THE MOST ILLEGAL WAY IS VIA HEADPHONE OUT! 3.5mm to RCA and simultaneously with REAR of an amp/dac. I did not demo this sorry. ⚔️www.SubscribeStar.com/Zeos -- Subscribe Star 🥇www.Patreon.com/Zeos -- Check out the Patreon 👕www.Zboombox.com -- New MERCH
P.S. Outer Range did NOT suck at the end. amzn.to/39bEMMM I just need Season 2 So badly now. Ignore the comments and review on there. People have way too much hate in their heart. I loved every second of it.
Whoops just Connected my Jensen XR-500 Subwoofer to the Headphone out of my Presonus 2/4 Along with my Swan M200Mkiii+ Speakers the Other Day :) Breakin the Law, Breakin the Law!!
I ever curtailed the Cursing and Weebness a bit in this one. Sorta, Megumin is atop the tower after the second or third cut. Gotta ease them into the full Zeos experience or something will tear.
I knew all this and still watched the whole thing because I appreciated the quality of your explanation. I once has an rca only sub hooked up using line level converters split off the speakers. More common in car audio though. Also if you're willing to use some car audio tech there are RCA and line level crossovers that could cut the low end from speakers and only send it to subwoofer.
Only one I can think of that won't smoke. if your out put is at a very high level because most car level Inputs will smoke when turned up using a home audio unit usually will be a lot higher out put then any car audio unit. 👍👌✌️🎵🎶💯
this is a useful and informative video, having someone physically display this stuff. but at one point people have to solve all this and think ahead and do things right from the start. in my experience the Minidsp SHD studio let me do anything i want. its a half U unit with digital only input and output. now you can plug in anything to it, use it as preamp, and let you use diy passive subwoofer or speakers, add dac's and poweramps as needed.
hey, i wanna thank you for this video. i'm planning to buy my first speakers when i move out. and i'm eyeing the edifier mr4; it's currently under $70 in my country, and if i've already moved out, i would have borrowed money to buy it lol. but i would like to buy the edifier sub down the line too; but from my research, there's no sub out. so thanks for this public service! i've already saved this vid for the future.
Thanks for your commitment to the time and edit needed for this to be all encompassing. Validated solutions I have implemented and gave me thought for variables I have been hesitant to wire up. Not that I blindly accept Bit Depth and Sample Rate that streaming services profess, but would love to see a recap of hardware that displays both. All hail Zeos.
Great video - This is a really good overview of the options. I had a Matrix Audio Mini I-Pro USB DAC that has a a set of Analog RCA Outputs and XLR Outputs. I ran into the situation where the voltage difference between the 2 outputs (XLR double the voltage) meant that the sub run from the RCAs wouldn't be loud enough even on full gain. Both outputs were volume controlled together but I had to buy some attenuators (15db) for the XLR outputs to bring the satellite speakers to a level that I could control the sub. Matrix Audio Mini I-Pro |------- (via XLR) ------ (XLR Inline Attenuator) ------> Audiolab M-Pwr ---------> Quad L-ite satellites |--------( via RCA) -------> Quad L-ite Sub The Mini I-Pro since went pop, so I switched to a SMSL M3 and RCA splitters. One day I will look into replacing with a DAC with dedicated sub out.
Hey my friend, I'm in the same situation. I have an old DAC/Preamp (TEAC UD-301) that has XLR and RCA outs. I'm using the XLRs for my powered monitors and I want to add a subwoofer using the RCAs. Do you think that I will face the same problem? I wouldn't like to put attenuators... Maybe that depends on the subwoofer's volume levels? I'm thinking of buying the SVS SB-1000
This was great, thanks I'm a passive speaker guy at the mo. with an amp that has a subwoofer hole! Happy about that, seems a lot more simple than some of the options here Now to go through your vids to find a good, compact(ish) sub to finish my setup
There is one more option with passive speakers: 1) A signal from DAC to a power amplifier via RCA 2) from the amp's output terminals to the input terminals of the active subwoofer 3) from subwoofer output terminals to speakers Usually, subwoofers with such connection allow you to set the crossover frequency. The advantage of this connection scheme is that speakers don't play the frequences the sub already plays.
Sorry, I'm late to the party. You are a freakin genius. Did not want to buy a studio-powered sub for my JBL 305 monitors Now I can use my more powerful 12-inch Acoustech sub! Thank you🤓
Epic video! Note on the MiniDSP, the new Flex is available now which is an upgraded version that comes in multiple configurations, one being all digital as a NanoDigi replacement.
YESSSS Z BROTHER!!!! I know this will help me hook up my Klipsh 10 inch powered subwoofer to my new incoming self powered Swan M500s! TY for this bro! Now I'm gonna watch this! 😁👍
Thanks for the video Zeos! I had the same idea as far as using splitters coming out of a dac with just rca outpu but wanted to confirm before dropping money on studio monitors. This is the first thing I found after countless searches that confirms the rca splitter option for powered monitors won't cause issues. I have several dac and dac/amps and none of them have more than a single output either rca or aux and really didn't want to have to buy another dac.
Great video Z. I did something similar to splitting the Speaker cable but to keep the back of my amp clean I ran a set of banana plugs off of the jumpers on my Klipsch 600M and let the sub “taste” the signal that way. Works great! 👍
12:28, can't you use like an 'impedance converter', with like 100K ohm resistors, to go from speaker line to low level rca? Isn't that basically what happens internally in the subwoofer with binding posts anyways? Might be more work then splitting the source tho, but some people swear by passing on the 'amplifier coloring' to the subwoofer...
You have touched on one of (IMHO) THE MOST neglected aspects of high fidelity sound reproduction -- the introduction of a HIGH PASS filter on the main speakers. Seldom do you hear anyone mention this. This serves many benefits-- the elimination of the low frequency "SLAM" put upon small speakers that can't reproduce that range anyway. This radically decreases cone excursion on the top end speakers and therefore reduces distortion, increases power handling, and improves clarity. Even very modest 2 way speakers sound quality can be radically improved this way. Utilizing a sub with a high pass filter effectively makes the system a 3 way-- but even better. The best way to accomplish this (that I know of) is with a Mini DSP unit-- that's what I use and it's amazing what this thing can do-- completely programable and versatile for a wide variety of functions.
I just moved to a townhouse from a house. Unfinished basement but lots of open usable space. Haven't had to worry about sound and neighbors for a long time. I bought some stands for klipsch fives. Debating on placing them in basement maybe with my sub. Being rental I am thinking of using moving blankets on walls to absorb some sounds. I have some sound panels but the basement is a large area. If that fails then at least I have my headphones with dac amp. Keep up the good content
Well my setup is passive so you got to mine pretty quickly. But i still watched the hole video anyways haha. I like Lernering. Really good video by the way. Iv seen other channels try to explain incorporating a sub into your system. However they are veg and you don't really get your answer. Brother you answered questions for me I didn't even know I wanted to ask. I'm not one for powered speakers but iv been wanting to put a powered speaker system in my girls office. Gives me an excuse to try out some Swans. Anyway I always just did the high frequency to my sub. But I now have 2 klipsch R-12SW subs. So 😔 as you already knew I'm limited af on how to hook them up. But they sound great once you do.
Wait a question, my kef lsx have a sub out with the LFE, does it mean I can output that to a line in RCA or must I find a sub that also have an LFE input? If either work I can still control the volume of the sub with their as the source is still the speaker's LFE right?
Im using the Topping E50, with self powered Swan M200 speakers, and a sub. I used two RCA splitters, and when only hooking up the speakers they sound great. As soon as I plug in the subwoofer RCA cable the sound out the speakers becomes mono. Any ideas on what is going on?
I have a dvd Blu-ray hometheatre system with no other subwoofer outlet other than the passive one. The subwoofer wire itself has a Samsung proprietary plug, how do I add a powered one? I couldn't figure it out online.
As a newbie, I have a question. Swan active speakers have no sub out. Is it possible to get a DAC, that does limited surround sound processing, with 2.1 or even 3.1 outputs? If they exist, then can you just plug your Swans into it, and use the sub output from the DAC, for a sub?
1 active Sub, 2 Fosi ZA 3's in Monoblock --> Are you able to still use the yellow "sub out" on the ZA3? If so, is the sub only getting base from one channel? Can one sub out from a ZA3 go into the right RCA input on the sub and the other ZA3 sub out to the left RCA in to get both channels?
Hello zeos Could you help me with things that i need to pair the normal iloud speakers with jbl LSR310s because I feel so confused Notes : I will buy everything from amazon My main source is from the PC , no interface
That’s me, right at the beginning with a basx in to diamond 9.1’s. I made an epic decision when getting my speakers though and picked cherry because I like cherry. If anyone ever sees a cherry sw150 out in the wild in the uk can you please remember this comment!
So i have a audioengine A5 which has a subwoofer out.. But outputting it out directly to a subs means I'm sending full signal to both the speakers and the subwoofer - so i have speakers trying to do bass and subwoofer trying to do upper frequencies. How can i have lower frequencies going only to the subs and upper frequencies going only to my speakers?
I run a Marantz NR1200, 2 channels amp, and it has 2 sub outputs. It has freq cutoff and all fancy bells and whistles. It handles good 2 Klipsch RP-600M and I added a SW-1200. But the option to add a second subwoofer, might be a good one for people that want to demolish their homes.
I have one of the first Thunderbolt interfaces which only has a clicky main knob that is also a button to switch between the input/output that you're controlling. it only has left and right TRS balanced outs, but it's a 32 bit yadee yahh khz sample rate (the best i could afford for mastering) ...can i use two splitters from TRS to XLR balanced and use like a passive analog soundblaster headphone volume controller into the sub from two of the four splitter connectors, then only ever adjust the clicky knob on my interface or will that affect the clipping and/or gain on the sub different than my gen3 KRKs? Could you point me in the right direction for that outcome of using my interface's (clicky clicky) knob for my monitors and a powered sub (whatever i can find used for cheap) without me ending up buying an expensive monitor controller? Thank you for your time and knowledge in andvance, Z. 🙏
I purchased a Sony Sub (SA-CS9) at an auction, only to realize it's all bare wire connections. I wanted to pair it up with my Edifiers so I think I need to go RCA splitter to bare wire "in" and the bare wire "out" to the eEdifier Line In.
Amazing work ! Sorry if im mistaken but did you tell somewhere how to connect a dac, vintage amp, passive speakers and an emotiva sub using the rca in and outs with the cut off ! IMO : DAC >RCA> Sub RCA in - Sub RCA out > RCA > Vintage Amp (and the passive speakers as usual). Im considering buying an 8" or 10" from Emotiva for this feature since it easily allows for cutoff withou a modern receiver or changing anything else to my setup (I only need to buy the sub). But I read and heard a few times that RCA used this way should not exceed 8 foot... and I have a fairly big room and just wanted to test out a bunch of locations for the sub... Is it a concern or people are just saying bullshit ?
Holly smokes!! the amount of effort that went into making this subwoofer guide including LIVE DEMO is truly amazing! Please make more such educational videos! Going offtrack here sorry, but is possible to connect two stereo poweramps to an integrated amp and use them as monoblocks? So right RCA signal to one Poweramp and left RCA signal to another. Just wanted to experiment like this instead of getting dedicated monoblocks.
I'm planning to buy Edifier 3000 mkII and a WIIm ultra to integrade my sub? Could it Work? I would like to connect my tv to optical in or ARC e on the WIIm ultra. From the WIIm ultra the sub out to the sub and the optical out from the WIIm ultra to the Edifiers optical In. Is this a good way to it? thnx in advanced.
Maybe you can help me… I have a pair of Edifier S1000W’s that run through my home WiFi and I use Spotify on my phone. I would like to add a sub for more room filling low end thump. I’ve watched several videos but nothing ever explains adding a sub to my particular setup. How would you go about this? Any help and sub suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
i have focusrite solo 3rd gen, krk 8" sub, and 2 JBL 305mkii. i wanna change the sub with a starke 15 but i honestly dont know if its possible.... i really don't wanna spend more money on dsp's or other expensive hardware or in general i don't want.
Z, the setup for the speaker passthrough I have banana plugs going to amplifier to speakers. Could I use banana plug splitters (1 male 2 females) to connect a subwoofer? Spitters on amp and subwoofer to connect all necessary wires instead of a combination of bare wire and banana plugs.
(all of my speakers are passive.) I have a setup in which i use 3 different stereo receivers, i take an amazon echo and have 3.5mm to RCA. The first receiver controls the mids and it gives off two RCA outputs. to control the highs, i have an old toshiba sa-504 (which needs to be recapped). for the lows, i have two subwoofers connected to their own seperate old sony receiver (its too irrelevant for me to remember its name). I normally just buy speakers from goodwill, so whatever it's best at (lows, mids, or highs) i plug it into its respective receiver. I love having my setup this way because the subwoofers just get pure 60Hz, so no extra frequencyies coming out of the subwoofer. Overall, the setup costed me 20 bucks so ya :ok_hand:
Klipsch Heritage Inspired Speakers do. I had the Fives and highly recommend them at their current price point. I went ahead and splurged with an upgrade to the Sevens. Why? Because bigger is better. I found myself seeking a subwoofer with the Fives. Which in fact cutoff the lower frequencies when a sub-out is detected. The Sevens and Nines do the same but I’m still on the fence about adding a sub to the Sevens because they slam as is. If I did I would probably add the SVS-SB1000. I wouldn’t be surprised of SVS’s powered speakers do the same thing. Ultimate Wireless is believe is their name. I think the JBL-4309P also does this. I know KEF has a powered speaker as well. Haven’t done any research. I’m a Klipsch guy. Love the Horn sound. I love my highs high up and my lows down low. Klipsch is where it’s at for me.
I have a dedicated old school two channel setup and a Emotiva XMC-2 AV preamp Emotiva is easy peasy But with my two channel setup l have a OPPO BD 105 Blu-ray Ray player that has a RCA sub out So l use a RCA Y connector to connect to my two SVS Ultra 13 Subs that have the upgraded plates amps with built-in DSP and its all controlled by the SVS APP via smart phone But my Oppo also has built-in DSP ( love my OPPO!) so you can also control the subs with the OPPO
Just got s svs sb1000, using a topping mx5. Watched one of your old videos where you used a automotive line level converter for a desktop amp. I bought the same one you use used, but it didn't work. Speaker level input is also very low volume, any advice?
Clicked because of the waifu in the thumbnail. Haruhiism. Great video btw my edifiers have a sub out so it's super easy to add a sub. I was thinking of upgrading to another pair of actives to keep it simple but this is a great guide and makes adding a sub not seem as daunting so it gives me a little confidence to broaden my search to
I added a pb-1000 pro with my buchardt A700 and it's incredible. I'm running the A700 full range with no high-pass filter and a 80hz crossover on the svs. The A700 bass goes so low it's like having 3 subwoofers in 1 room. All are connected via cxn v2 streamer (A700 via XLR and sub via RCA)
It's also good to know that most modern PC soundcards (including cheap USB 5.1) can be set to output high and low pass through seperate 3.5 sockets. Most have ability to set crossover frequency too. It's not perfect but it works.
There are devices that convert speaker level to line level for car audio and home audio. Or do you think something along those lines would degrade the sound quality?
Those work but I haven't used one for years. I know they don't spit out much in the way of quality audio. But in a pinch with just an RCA sub and Passive setup you want to use it. Something like this amzn.to/3ssskyW only handles 50 watts. Which means it could go boom with most amps.
Steve, a challenge on adding a Sub to a Sonos system. I have seen that they hack an IKEA Symfonisk by disconnecting the speaker and feed it to a sub speaker in. It’s mono anyway.
My current setup is pretty weird.. a mix of a "gaming" headphone amp/dac, a home theater subwoofer, professional studio monitor controller & active studio monitors I have powered studio monitors 2x Adam A3X and an SVS PB-1000 They're both connected to a studio monitor controller (a Behringer Studio XL, previously Mackie Big Knob Studio) That studio monitor controller is connected to my headphone amp/dac line output (Mayflower Arc) which is connected to my PC via USB I sometimes use the Mayflower Arc to connect my IEMs and the Behringer Studio headphone outputs for my headphones.. This is a great example of what happens when you start building an audio setup with no planning ahead.. I started with the headphone amp/dac first because I wanted to power my headphones with something.. Then I decided I want some nice speakers to replace my shitty PC speakers and somehow ended up with powered studio monitors which I must say ARE FUCKING AMAZING, probably my best purchase decision ever when it comes to audio!! At that point I realized I need a subwoofer and after some research SVS turned out to be the best choice. When I bought it I first had it connected via RCA splitters (from my Mayflower Arc) but I didn't like that setup because I couldn't control the sub at my desk, but had to walk to it and crawl down and do it on the volume knob behind.. So after doing some more research the studio monitor controller seemed like the perfect solution, it had many inputs and many line outputs as well as headphone outputs.. I could control each input and output with with a knob from one place and never touch the subwoofer or speaker knobs.. Even though this setup is very weird and unusual it works great and I actually love it.. it sounds amazing and I'm happy with my choices.. basically went from shitty PC desktop speakers to this weird but amazing setup!
Hopefully u still reply. But I also have studio monitors (JBL) and yeah they do sound AMAZING. I wanna buy a HT sub for subsonics at a good price (unlike studio subs). Does your mains have a high pass bass management? I'm thinking of a focusrite 4i4 maybe? I'm still not sure how everything works tbh. I just need bass management
12:28 You say there is "no way" to get the SVS woofer to work that way...that is false. You can get adapters that convert the speaker output signal to lower-level (line out) signal with 600ohm impedance. They are used heavily in car audio.
Another way for adding a sub to a basic self-powered speaker is to just split the wire going to the passive speaker. It would only cover one channel, but on the other hand you can use the built-in volume.
you can make a cable with a resistor for going to single RCA. Then no extra hardware is needed. search for The Stereo-to-Mono Summing Cable That No One Makes
P.S. Filthy Casual, legit question I followed your advice on headphones but I want to feel the air move around and want your opinion on a good surround sound setup coming from the old logitech 5.1 system. What else is out there? -- I currently have a Monolith AAA Dacamp but dont know if I can use this to audio out to subwwoofers, or what have you. Please save me money and give me a recommendation?
That MRS10 sub has an active crossover on the outputs (Source to Sub, Sub to fronts), just turn the crossover dial to where you want it. That being said, the MRS10 is definitely not worth the $450 they charge for it. The Monoprice Stage Right 10-Inch Powered Studio Multimedia Subwoofer - (605999) is a MUCH better deal for half the money.
Actually two Bluetooth-Speakers and a Sub added to it, could be a solution for someone. Even if the Speakers are rather small, but you don't let/need em do low end, it could work. Maybe not a perfect solution but without wires or less wires it could have a crucial benefit.
THE MOST ILLEGAL WAY IS VIA HEADPHONE OUT! 3.5mm to RCA and simultaneously with REAR of an amp/dac. I did not demo this sorry.
⚔️www.SubscribeStar.com/Zeos -- Subscribe Star
🥇www.Patreon.com/Zeos -- Check out the Patreon
👕www.Zboombox.com -- New MERCH
P.S. Outer Range did NOT suck at the end. amzn.to/39bEMMM I just need Season 2 So badly now. Ignore the comments and review on there. People have way too much hate in their heart. I loved every second of it.
Why is this the most illegal way? Is there some hit to performance?
Whoops just Connected my Jensen XR-500 Subwoofer to the Headphone out of my Presonus 2/4 Along with my Swan M200Mkiii+ Speakers the Other Day :)
Breakin the Law, Breakin the Law!!
@@Chenm0416 the DAC in the computer isn’t the best and you can get interference from the motherboard.
Had some logitec speakers once where I needed headphone out on my tv for 2.1 setup. I think it was headphone out to sub then sub to the speakers
The video we've all needed for a while, hope it blows up well beyond the Zreviews pool
I ever curtailed the Cursing and Weebness a bit in this one. Sorta, Megumin is atop the tower after the second or third cut. Gotta ease them into the full Zeos experience or something will tear.
@@ZReviews poetry
I miss the swearing
0:00 Intro - USE THESE TIMESTAMPS
1:16 Types of Speakers
5:20 Connections on Subwoofers
6:58 Source Outputs
- - - - - - -
8:13 - DISCUSSING VOLUME CONTROL
- - - - - - -
PASSIVE SPEAKERS
10:21 - Using RCA Splitters
11:35 - Using Speaker Passthrough
14:53 - Digital Split
19:35 - Buying a Different Amplifier
- - - - - - -
21:16 - Best Practice to Tune the Sub
- - - - - - -
STUDIO MONITORS
23:14 - No Sub Setup
25:28 - Using a Specific XLR Sub
28:20 - Using Dual Outputs
32:17 - Using RCA Splitters
34:00 - MiniDSP HD
39:11 - Pre-Amp control
- - - - - - -
BASIC SELF-POWERED
40:17 - RCA Splitters
42:49 - Using an IN/OUT Subwoofer
46:20 - Reviewing Techniques
- - - - - - -
ADVANCED SELF-POWERED
48:50 - Use the Speakers Sub Out if Applicable
49:41 - All the Signal options NO VOLUME
- - - - - - -
BLUETOOTH
54:08 - Buy Minirigs
55:18 - Using a BT Reciever / Sender
58:20 - ?
- - - - - - - -
58:44 - Extra Equipment Rundown
- - - - - - - -
1:01:48 - Different Subwoofer Connections
- - - - - - - -
1:05:06 - Outro! wooot
You legend
Z, I have to say. The wood flooring in your home is absolutely gorgeous.
Zeos i love you. I bought Shp 9500's and Tin t2 Pro's because of ur reviews. Couldnt be more happy. Keep being the best Audiophile on the internet!
They also have RCA to XLR cables. You just would need to make sure you're XLR connectors have the correct male or female connector.
I've just been racking my head on how to add a sub to my swans. Glad Z once again proves he's a mind reader.
what did you do? i also have swans
I knew all this and still watched the whole thing because I appreciated the quality of your explanation. I once has an rca only sub hooked up using line level converters split off the speakers. More common in car audio though. Also if you're willing to use some car audio tech there are RCA and line level crossovers that could cut the low end from speakers and only send it to subwoofer.
Only one I can think of that won't smoke. if your out put is at a very high level because most car level Inputs will smoke when turned up using a home audio unit usually will be a lot higher out put then any car audio unit. 👍👌✌️🎵🎶💯
This is very nice effort and will be very useful for many. Good job.
I probably listened more to the echo in that room than anything else. Excellent video regardless Z!
this is a useful and informative video, having someone physically display this stuff.
but at one point people have to solve all this and think ahead and do things right from the start.
in my experience the Minidsp SHD studio let me do anything i want. its a half U unit with digital only input and output. now you can plug in anything to it, use it as preamp, and let you use diy passive subwoofer or speakers, add dac's and poweramps as needed.
hey, i wanna thank you for this video. i'm planning to buy my first speakers when i move out. and i'm eyeing the edifier mr4; it's currently under $70 in my country, and if i've already moved out, i would have borrowed money to buy it lol. but i would like to buy the edifier sub down the line too; but from my research, there's no sub out. so thanks for this public service!
i've already saved this vid for the future.
I came .. for the Tips ... Not just the tips ... but ALL the tips. Thank you. Z ..
Thanks for your commitment to the time and edit needed for this to be all encompassing. Validated solutions I have implemented and gave me thought for variables I have been hesitant to wire up.
Not that I blindly accept Bit Depth and Sample Rate that streaming services profess, but would love to see a recap of hardware that displays both. All hail Zeos.
Great video - This is a really good overview of the options.
I had a Matrix Audio Mini I-Pro USB DAC that has a a set of Analog RCA Outputs and XLR Outputs. I ran into the situation where the voltage difference between the 2 outputs (XLR double the voltage) meant that the sub run from the RCAs wouldn't be loud enough even on full gain.
Both outputs were volume controlled together but I had to buy some attenuators (15db) for the XLR outputs to bring the satellite speakers to a level that I could control the sub.
Matrix Audio Mini I-Pro
|------- (via XLR) ------ (XLR Inline Attenuator) ------> Audiolab M-Pwr ---------> Quad L-ite satellites
|--------( via RCA) -------> Quad L-ite Sub
The Mini I-Pro since went pop, so I switched to a SMSL M3 and RCA splitters. One day I will look into replacing with a DAC with dedicated sub out.
Hey my friend, I'm in the same situation. I have an old DAC/Preamp (TEAC UD-301) that has XLR and RCA outs. I'm using the XLRs for my powered monitors and I want to add a subwoofer using the RCAs. Do you think that I will face the same problem? I wouldn't like to put attenuators... Maybe that depends on the subwoofer's volume levels? I'm thinking of buying the SVS SB-1000
This was great, thanks
I'm a passive speaker guy at the mo. with an amp that has a subwoofer hole! Happy about that, seems a lot more simple than some of the options here
Now to go through your vids to find a good, compact(ish) sub to finish my setup
One of your best videos in a long time.
I think this is one of the most important videos you've ever made! Great work Zeos!
Only two minutes in... Great video! So much energy!
There is one more option with passive speakers:
1) A signal from DAC to a power amplifier via RCA
2) from the amp's output terminals to the input terminals of the active subwoofer
3) from subwoofer output terminals to speakers
Usually, subwoofers with such connection allow you to set the crossover frequency.
The advantage of this connection scheme is that speakers don't play the frequences the sub already plays.
Lol I was honestly waiting for him to mention it for Passive speaker Crossover control too, he has in much older videos though
I was watching this video just to confirm that this type of setup would work as you said. Thanks for posting this.
Basically daisy-chaining.
I love the comprehensiveness when it comes to number of approaches integrating a subwoofer into your music system.
A feature length Z Review? Oh how thoughtful!
This is a really, really good video. Extremely informative and well presented.
Sorry, I'm late to the party. You are a freakin genius. Did not want to buy a studio-powered sub for my JBL 305 monitors Now I can use my more powerful 12-inch Acoustech sub! Thank you🤓
Awesome Video Z! Love how you laid everything out and explained it. Best vid on this topic for sure!
Epic video! Note on the MiniDSP, the new Flex is available now which is an upgraded version that comes in multiple configurations, one being all digital as a NanoDigi replacement.
Just got mine yesterday, like a mini-SHD minus Volumio :D
This video right here just killed all the questions I had and all the worries going into my new setup at home 🥳 thanks Z!!!
Thanks!
This some cash money right here. Thank you Canada
YESSSS Z BROTHER!!!! I know this will help me hook up my Klipsh 10 inch powered subwoofer to my new incoming self powered Swan M500s!
TY for this bro! Now I'm gonna watch this! 😁👍
very cool and very informative video. Already have my multiple sound systems set up, but still watched the entire thing lol.
Thanks for the video Zeos! I had the same idea as far as using splitters coming out of a dac with just rca outpu but wanted to confirm before dropping money on studio monitors. This is the first thing I found after countless searches that confirms the rca splitter option for powered monitors won't cause issues. I have several dac and dac/amps and none of them have more than a single output either rca or aux and really didn't want to have to buy another dac.
Great Video and really thorough. Only one addition that I would add is for Passive Speakers using a Pre-Amp that has two active RCA speaker outs.
RCA Speaker Outs?
@@ZReviews Sorry about that meant to say two sets of active RCA Amplifier Outs as in a Schiit Freya
Great video Z. I did something similar to splitting the Speaker cable but to keep the back of my amp clean I ran a set of banana plugs off of the jumpers on my Klipsch 600M and let the sub “taste” the signal that way. Works great! 👍
Didnt have any sub but watched everything XD. Good videos as always !
12:28, can't you use like an 'impedance converter', with like 100K ohm resistors, to go from speaker line to low level rca? Isn't that basically what happens internally in the subwoofer with binding posts anyways? Might be more work then splitting the source tho, but some people swear by passing on the 'amplifier coloring' to the subwoofer...
You have touched on one of (IMHO) THE MOST neglected aspects of high fidelity sound reproduction -- the introduction of a HIGH PASS filter on the main speakers. Seldom do you hear anyone mention this. This serves many benefits-- the elimination of the low frequency "SLAM" put upon small speakers that can't reproduce that range anyway. This radically decreases cone excursion on the top end speakers and therefore reduces distortion, increases power handling, and improves clarity. Even very modest 2 way speakers sound quality can be radically improved this way. Utilizing a sub with a high pass filter effectively makes the system a 3 way-- but even better. The best way to accomplish this (that I know of) is with a Mini DSP unit-- that's what I use and it's amazing what this thing can do-- completely programable and versatile for a wide variety of functions.
I just moved to a townhouse from a house. Unfinished basement but lots of open usable space. Haven't had to worry about sound and neighbors for a long time. I bought some stands for klipsch fives. Debating on placing them in basement maybe with my sub. Being rental I am thinking of using moving blankets on walls to absorb some sounds. I have some sound panels but the basement is a large area. If that fails then at least I have my headphones with dac amp. Keep up the good content
Well my setup is passive so you got to mine pretty quickly. But i still watched the hole video anyways haha. I like Lernering. Really good video by the way. Iv seen other channels try to explain incorporating a sub into your system. However they are veg and you don't really get your answer. Brother you answered questions for me I didn't even know I wanted to ask. I'm not one for powered speakers but iv been wanting to put a powered speaker system in my girls office. Gives me an excuse to try out some Swans. Anyway I always just did the high frequency to my sub. But I now have 2 klipsch R-12SW subs. So 😔 as you already knew I'm limited af on how to hook them up. But they sound great once you do.
Wait a question, my kef lsx have a sub out with the LFE, does it mean I can output that to a line in RCA or must I find a sub that also have an LFE input? If either work I can still control the volume of the sub with their as the source is still the speaker's LFE right?
Good information. Just a few area rugs could really help the sound in that room though :)
Im using the Topping E50, with self powered Swan M200 speakers, and a sub. I used two RCA splitters, and when only hooking up the speakers they sound great. As soon as I plug in the subwoofer RCA cable the sound out the speakers becomes mono. Any ideas on what is going on?
this video its pure gold!, thanks a lot!
Thank you King
You can run Mono-RCA to signal out to an amp. Works fine. Many higher end AVRs still have Mono RCA sub outs.
Yes that isn't an issue. AVR's are easy. Everything else is hard.
liked this video a lot as a noob zeos, how a bout a mini dsp guide next
Great Video!!
I have a dvd Blu-ray hometheatre system with no other subwoofer outlet other than the passive one. The subwoofer wire itself has a Samsung proprietary plug, how do I add a powered one? I couldn't figure it out online.
As a newbie, I have a question. Swan active speakers have no sub out. Is it possible to get a DAC, that does limited surround sound processing, with 2.1 or even 3.1 outputs? If they exist, then can you just plug your Swans into it, and use the sub output from the DAC, for a sub?
1 active Sub, 2 Fosi ZA 3's in Monoblock --> Are you able to still use the yellow "sub out" on the ZA3? If so, is the sub only getting base from one channel? Can one sub out from a ZA3 go into the right RCA input on the sub and the other ZA3 sub out to the left RCA in to get both channels?
Hello zeos
Could you help me with things that i need to pair the normal iloud speakers with jbl LSR310s
because I feel so confused
Notes :
I will buy everything from amazon
My main source is from the PC , no interface
About time to get a new subwoofer video!! ;)
That’s me, right at the beginning with a basx in to diamond 9.1’s. I made an epic decision when getting my speakers though and picked cherry because I like cherry. If anyone ever sees a cherry sw150 out in the wild in the uk can you please remember this comment!
So i have a audioengine A5 which has a subwoofer out.. But outputting it out directly to a subs means I'm sending full signal to both the speakers and the subwoofer - so i have speakers trying to do bass and subwoofer trying to do upper frequencies. How can i have lower frequencies going only to the subs and upper frequencies going only to my speakers?
Very helpful. Thanks a lot!
I run a Marantz NR1200, 2 channels amp, and it has 2 sub outputs. It has freq cutoff and all fancy bells and whistles. It handles good 2 Klipsch RP-600M and I added a SW-1200. But the option to add a second subwoofer, might be a good one for people that want to demolish their homes.
I have one of the first Thunderbolt interfaces which only has a clicky main knob that is also a button to switch between the input/output that you're controlling. it only has left and right TRS balanced outs, but it's a 32 bit yadee yahh khz sample rate (the best i could afford for mastering) ...can i use two splitters from TRS to XLR balanced and use like a passive analog soundblaster headphone volume controller into the sub from two of the four splitter connectors, then only ever adjust the clicky knob on my interface or will that affect the clipping and/or gain on the sub different than my gen3 KRKs? Could you point me in the right direction for that outcome of using my interface's (clicky clicky) knob for my monitors and a powered sub (whatever i can find used for cheap) without me ending up buying an expensive monitor controller? Thank you for your time and knowledge in andvance, Z. 🙏
I purchased a Sony Sub (SA-CS9) at an auction, only to realize it's all bare wire connections. I wanted to pair it up with my Edifiers so I think I need to go RCA splitter to bare wire "in" and the bare wire "out" to the eEdifier Line In.
Amazing work !
Sorry if im mistaken but did you tell somewhere how to connect a dac, vintage amp, passive speakers and an emotiva sub using the rca in and outs with the cut off !
IMO :
DAC >RCA> Sub RCA in - Sub RCA out > RCA > Vintage Amp (and the passive speakers as usual).
Im considering buying an 8" or 10" from Emotiva for this feature since it easily allows for cutoff withou a modern receiver or changing anything else to my setup (I only need to buy the sub).
But I read and heard a few times that RCA used this way should not exceed 8 foot... and I have a fairly big room and just wanted to test out a bunch of locations for the sub... Is it a concern or people are just saying bullshit ?
Thank you so much for making this.
Yo Zeos !1. The first passive hook up , wouldn't that be a 4ohm Or 8ohm load ? full-range In to sud and full-range out to speaker??
Holly smokes!! the amount of effort that went into making this subwoofer guide including LIVE DEMO is truly amazing! Please make more such educational videos! Going offtrack here sorry, but is possible to connect two stereo poweramps to an integrated amp and use them as monoblocks? So right RCA signal to one Poweramp and left RCA signal to another. Just wanted to experiment like this instead of getting dedicated monoblocks.
There would be no benefits unless the amplifier can be used in a Monoblock capacity.
Just watching it and it's very interesting.
But why you didn't include REL sub with High level input?
I don't have one ?
@@ZReviews :D ok, makes sense. Try one if you can. Maybe do a review of the small one T-Zero. Great little sub for 2.1 setup.
Excellent tutorial - thank you
I'm planning to buy Edifier 3000 mkII and a WIIm ultra to integrade my sub? Could it Work? I would like to connect my tv to optical in or ARC e on the WIIm ultra. From the WIIm ultra the sub out to the sub and the optical out from the WIIm ultra to the Edifiers optical In. Is this a good way to it? thnx in advanced.
I use a speaker level to line level converter to use SVS subs with no speaker level inputs.
Maybe you can help me… I have a pair of Edifier S1000W’s that run through my home WiFi and I use Spotify on my phone. I would like to add a sub for more room filling low end thump. I’ve watched several videos but nothing ever explains adding a sub to my particular setup. How would you go about this? Any help and sub suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
i have focusrite solo 3rd gen, krk 8" sub, and 2 JBL 305mkii. i wanna change the sub with a starke 15 but i honestly dont know if its possible.... i really don't wanna spend more money on dsp's or other expensive hardware or in general i don't want.
Z, the setup for the speaker passthrough I have banana plugs going to amplifier to speakers. Could I use banana plug splitters (1 male 2 females) to connect a subwoofer? Spitters on amp and subwoofer to connect all necessary wires instead of a combination of bare wire and banana plugs.
...maybe. I know it is doable so long as the sub has in and out SPEAKER HIGH LEVEL terminals
@@ZReviews Thanks for the reply Zeos.
Im using a car 12 volt amp and passive subwoofer in my house, love Kicker audio.
(all of my speakers are passive.) I have a setup in which i use 3 different stereo receivers, i take an amazon echo and have 3.5mm to RCA. The first receiver controls the mids and it gives off two RCA outputs. to control the highs, i have an old toshiba sa-504 (which needs to be recapped). for the lows, i have two subwoofers connected to their own seperate old sony receiver (its too irrelevant for me to remember its name). I normally just buy speakers from goodwill, so whatever it's best at (lows, mids, or highs) i plug it into its respective receiver. I love having my setup this way because the subwoofers just get pure 60Hz, so no extra frequencyies coming out of the subwoofer. Overall, the setup costed me 20 bucks so ya :ok_hand:
Hey Zeos which powered bookshelf speakers automatically cutoff the lower frequencies when you plug in a subwoofer?
Klipsch Heritage Inspired Speakers do.
I had the Fives and highly recommend them at their current price point.
I went ahead and splurged with an upgrade to the Sevens. Why? Because bigger is better.
I found myself seeking a subwoofer with the Fives. Which in fact cutoff the lower frequencies when a sub-out is detected.
The Sevens and Nines do the same but I’m still on the fence about adding a sub to the Sevens because they slam as is.
If I did I would probably add the SVS-SB1000.
I wouldn’t be surprised of SVS’s powered speakers do the same thing. Ultimate Wireless is believe is their name.
I think the JBL-4309P also does this.
I know KEF has a powered speaker as well. Haven’t done any research.
I’m a Klipsch guy. Love the Horn sound. I love my highs high up and my lows down low. Klipsch is where it’s at for me.
I have a dedicated old school two channel setup and a Emotiva XMC-2 AV preamp Emotiva is easy peasy But with my two channel setup l have a OPPO BD 105 Blu-ray Ray player that has a RCA sub out So l use a RCA Y connector to connect to my two SVS Ultra 13 Subs
that have the upgraded plates amps with built-in DSP and its all controlled by the SVS APP via smart phone But my Oppo also has built-in DSP ( love my OPPO!) so you can also control the subs with the OPPO
@telegram me 👍@Zreview2
Oh how do l telegram? 😁
Just got s svs sb1000, using a topping mx5. Watched one of your old videos where you used a automotive line level converter for a desktop amp. I bought the same one you use used, but it didn't work. Speaker level input is also very low volume, any advice?
Clicked because of the waifu in the thumbnail. Haruhiism. Great video btw my edifiers have a sub out so it's super easy to add a sub. I was thinking of upgrading to another pair of actives to keep it simple but this is a great guide and makes adding a sub not seem as daunting so it gives me a little confidence to broaden my search to
Thank you Sir
I added a pb-1000 pro with my buchardt A700 and it's incredible. I'm running the A700 full range with no high-pass filter and a 80hz crossover on the svs. The A700 bass goes so low it's like having 3 subwoofers in 1 room. All are connected via cxn v2 streamer (A700 via XLR and sub via RCA)
was gonna ask how you did it without Wisa. Thanks.
@@ZReviews I had so many issues with the platin hub it wasn't worth keeping. Constant dropouts and crackling in the left speaker.
It's also good to know that most modern PC soundcards (including cheap USB 5.1) can be set to output high and low pass through seperate 3.5 sockets. Most have ability to set crossover frequency too. It's not perfect but it works.
Can also install third party software like Equalizer APO to do more advanced filtering.
@@jamescollins6085 Yep. That's what I use for LPF, HPF and EQ.
Excellent. I dig it!
There are devices that convert speaker level to line level for car audio and home audio.
Or do you think something along those lines would degrade the sound quality?
Those work but I haven't used one for years. I know they don't spit out much in the way of quality audio. But in a pinch with just an RCA sub and Passive setup you want to use it. Something like this amzn.to/3ssskyW only handles 50 watts. Which means it could go boom with most amps.
@zreviews please do a video on your Foobar setup, layout, plugins etc.
another one?
@@ZReviews dang....time to search
@@ZReviews haha yes another one 😃
Steve, a challenge on adding a Sub to a Sonos system. I have seen that they hack an IKEA Symfonisk by disconnecting the speaker and feed it to a sub speaker in. It’s mono anyway.
I kinda want to see a powered sub setup with the nines and a mini dsp.
You should do the same for adding a center channel.
Is there a difference between connecting a DAC to a source via USB, ethernet, coaxial, etc?
Sometimes USB will offer higher bitrates. But 24/192 or 96 always seemed like enough
@@ZReviews Gotcha, thanks for the response! Keep up the great content :)
dsd bass management how many years away, DSPMINI DSD512 quantum computing
My current setup is pretty weird.. a mix of a "gaming" headphone amp/dac, a home theater subwoofer, professional studio monitor controller & active studio monitors
I have powered studio monitors 2x Adam A3X and an SVS PB-1000
They're both connected to a studio monitor controller (a Behringer Studio XL, previously Mackie Big Knob Studio)
That studio monitor controller is connected to my headphone amp/dac line output (Mayflower Arc)
which is connected to my PC via USB
I sometimes use the Mayflower Arc to connect my IEMs and the Behringer Studio headphone outputs for my headphones..
This is a great example of what happens when you start building an audio setup with no planning ahead..
I started with the headphone amp/dac first because I wanted to power my headphones with something..
Then I decided I want some nice speakers to replace my shitty PC speakers and somehow ended up with powered studio monitors which I must say ARE FUCKING AMAZING, probably my best purchase decision ever when it comes to audio!!
At that point I realized I need a subwoofer and after some research SVS turned out to be the best choice. When I bought it I first had it connected via RCA splitters (from my Mayflower Arc) but I didn't like that setup because I couldn't control the sub at my desk, but had to walk to it and crawl down and do it on the volume knob behind..
So after doing some more research the studio monitor controller seemed like the perfect solution, it had many inputs and many line outputs as well as headphone outputs.. I could control each input and output with with a knob from one place and never touch the subwoofer or speaker knobs..
Even though this setup is very weird and unusual it works great and I actually love it.. it sounds amazing and I'm happy with my choices.. basically went from shitty PC desktop speakers to this weird but amazing setup!
Hopefully u still reply. But I also have studio monitors (JBL) and yeah they do sound AMAZING. I wanna buy a HT sub for subsonics at a good price (unlike studio subs). Does your mains have a high pass bass management? I'm thinking of a focusrite 4i4 maybe? I'm still not sure how everything works tbh. I just need bass management
very educative , but i did to have a professional amplifier and a receiver 9.2 ch, and 4 speaker 25 inch, and then i have a great cinema,
yt subs are the real 1s
No REL?
12:28 You say there is "no way" to get the SVS woofer to work that way...that is false. You can get adapters that convert the speaker output signal to lower-level (line out) signal with 600ohm impedance. They are used heavily in car audio.
Another way for adding a sub to a basic self-powered speaker is to just split the wire going to the passive speaker. It would only cover one channel, but on the other hand you can use the built-in volume.
Yeah that is the cheap method for sure.
Doesn't work on speakers with custom interconnects between them unfortunately.
Can you review the new headphones "Shure SRH840A" please?? It is a new version of the old "Shure SRH840"
Tower of Power!
you can make a cable with a resistor for going to single RCA. Then no extra hardware is needed. search for The Stereo-to-Mono Summing Cable That No One Makes
That feels Dangerous
@@ZReviews nah nah it's dope, wild it's not more common. though i guess like you say there's not a lot of subs like this around
Comment for the algorithm
Z!!!! PLEASEEEE make a video on just gamers surround sound setup for things like doom PLEASEEE (or link)
P.S. Filthy Casual, legit question I followed your advice on headphones but I want to feel the air move around and want your opinion on a good surround sound setup coming from the old logitech 5.1 system. What else is out there? -- I currently have a Monolith AAA Dacamp but dont know if I can use this to audio out to subwwoofers, or what have you. Please save me money and give me a recommendation?
I got lost in all the detail. What ever happened to plugging the speakers and sub into the receiver and leaving that alone?
That MRS10 sub has an active crossover on the outputs (Source to Sub, Sub to fronts), just turn the crossover dial to where you want it. That being said, the MRS10 is definitely not worth the $450 they charge for it. The Monoprice Stage Right 10-Inch Powered Studio Multimedia Subwoofer - (605999) is a MUCH better deal for half the money.
Actually two Bluetooth-Speakers and a Sub added to it, could be a solution for someone. Even if the Speakers are rather small, but you don't let/need em do low end, it could work. Maybe not a perfect solution but without wires or less wires it could have a crucial benefit.
what about a tuna sub
You get that on a panini melt