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Powered sub (why all the ports?)...

mvbighead

mvbighead

Diamond Member
Just bought a new receiver to replace my old one, and knew at the time of purchase that I would be in need of a powered sub. My question to you folks is why do some of the subs I see have soooooo many ports on them. It appears there is a single pre-out on most receivers I've seen, including the Pioneer VSX-820-K that I purchased.

For reference, I am thinking about buying the following sub:

http://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-10-...0713104&sr=8-1

Or, recommend me something better on a similar price line. As for right now, I am using the old Sony Sub that was included with my previous package, but it is not powered, nor do I have much control over the bass. It simply has two wire connection, which I figured I might be able to buy an amp and run the amp to the pre-out on the receiver, but I'll let you all tell me what would be my best route.
 
All the connections in the back of the sub. It seems all that runs between the receiver and the sub is one wire. It appears as if there are connections for a lot of wires, including a dual left/right input, instead of the single preout that comes out of the receiver. As you can tell, I don't keep up with this stuff that much, so why all these connections exist is beyond me. Best I can figure is to make the sub more versatile and negate some of the need for a receiver.

At any rate, what I want to know is where do I connect the preout from the receiver to on the sub? With a left and right input, do I just plug it into one and call it good enough? Or do I need to look for a different sub?
 
mvbighead said:
All the connections in the back of the sub. It seems all that runs between the receiver and the sub is one wire. It appears as if there are connections for a lot of wires, including a dual left/right input, instead of the single preout that comes out of the receiver. As you can tell, I don't keep up with this stuff that much, so why all these connections exist is beyond me. Best I can figure is to make the sub more versatile and negate some of the need for a receiver.

At any rate, what I want to know is where do I connect the preout from the receiver to on the sub? With a left and right input, do I just plug it into one and call it good enough? Or do I need to look for a different sub?
Click to expand...


Just options. Pick whatever works for you, if you have a receiver, you just need a 75ohm coax with rca connectors on both ends. One end goes to receiver, the other to the sub (the ones marked as line in on the back of the sub you linked to in amazon) , end of story.
 
I'm thinkin' he's talking about the speaker connections.

I don't understand the line in/line out unless that's brand specific for certain receivers, but the speakers in & out are because you'll go from receiver to the sub, then back out to the (usually) front L/R. Reason for that is twofold....

#1.) No need for a separate channel just for sub since bass is mostly non-directional so they simply crossover & separate frequencies.

#2.) As such, they also accomplish cutting the lower frequencies out of your front R/L to keep distortion out of the scenario on high volumes. (Rears are usually either too small or already passed out of lower frequencies within the receiver itself & thus have their own channels)

At least that's how mine works. (shrug)
 
sdifox said:
Just options. Pick whatever works for you, if you have a receiver, you just need a 75ohm coax with rca connectors on both ends. One end goes to receiver, the other to the sub (the ones marked as line in on the back of the sub you linked to in amazon) , end of story.
Click to expand...

So left/right makes absolutely no difference. Kinda figured, but wanted to be sure. Thanks for the help.

As for the sub, any preferences out there? Is the one I posted above decent enough? Are there better options for the same or a little more money?

I believe I saw that exact sub at Bestbuy for 199, so for 100, I'm willing to wait several days. But is there a better brand or model to go with?
 
mvbighead said:
So left/right makes absolutely no difference. Kinda figured, but wanted to be sure. Thanks for the help.

As for the sub, any preferences out there? Is the one I posted above decent enough? Are there better options for the same or a little more money?

I believe I saw that exact sub at Bestbuy for 199, so for 100, I'm willing to wait several days. But is there a better brand or model to go with?
Click to expand...

At the price point you are looking at, I don't think brand matters much.
 
redgtxdi said:
I'm thinkin' he's talking about the speaker connections.

I don't understand the line in/line out unless that's brand specific for certain receivers, but the speakers in & out are because you'll go from receiver to the sub, then back out to the (usually) front L/R. Reason for that is twofold....

#1.) No need for a separate channel just for sub since bass is mostly non-directional so they simply crossover & separate frequencies.

#2.) As such, they also accomplish cutting the lower frequencies out of your front R/L to keep distortion out of the scenario on high volumes. (Rears are usually either too small or already passed out of lower frequencies within the receiver itself & thus have their own channels)

At least that's how mine works. (shrug)
Click to expand...

Yeah, you'd be right. I just saw all that crap back there and was thinking, what the hell would I want all of that for? I was expecting to find a powered sub with a single line in (RCA connector type), and power cord, and a couple of knobs to adjust the base and what not. Seeing all that stuff, I was wondering if I needed to look at some different subs altogether. My guess is now that I'll buy the sub I mentioned (or a recommended one from you all), run the sub cable from the sub preout on the back of the Pioneer VSX820K to the left channel in on the back of the sub.

So, any recommend 100-150 dollar subs? Is the one I am looking at a decent quality one? I am not looking to blow my room up with bass, but just want some added oomph to my TV/movie watching.
 
mvbighead said:
Yeah, you'd be right. I just saw all that crap back there and was thinking, what the hell would I want all of that for? I was expecting to find a powered sub with a single line in (RCA connector type), and power cord, and a couple of knobs to adjust the base and what not. Seeing all that stuff, I was wondering if I needed to look at some different subs altogether. My guess is now that I'll buy the sub I mentioned (or a recommended one from you all), run the sub cable from the sub preout on the back of the Pioneer VSX820K to the left channel in on the back of the sub.

So, any recommend 100-150 dollar subs? Is the one I am looking at a decent quality one? I am not looking to blow my room up with bass, but just want some added oomph to my TV/movie watching.
Click to expand...

What speakers are you running and what are the dimensions of the room. The sub has to be matched to speakers, not necessarily brands, but capabilities.
 
sdifox said:
What speakers are you running and what are the dimensions of the room. The sub has to be matched to speakers, not necessarily brands, but capabilities.
Click to expand...

Well, I'm afraid you won't like my answer here either. Sony something or other satellite speakers. The best I can say is they can be too loud if I turn it up high enough. I don't have specific models as they are at home, but four of them are mounted about 8-9 feet high around the watching area. They put out good, crisp sound for my tastes, but obviously no bass.

When I can get you the specific model, I'll let you know. As you can tell, this is a rather simple/modest setup. Nothing flashy, but just a decent/good (imo) budget sound system for my entertainment area. I just need to complement the new receiver with a sub that can actually put out bass.
 
redgtxdi said:
I'm thinkin' he's talking about the speaker connections.

I don't understand the line in/line out unless that's brand specific for certain receivers,
Click to expand...

This is just another connection option. If your amp/receiver doesn't have a dedicated sub output you can use any unused output that is line level since it will be pre-amp. For instance you can use a AUX or Tape output on a older piece of equipment and run it into the input of the amp.
 
mvbighead said:
Well, I'm afraid you won't like my answer here either. Sony something or other satellite speakers. The best I can say is they can be too loud if I turn it up high enough. I don't have specific models as they are at home, but four of them are mounted about 8-9 feet high around the watching area. They put out good, crisp sound for my tastes, but obviously no bass.

When I can get you the specific model, I'll let you know. As you can tell, this is a rather simple/modest setup. Nothing flashy, but just a decent/good (imo) budget sound system for my entertainment area. I just need to complement the new receiver with a sub that can actually put out bass.
Click to expand...

So small satellite speakers? The sub you linked to will be a huge improvement :biggrin:
 
sdifox said:
So small satellite speakers? The sub you linked to will be a huge improvement :biggrin:
Click to expand...

They are certainly bigger than some of the standard ones I've seen. Something like 4x7 inches would be my guess. But yeah, absolutely no bass.

And while I understand your sentiment about the cheaper price point, is there a better brand to look for? Polk seems to be a good name to me, but I haven't the foggiest clue.
 
mvbighead said:
They are certainly bigger than some of the standard ones I've seen. Something like 4x7 inches would be my guess. But yeah, absolutely no bass.

And while I understand your sentiment about the cheaper price point, is there a better brand to look for? Polk seems to be a good name to me, but I haven't the foggiest clue.
Click to expand...

4x7 is the speaker size right? Do you know the driver diameter? I am guessing 2.5 or 3" max.

Polk used to be a decent name.
 
sdifox said:
4x7 is the speaker size right? Do you know the driver diameter? I am guessing 2.5 or 3" max.

Polk used to be a decent name.
Click to expand...

Yeah, not sure on that one.

Used to be... as in not any more? Any other brands I should look for?

I do see that the sub I listed has really good reviews from a lot of people, but if the sub is gonna die in a year or two's time, I'd rather look elsewhere.
 
mvbighead said:
Yeah, not sure on that one.

Used to be... as in not any more? Any other brands I should look for?

I do see that the sub I listed has really good reviews from a lot of people, but if the sub is gonna die in a year or two's time, I'd rather look elsewhere.
Click to expand...

Again, for the price point you are looking at, chances are the brand matters not. Just make sure the cabinet is either fiberboard or MDF and not plastic.
 
I have a Sony 10" sub that I got for $100, and I'm really happy with it. I have it hooked up via the speaker wires because the line in didn't give very much bass. The line in is only one RCA jack and it's black. It matches the output for a sub on most receivers. The bass through the speaker wires is very good. I have it up a little less than half way, and it adds a very good amount of bass. I think that it's pretty clear and not muddy sounding, and it also sounds great when I crank the music up.

If you're looking for a sub that's gives overpowering bass, it can do that with the bass knob on the back cranked up 3/4 of the way, but I don't like that. I think that it adds a very natural amount of bass to my system at a little less than half way up. I have it positioned right next to my right speaker, so the bass is even more natural sounding that way.

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-SA-W2500-.../dp/B000OL3QTW It's down to $86 now on Amazon.
 
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mvbighead said:
Ouch, tell me how you really feel. Yeah, I know I am not looking at the higher end stuff. Just want to make sure I buy a decent, reliable model.
Click to expand...

Depending on how hard your price point is and what you are going to use the sub for, you might want to consider something like the BIC F12. You can get them for under $200. I think you'll find the quality significant better than the subwoofer offerings by Polk if you intend to use the sub in a home theater setting, where really low frequencies are important. Polks tend to do more poorly at the very low end. Which is fine for a lot of music but not so great for many movies.
 
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