood]

Thanks - I looked at the Bose, then I found this from Sound Town: TITAN-FG210SUB | IP55 Certified Dual 10-Inch Weather-Resistant Subwoofer w/U Bracket for Installation, Fiber Glass Enclosure, Black × 1.

The XMC has three outs for subwoofer. I’m using one for the music room, think I can use one of the others to the subwoofer - that way I can use the crossover in the XMC.

Now my challenge is that the subwoofer has speak-on connectors but my emotiva amp does not.

How best to make a connection with speak-on connections on one end of the wire, while needing a banana plug or stripped wires at the amp? I how someone has had some experience with this.

Thanks all.

[AudioHTIT]

May 29, 2024 9:55:58 GMT -5 acousticmood said:

Thanks - I looked at the Bose, then I found this from Sound Town: TITAN-FG210SUB | IP55 Certified Dual 10-Inch Weather-Resistant Subwoofer w/U Bracket for Installation, Fiber Glass Enclosure, Black × 1.

The XMC has three outs for subwoofer. I’m using one for the music room, think I can use one of the others to the subwoofer - that way I can use the crossover in the XMC.

Now my challenge is that the subwoofer has speak-on connectors but my emotiva amp does not.

How best to make a connection with speak-on connections on one end of the wire, while needing a banana plug or stripped wires at the amp? I how someone has had some experience with this.

Thanks all.

You have a variety of ideas here, not all compatible. How do you currently drive your Zone 2 stereo pair, that you want to add the subwoofer to?

[acousticmood]

Hi AudioHTIT,

My zone 2 is just configured to take input from my DAC..

So…. I hooked up the Soundtown sub to the left subwoofer, but I get no sound out of it.

Hoping it’s a config issue. Help! Thankyou

George

[AudioHTIT]

Jun 2, 2024 21:02:15 GMT -5 acousticmood said:

Hi AudioHTIT,

My zone 2 is just configured to take input from my DAC..

So…. I hooked up the Soundtown sub to the left subwoofer, but I get no sound out of it.

Hoping it’s a config issue. Help! Thankyou

George

We need to go back to basics, it sounds like you’re trying to use outputs intended for the ‘Main Zone’, for Zone 2, the subwoofer outputs are not intended for Zone 2 usage.

So here’s a simple drawing of how Zone 2 should normally be configured. Everything you want for Zone 2 should either be hooked up to the Zone 2 line output on the XMC-2, or the speaker output on the Zone amp.

Are we on the same page with what I’ve written and drawn so far?



So after we have that part running, if you want to add a sub, you must either hook it to the XMC-2’s Zone 2 output (Y cable) — you’d need an active sub with controls for this. Or, you hook it to the speaker outs on the Zone amp — typically a passive sub here, but some actives will also work (if they have a speaker level input). So how are we doin? Is this making sense?

[acousticmood]

It almost makes sense to me . Right now I have zone 2 outgoing to two Chanel’s on my XPA amp (I have an xpa-7 and a basx 4).

Each channel of the amp has its own input and output, so I’m not sure how to get two pairs of output from the L/R input.

FYI I have a passive subwoofer.

I’m also not sure how to set a crossover.

Thanks again I really appreciate your help.

[AudioHTIT]

Jun 3, 2024 10:59:04 GMT -5 acousticmood said:

It almost makes sense to me . Right now I have zone 2 outgoing to two Chanel’s on my XPA amp (I have an xpa-7 and a basx 4).

Each channel of the amp has its own input and output, so I’m not sure how to get two pairs of output from the L/R input.

FYI I have a passive subwoofer.

I’m also not sure how to set a crossover.

Thanks again I really appreciate your help.

Edit: I misread your last post, ignore this paragraph, and most of the 2nd: So, you're trying to use the amplifier from your 'Main' system, to power your Zone 2 system, hence why you were trying to use the subwoofer outputs. While not impossible, that's not a good idea, and not something I'll help you do. In other words you should not hook your Zone 2 speakers to the same amp channels as your Main L & R speakers, which is what it sounds like you're trying to do.

You need a separate stereo (2 channel) amp, just for Zone 2, like in my picture. Zone 2 has it's own input selector, and volume control. That way you can control what you play on your Main system -- and how loud it plays -- and separately control what you play on Zone 2 -- and how loud it plays. Another option, if you think you'll ever want more than 1 pair of Zone 2 speakers, is to get a 'Whole House' or 'Zone' Amp. These have one or more inputs (a pair of RCAs from the Zone 2 output in this case), and multiple stereo amps that can each power a pair of speakers, and have separate volume controls -- my zone amp powers (4) stereo pairs of speakers in different outdoor locations (some use them inside as well).

As for the subwoofer, I went to the product page hoping to find an owners manual, but didn't see a link, do you know if there is one online? It does say it has 4-pin input and output SpeakON connectors (which they incorrectly call SPEAKERON). This means it might be setup to run your signal to the subwoofer and then on to your Zone L/R speakers, but I'd need to see the manual. I don't know if you've read the Zone 2 section in the XMC-2 manual, but that might help too.

[acousticmood]

Thanks - so I purchased a separate amp that has rca for zone w2 input, then output to the main amp (with a crossover). It also has a powered out to the subwoofer. It seems like this should work - one thing still puzzles me.

The Sub out L/R/C on the xmc goes to the amp - then from the amp to the subwoofer. It seems to me that the xmc doesn’t know the difference between the passive subwoofer (outside) as apposed to an inside subwoofer.
If the sub out from the xmc goest to the amp then to the subwoofer, it seems like at least some audio should be present at the subwoofer.

[AudioHTIT]

Jun 4, 2024 12:26:32 GMT -5 acousticmood said:

Thanks - so I purchased a separate amp that has rca for zone w2 input, then output to the main amp (with a crossover). It also has a powered out to the subwoofer. It seems like this should work - one thing still puzzles me.

The Sub out L/R/C on the xmc goes to the amp - then from the amp to the subwoofer. It seems to me that the xmc doesn’t know the difference between the passive subwoofer (outside) as apposed to an inside subwoofer.
If the sub out from the xmc goest to the amp then to the subwoofer, it seems like at least some audio should be present at the subwoofer.

When you discuss using XMC outputs OTHER than Zone 2 RCA L & R, you lose me (I'm still working off my picture).

An owner's manual for the sub would really help, do you have one? My best GUESS without it would be:

The L & R speaker outputs of the Zone 2 Amp would go to the 4 Pin Input SpeakON Connector -- the proper pin out should be in the manual, but there are some notes on the back of the Sub. The crossover in the sub would then send the L & R signal back out of the 4 Pin Output SpeakON Connector, again need the pin out, but one pair would go to L and one pair to R. If this is how it works it's rather simple to setup, but again, we need the manual.

[ttocs]

Jun 4, 2024 17:02:03 GMT -5 AudioHTIT said:

Jun 4, 2024 12:26:32 GMT -5 acousticmood said:

Thanks - so I purchased a separate amp that has rca for zone w2 input, then output to the main amp (with a crossover). It also has a powered out to the subwoofer. It seems like this should work - one thing still puzzles me.

The Sub out L/R/C on the xmc goes to the amp - then from the amp to the subwoofer. It seems to me that the xmc doesn’t know the difference between the passive subwoofer (outside) as apposed to an inside subwoofer.
If the sub out from the xmc goest to the amp then to the subwoofer, it seems like at least some audio should be present at the subwoofer.

When you discuss using XMC outputs OTHER than Zone 2 RCA L & R, you lose me (I'm still working off my picture).

An owner's manual for the sub would really help, do you have one? My best GUESS without it would be:

The L & R speaker outputs of the Zone 2 Amp would go to the 4 Pin Input SpeakON Connector -- the proper pin out should be in the manual, but there are some notes on the back of the Sub. The crossover in the sub would then send the L & R signal back out of the 4 Pin Output SpeakON Connector, again need the pin out, but one pair would go to L and one pair to R. If this is how it works it's rather simple to setup, but again, we need the manual.

Exactly!

All of the XLR outputs from the XMC are for the MAIN ZONE only. Zone 2 only has two RCA output jacks, so no subwoofer output for Zone 2.

[acousticmood]

Sub amp coming tomorrow -hoping for the best

[AudioHTIT]

Jun 4, 2024 19:04:34 GMT -5 acousticmood said:

Sub amp coming tomorrow -hoping for the best

The amp won’t solve your problem, knowing what to do with it is the key.