• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

What type of amplification do you use if you use one or more subwoofers?

What type of amplifier do you use if you use one or more subwoofers?

  • Stereo amplifier w/out xover

    Votes: 18 15.0%
  • Stereo amplifier with integral or external xover

    Votes: 39 32.5%
  • AVR with LR speakers set to small

    Votes: 35 29.2%
  • AVR with LR set to large

    Votes: 11 9.2%
  • Software crossover and decoding with multiple or multi-channel amplifiers

    Votes: 26 21.7%

  • Total voters
    120
OP
sarumbear

sarumbear

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Aug 15, 2020
Messages
7,604
Likes
7,313
Location
UK
OP
sarumbear

sarumbear

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Aug 15, 2020
Messages
7,604
Likes
7,313
Location
UK
But but but… I have three subwoofers, and I use them in different ways. For home theater and music in my preamp… speakers set the small, and the same for two channel which I usually listen to in pure direct mode. As long as speakers are set to small in pure direct mode there is subwoofer output from the pre-pro.

I also use an XLR switcher to switch between my tube preamp and my pre-pro. That way I run the single ended out to the subs and let the subs do the crossover, and the XLR outs to my amps.

Choice is good at times.

Edit;
My vote was ACR LR speakers set to small
That is why I asked to vote for the setup you use for listening music, critically. If you kindly vote for that, please.
 
OP
sarumbear

sarumbear

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Aug 15, 2020
Messages
7,604
Likes
7,313
Location
UK
OP
sarumbear

sarumbear

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Aug 15, 2020
Messages
7,604
Likes
7,313
Location
UK
I use the missing option 6: the crossover inside the sub. It gets the stereo signal from the preamp and outputs the high passed stereo signal to the active speakers.
Please use option two as it is an an external xover to the main amplifier. Thank you.
 

Steve Dallas

Major Contributor
Joined
May 28, 2020
Messages
1,201
Likes
2,784
Location
A Whole Other Country
Denon 4700H AVR with front towers set to small and crossed at 60Hz.
 
Last edited:

stevenswall

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Dec 10, 2019
Messages
1,366
Likes
1,075
Location
Orem, UT
Voted for the last one, all of my speakers are active, the subwoofer handles the crossover in software, and I tell the surround sound processor/pre-amp that I don't have a subwoofer so that it sends the full range to the speakers which are set to large.

Curious what the use case is, or what this poll helps to determine though, as there's a priority list in my mind:

1. Have full control over the crossover using a MiniDSP or similar. It is irrelevant to set any speaker to any size.
2. Have some control over the crossover using a receiver. Small and Large are again irrelevant.
3. Having little control over the receiver and having to reply on setting something to Small or Large and the crossover being a black box.
 
OP
sarumbear

sarumbear

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Aug 15, 2020
Messages
7,604
Likes
7,313
Location
UK
Voted for the last one, all of my speakers are active, the subwoofer handles the crossover in software, and I tell the surround sound processor/pre-amp that I don't have a subwoofer so that it sends the full range to the speakers which are set to large.

Curious what the use case is, or what this poll helps to determine though, as there's a priority list in my mind:

1. Have full control over the crossover using a MiniDSP or similar. It is irrelevant to set any speaker to any size.
2. Have some control over the crossover using a receiver. Small and Large are again irrelevant.
3. Having little control over the receiver and having to reply on setting something to Small or Large and the crossover being a black box.
Thank you for voting.

The definition of small/large is for AVR users as it is a common description for HP filter used or not for the main speakers.

I do however am intrigued with your phrase "subwoofer handles the crossover in software". Can you kindly elaborate how your system is setup?
 

stevenswall

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Dec 10, 2019
Messages
1,366
Likes
1,075
Location
Orem, UT
Thank you for voting.

The definition of small/large is for AVR users as it is a common description for HP filter used or not for the main speakers.

I do however am intrigued with your phrase "subwoofer handles the crossover in software". Can you kindly elaborate how your system is setup?

Unless the bass roll off slope of the speaker and subwoofer are identical, I think it's bad practice for an AVR to not have a high pass and a low pass filter.

My Genelec 7271 subwoofer takes digital AES inputs, runs them through a DSP, plays the bass, and sends the rest of the signal to Genelec 8260 monitors.

From what I can tell, if I mute the subwoofer, the 8260 pair is not playing the deep bass the subwoofer handles unless I turn off bass management and it just sends everything through.
 

Spocko

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Sep 27, 2019
Messages
1,621
Likes
2,999
Location
Southern California
I assume that the Trinnov (Storm, Lyngdorf, HTP-1, etc.) would be considered a software crossover as nothing else seems to apply?
 

JohnBooty

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Forum Donor
Joined
Jul 24, 2018
Messages
632
Likes
1,555
Location
Philadelphia area
I have active speakers and an outboard crossover to the subs. I'm not sure which option to pick.
 

digitalfrost

Major Contributor
Joined
Jul 22, 2018
Messages
1,521
Likes
3,086
Location
Palatinate, Germany
Benchmark AHB2 for the satellites, XTZ Edge A2-300 for the subwoofers. All controlled by EqualizerAPO (crossover/convolution). I use an RME Digiface as interface and this goes into two Topping D50 DACs. If I had to redo this today, I'd probably just buy a RME Fireface and be done with it.
 

jhaider

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jun 5, 2016
Messages
2,822
Likes
4,514
I would change the question to “processing” because you’re not really asking about amps. You seem to want to know about bass management. Also why the presumption of stereo?

Otherwise, the choice “AVP with bed and height channels set to small; multichannel DSP-amps” is not there :)
 
OP
sarumbear

sarumbear

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Aug 15, 2020
Messages
7,604
Likes
7,313
Location
UK
Unless the bass roll off slope of the speaker and subwoofer are identical, I think it's bad practice for an AVR to not have a high pass and a low pass filter.

My Genelec 7271 subwoofer takes digital AES inputs, runs them through a DSP, plays the bass, and sends the rest of the signal to Genelec 8260 monitors.

From what I can tell, if I mute the subwoofer, the 8260 pair is not playing the deep bass the subwoofer handles unless I turn off bass management and it just sends everything through.
Thank you for the explanation. I knew of the Genelec 7271 subwoofers but was not familiar with it. Interesting setup it offers. However, I can see why Genelec discontinued it. It looks like it can only work as a 2-ch system, whereas the world has gone ga-ga with multi-channel immersive audio.
 
OP
sarumbear

sarumbear

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Aug 15, 2020
Messages
7,604
Likes
7,313
Location
UK
I have active speakers and an outboard crossover to the subs. I'm not sure which option to pick.
Option 2 if you feed the active speakers by the active crossover's HP output, option 1 if you feed them directly from your source.
 

AdamG

Proving your point makes it “Science”.
Moderator
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 3, 2021
Messages
4,636
Likes
14,918
Location
Reality
I use the same system for Movies/Tv and Music. Watching video content accompanied by audio I use the 3rd option AVR with LR set to small. For 2 channel music I use Option 4 AVR with LR set to large. For multichannel music I use option 3 again. Sometimes I want to just hear my front two speakers with no sub support. Sometimes I want MOAR Bass and include the subs. It’s all down to mood, content and if the wife is listening (no subs for her). Variety of configuration is important to me. Enjoying content in varying methods is value add to me. Imho I see Options 1 & 2 as the same thing as Options 3 & 4. Where Option 1 equals 3 and Option 2 equals 4.

To further complicate my Answer I also use “Cascading Crossovers” discussed in Section III-C of :
Guide to Subwoofer Calibration and Bass Preferences
 
OP
sarumbear

sarumbear

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Aug 15, 2020
Messages
7,604
Likes
7,313
Location
UK
I use the same system for Movies/Tv and Music. Watching video content accompanied by audio I use the 3rd option AVR with LR set to small. For 2 channel music I use Option 4 AVR with LR set to large. For multichannel music I use option 3 again. Sometimes I want to just hear my front two speakers with no sub support. Sometimes I want MOAR Bass and include the subs. It’s all down to mood, content and if the wife is listening (no subs for her). Variety of configuration is important to me.
Please vote for 3 and 4. Thank you.
Imho I see Options 1 & 2 as the same thing as Options 3 & 4. Where Option 1 equals 3 and Option 2 equals 4.
In functionality they are the same but I also wanted to gather information about the type of system used, stereo or multichannel.
 
Top Bottom