Although I'm not entirely sure this belongs in OT, I stand less chance of getting in trouble posting here than in General Hardware if I'm wrong!
Anyway, I just spent a bundle on a nice new Technics Receiver for my home theater setup. It has Dolby Digital and DTS decoding built in, and, like most new receivers, an active subwoofer output.
Its replacing a setup that had a Pioneer Dolby Pro-Logic (4 year old) receiver hooked up to a nice center speaker, 4 satellites, and a PASSIVE subwoofer. The passive sub was a real bargain - got it on clearance for 1/5 its price...
The problem I've found is that although the sub is great quality (I think has a 15in. woofer that fires into the floor) it is only a passive sub, so it doesn't deliver the discrete .1 channel you get with Dolby Digital... and although it delivers nice clean bass, it lacks volume and presence.
But after looking at Active subs at the local stereo place (man are they expensive!) I think all an active sub is in the end is a nice passive sub with amplifier built in. This takes a single mono component connection in, amplifies the signal (with its own volume control) and sends it out to the sub speaker.
So my big question: I have a nice, presently unused stereo unit I picked up really cheap a few years ago. Its speakers have long been taken for other things, but the unit is still in perfect shape. It has an AUX input in the back, and outputs for 2 4 Ohm speakers. So why can't I take the single mono line out from the receiver to a "y" connector, to the stereo component inputs on the back of the unit, then run speaker wires out to my passive subwoofer. Use the stereo unit to amplify what I am assuming is a mono line level signal from the receiver's active sub output, use the unit's volume control for the bass level, and basically turn my passive sub into an active sub system?
i.e. - Stereo unit (amplifier) + passive subwoofer = active subwoofer???
I want to give it a try, but first I'm asking 1) if this makes any sense, and 2) if there is any chance of damaging my new receiver? I know you can cause problems with too low Ohms and heat, but the active sub output on the receiver is only a line level out - right? So it wouldn't have any power or Ohm issues, right?
I can't afford the $400-$900 (can) for a decent active sub, and I don't want to abandon this awesome passive sub... help me out!
Anyway, I just spent a bundle on a nice new Technics Receiver for my home theater setup. It has Dolby Digital and DTS decoding built in, and, like most new receivers, an active subwoofer output.
Its replacing a setup that had a Pioneer Dolby Pro-Logic (4 year old) receiver hooked up to a nice center speaker, 4 satellites, and a PASSIVE subwoofer. The passive sub was a real bargain - got it on clearance for 1/5 its price...
The problem I've found is that although the sub is great quality (I think has a 15in. woofer that fires into the floor) it is only a passive sub, so it doesn't deliver the discrete .1 channel you get with Dolby Digital... and although it delivers nice clean bass, it lacks volume and presence.
But after looking at Active subs at the local stereo place (man are they expensive!) I think all an active sub is in the end is a nice passive sub with amplifier built in. This takes a single mono component connection in, amplifies the signal (with its own volume control) and sends it out to the sub speaker.
So my big question: I have a nice, presently unused stereo unit I picked up really cheap a few years ago. Its speakers have long been taken for other things, but the unit is still in perfect shape. It has an AUX input in the back, and outputs for 2 4 Ohm speakers. So why can't I take the single mono line out from the receiver to a "y" connector, to the stereo component inputs on the back of the unit, then run speaker wires out to my passive subwoofer. Use the stereo unit to amplify what I am assuming is a mono line level signal from the receiver's active sub output, use the unit's volume control for the bass level, and basically turn my passive sub into an active sub system?
i.e. - Stereo unit (amplifier) + passive subwoofer = active subwoofer???
I want to give it a try, but first I'm asking 1) if this makes any sense, and 2) if there is any chance of damaging my new receiver? I know you can cause problems with too low Ohms and heat, but the active sub output on the receiver is only a line level out - right? So it wouldn't have any power or Ohm issues, right?
I can't afford the $400-$900 (can) for a decent active sub, and I don't want to abandon this awesome passive sub... help me out!
). When you use a bass boost knob you boost the 40Hz level distracting from anything lower. If you leave the bass boost alone you'll end up with more LOW bass (which I prefer over LOUD bass). Of course, it will still get plenty loud enough. 
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