Best way to connect sub

[ehabheikal]

I am a newbie compared to you guys so reaching out for help.

I got a system that is pure and the electronics are all from transparently tested gear stereo and no pre and i want the best way to connect a sub, so here is my setup


Dac:Soncoz SGD1 ( sinad -120db)
Amp: Nord Purifi (Sinad about -104)
Connetion between 2 is xlr

Speakers: Paradigm 30th anniversary bookshelves

The bookshelf has great but not perfect bass.

What is the best way to connect a subwoofer without introducing any sinad loss?

 

[Eetu]

I think the Soncoz outputs RCA & XLR simultaneously so you can use RCA out to sub and XLR out to your amp.

 

[ehabheikal]

Would that not create feedbacks that could spoil the sound a bit if the two outputs are not independant?

 

[LTig]

Dac:Soncoz SGD1 ( sinad -120db)
Amp: Nord Purifi (Sinad about -104)
Connetion between 2 is xlr

Speakers: Paradigm 30th anniversary bookshelves

The bookshelf has great but not perfect bass.

What is the best way to connect a subwoofer without introducing any sinad loss?

Get a sub with a line level crossover, like JBL LSR 310 or the Genelecs. Connect the DAC to the subs line level input and the amps input to the subs line level satellite speaker output. This ensures that the speakers see no deep bass and therefore the mids will be cleaner.

 

[Eetu]

Would that not create feedbacks that could spoil the sound a bit if the two outputs are not independant?

I'm not sure what you mean by feedback..? If you mean that the sub & speakers 'overlap' , yeah there's no high pass filter with that option. You have to use the sub -> speakers method for that. There may be some 'sinad loss' depending how clean the sub's high pass filter is. But as @LTig said the upside is less strain on the speakers.

 

[LTig]

I'm not sure what you mean by feedback..? If you mean that the sub & speakers 'overlap' , yeah there's no high pass filter with that option. You have to use the sub -> speakers method for that. There may be some 'sinad loss' depending how clean the sub's high pass filter is. But as @LTig said the upside is less strain on the speakers.

Yep, and this accounts for much more than a minor loss of SINAD on the electronic side. Speaker distortions are orders of magnitude higher than SOTA electronics, so decreasing them is the best possible investment within the audio chain.

 

[Willem]

The problem is that few subs have a high passed line out. I have been corresponding with RME on the best connection, and their advice was to use the rca output of my ADI-2 for the sub and the xlr output for the power amp (in my case with an xlr to rca cable but pin 3 of the xlr output not connected). I am currently investigating adding simple inline high pass filters such as those by Harrison Labs.

 

[LearningToSmile]

Get a sub with a line level crossover, like JBL LSR 310 or the Genelecs. Connect the DAC to the subs line level input and the amps input to the subs line level satellite speaker output. This ensures that the speakers see no deep bass and therefore the mids will be cleaner.

The problem with that is that XLR equipped studio subwoofers with built in crossover usually come with a price premium large enough that buying an external crossover and a regular subwoofer often comes out cheaper.

But I can't also recommend buying one of the few subs with RCA crossover, because that's what I did and I'm having some... power filtering? grounding? issues(not exactly sure what's causing it but I get massive buzzing whenever the GPU in my PC gets stressed even if USB to my DAC is disconnected) bad enough I'd return the sub if it wasn't a temporary solution before I upgrade to an external crossover or bass management.

 

[ehabheikal]

The problem with that is that XLR equipped studio subwoofers with built in crossover usually come with a price premium large enough that buying an external crossover and a regular subwoofer often comes out cheaper.

But I can't also recommend buying one of the few subs with RCA crossover, because that's what I did and I'm having some... power filtering? grounding? issues(not exactly sure what's causing it but I get massive buzzing whenever the GPU in my PC gets stressed even if USB to my DAC is disconnected) bad enough I'd return the sub if it wasn't a temporary solution before I upgrade to an external crossover or bass management.

The yamaha hs8s studio sub is available in my region for a reasonable price. Would its quality match my paradigm 30th anniversary speakers?