2.1 stereo set-up help....

[lytalbayre]

Using a Harman Kardon HK 3480 stereo receiver, a pair of axiom m22 speakers, and a HSU vtf-2 MK2. The HK has a sub pre-out but no bass management. I have questions:


1. If I wire the speakers directly to the speaker out terminals of the HK3480, they will receive full frequency signal. Do these speakers have internal crossovers that remove the lower frequencies that they cant play? Or will they attempt to play full frequency and sound really bad on the low end?

2. If I wire the sub with the sub pre-out on the HK 3480, will the sub crossover still work or is that bypassed thinking the receiver will do the crossover work?

3. If I wire the speakers through the sub, I'm assuming the sub's crossover will work as intended and the sub crossover will send only the upper frequencies to the speakers. Does running the speakers through the sub degrade sound or have any negative effects?

Thanks all.

 

[spidey07]

If your receiver truly doesn't have bass management (which I find hard to believe if it has a sub-out) then just run the L/R speaker through the sub. Then use the crossover on the sub to adjust.

 

[ebaycj]

Originally posted by: lytalbayre
Using a Harman Kardon HK 3480 stereo receiver, a pair of axiom m22 speakers, and a HSU vtf-2 MK2. The HK has a sub pre-out but no bass management. I have questions:


1. If I wire the speakers directly to the speaker out terminals of the HK3480, they will receive full frequency signal. Do these speakers have internal crossovers that remove the lower frequencies that they cant play? Or will they attempt to play full frequency and sound really bad on the low end?

2. If I wire the sub with the sub pre-out on the HK 3480, will the sub crossover still work or is that bypassed thinking the receiver will do the crossover work?

3. If I wire the speakers through the sub, I'm assuming the sub's crossover will work as intended and the sub crossover will send only the upper frequencies to the speakers. Does running the speakers through the sub degrade sound or have any negative effects?

Thanks all.

Jello could prolly answer better but here goes.

1. Yes they probably do have functional crossovers, probably high pass or bandpass filters. (Meaning that they would only play frequency range that they are designed for).

2. Not sure, but both crossovers should be pretty close to each other (frequency range wise, probably both would be low-pass filters) so it would probably sound fine either way.

3. The sub would probably pass full frequency range to the speakers, just in case they are able to reproduce the lower frequencies. It would use it's crossover for itself only, so it would continue to play only low frequencies. Sound quality should be fine in this case.

 

[radioouman]

Just try it!!!!!!!!
It's the best way to learn.

 

[lytalbayre]

Maybe so, but I don't have spl meter to test.

Also, reply 1 and 2 contradict eachother. Spidey's reply seems to imply the sub crossover will remove low frequency from the signal to the speakers if the speakers are run through the sub.

Reply 2 says even if the speakers are run through the sub, the sub will send full signal to the speakers....

Who is correct?

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

I'm confused what you're saying to be honest, but this is what should work - I agree with Spidey on this btw.

HK Receiver
1. Pre amp ----> Subwoofer
2. Amped speaker cable connections or whatever you want to call them, just being descriptive ----> L/R speakers

What do you mean when you say it doesn't have bass management? No crossover or something else being implied?

 

[spidey07]

The sub's crossover will low pass the speaker level inputs to the sub and high pass the speaker outs to your L/R. That's what I was talking about by running your speakers through the sub.

If your HK has a sub out then it probably has a crossover - lows to the line level sub-out and highs to the speaker outputs of the receiver.

It's probably explained in your manual.

 

[imported_Imp]

No crossover

Well, looks like it really doesn't have a crossover, which is par for the course for a stereo amp. So like everyone else said, you could try the speaker level inputs on the sub. That or just find the response of the M22s, and set the crossover on the sub to that or slightly above. This way, speakers play whatever they can, sub takes everything it can't. That or ditch the receiver...

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

I looked up the manual before I saw Imp's post, and yeah... no crossover control on the 3480. Going high-level through the sub would be the way to go imo.

 

[Tiamat]

you should be fine. Most speakers are made to be able to play a full-range signal. The only thing you will miss is the added headroom that you might get if you were to cut the lower frequencies.

The subwoofer can more efficiently render the bass, but if you are not doing reference levels, I wouldnt worry about it. You just have to take great care in the setup. You will be running the subwoofer underneath the range of the speakers. A great place to start with the subwoofer's low pass filter is to set it at the -6db point of the speaker.

A better alternative would be to have something like a RS SPL Meter and you set your subwoofer crossover to meet the needs of your room.

I never like the high-level through subs as they are usually of cheap quality. If you are worried about dynamic headroom, do this. If you are more concerned about everyday levels but highest soundquality (while maintaining the need to tweak it to work in your room) run the sub underneath the speakers.