Connection questions

[sophie smith]

Greetings,

I have two questions regarding component connections (unrelated to each other).

1. My TV has headphones out 3.5mm jack. Can I use headphone out to coax input on DAC with digital audio cable? The DAC is connected to stereo amp and then to 2 tower speakers. Anything can be damaged? I would prefer not to use optical out from TV as it is connected to other "stuff".

2. I am thinking of putting together 2ch stereo system with 2 bookshelf speakers and 2 subs. Both will be playing music from PC-DAC-Amp.
How can I connect 2 speakers and 2 subs without a receiver? Just stereo amp and 2ch DAC. I have not bought the subs yet. Need to figure out what connections I need to be available.

Thanks so much.

 

[pozz]

Hi sophie

1. No you cannot connect analog headphone out to digital coax in. You risk damage if you do. You can however use a 3.5mm to RCA cable to connect to analog ins if your DAC or stereo amp have any available. One way to get around this problem is to buy an optical switcher. There will be no degredation in signal quality, just a connection from your TV to the switcher, and from the switcher to your DAC and your other stuff.

2. You can use splitter cables to send signals to the stereo amp and the subs (assuming they are active, i.e., that they have built-in amps).

 

[sophie smith]

Thanks. Understood.
Regarding #2. Is it better to send full range signal from DAC to subs, then use subs high pass filter to send only high/mids to the amp and speakers? Or use speaker wire to send full range signal to both speakers and subs?

Thanks

 

[pozz]

Thanks. Understood.
Regarding #2. Is it better to send full range signal from DAC to subs, then use subs high pass filter to send only high/mids to the amp and speakers? Or use speaker wire to send full range signal to both speakers and subs?

Thanks

Depends on speakers, really. Plenty of people run them full range and use subs to supplement. If they're small, I'd probably use the subs' high pass filters.

I def wouldn't use high level speaker signals with passive subs in your situation (because the amp would have to be really powerful).

 

[sophie smith]

Thanks!

I will be using active amps.

 

[LTig]

Is it better to send full range signal from DAC to subs, then use subs high pass filter to send only high/mids to the amp and speakers?

One of the major advantages of a 2.1 system is to free the sats from playing deep bass signals. This results in less IMD and higher SPL for the sats. So yes, you should highpass filter the sats.

 

[sophie smith]

Thanks.