So I have two soundbars with wireless subwoofers and just picked up a pair of KEF LS50 Wireless 2. I have the KEFs in a small room at my girlfriends apartment and wanted to try them with a sub. Are soundbars external subs now designed to be unusable as is? Seems like such a waste. I did think of a way it could work and may try it out later today, to use an inexpensive analog to optical converter and then use the LFE out of the KEFs to the optical in of the sound bar. Any thoughts?
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Any Way To Use KEF LS50 Wireless II with a Wireless Sound bar Subwoofer
- Thread starter jdjung
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- Thread Starter
- #3
So yes it works. If your soundbars has a wireless subwoofer you can buy a analog to digital conversion box with either HDMI out or optical out, depending on your soundbars. I suggest HDMI out because some soundbars, such as mine, uses the optical in as a TV in and if you have EARC enabled will not activate the optical input. The HDMI input can be selected from your soundbars though as an external source for soundbars that have an additional HDMI in. The analog to digital box cost me about $20 dollars on Amazon. You plug rcas from the LFE/Sub Out of your device and plug into your converter box, which you then use the HDMI out to the soundbar.The device you're plugging out of has to have a crossovers or your soundbars main speakers will also play sound. You then adjust your soundbars volume with an SPL meter or your ears while running a frequency sweep to determine what volume to have your soundbars volume to the subwoofer. Voila, you now have a soundbars sub you can use with a analog sub input.
Hard to imagine any soundbar sub would improve the sound of LS50 W2. They might add some boom, yes, and if that's what you like then great.
Not to say that the soundbar subs are useless: they do improve the sound of soundbars quite a lot, but LS50W2 is excellent speaker and doesn't really need a midbass boombox EQ'd by ear.
Not to say that the soundbar subs are useless: they do improve the sound of soundbars quite a lot, but LS50W2 is excellent speaker and doesn't really need a midbass boombox EQ'd by ear.
Most soundbar subs are just mid-bass units.
I’ve never demo’ed one worth considering for purchase.
I would encourage you save your money up for a real subwoofer, like SVS, Monoprice, HSU, Rythmik, RSL, etc.
See my “subwoofer comparison” spreadsheet.
I’ve never demo’ed one worth considering for purchase.
I would encourage you save your money up for a real subwoofer, like SVS, Monoprice, HSU, Rythmik, RSL, etc.
See my “subwoofer comparison” spreadsheet.
- Thread Starter
- #6
Did you read my second post? If I could convince my girlfriend who already made a comment on the speakers, I'll be all over a new sub.
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- Thread Starter
- #7
I like to experiment and it does work. Obviously a dedicated sub, and I do have a 12 inch Yamaha sub at my place, sound much better as well. I also have another 8 inch RBH sub in another room at my place. This has to do with making due with what will fit in the space of my gf's apartment and what she will allow and if someone has a similar experience and wants to try out there soundbars sub. I did look at the frequency response curve and the sub of my sound bar goes down a bit more, approximately 10 HZ below the LS50. I also heard the LS50 sound better when the lower frequency is passed to a subwoofer and wanted to try it out.
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