Subwoofer hookup confusion

[Audio Adrenaline 7]

Im running a system with a computer running jriver media center to a nad c510 pre-amp dac which does not have a sub output I have connected it to a sub in the past to subwoofers using the speaker wire connection option but the new svs sub i bought does not have them only rca inputs -Normally you would hook it  up with a rca Y connector but I've got the nad dac hooked up to a power amp using xlr cables-do the rca's stll put out a signal when xlrs are being used or what are my options? any ideas

[Cloth Ears 1,164]

Very difficult to answer unless you provide all the equipment you're using. I'm guessing that you have a power amp to drive some speakers and something like a SB-2000Pro subwoofer? AFAIK, the SVS subs with only line level inputs also have a set of line level outputs - which you'd feed into the power amp. Unsure whether they would be the high-pass from the subwoofer, or a fullrange signal.

[Old Man Rubber 387]

You need something like this used for car audio

 

edit:  Worth a try at $4.70, haven't heard this one though

 

There are passive ones that don't require any power - I am using the above unit to add a sub woofer out to an older Marantz amp that doesn't have a sub out.  Just hook up the speaker wires to the "Speaker B" output or similar.  The attentuation circuit doesn't need any power itself it is completely passive.

 

There are others that are similar and don't have the powered part (used to power up an external amp in a car).

 

This one doesn't do low-pass filtering and relies on the sub to have it's own low-pass filter, most of them seem to have one built in and the better ones are adjustable. 

 

They are *extremely sensitive* to power line induced hum from nearby transformers and power so best to keep it isolated away from power cables etc.  I think, with some careful measurement, you could piggy back something like that off your existing speakers but I would double check the ohm measurement with a multimeter before hooking it up to your amp.  I have mine on Speaker B so I can switch out the sub when I don't want it on.

 

Edited November 25, 2020 by Old Man Rubber
added another link

[Audio Adrenaline 7]

good news I spoke to my local nad dealer (who happens to be a licensed Nad tech as well) and he said that both the rca and xlr inputs are on a seperate circuit and there is no switch they dont stop working if the other is used and I just hooked up my sub through the line rca output and it worked perfectly alongside the xlrs so thats fantastic :-)

 

[almikel 1,616]

 

 

On 27/11/2020 at 3:38 PM, Audio Adrenaline said:

good news I spoke to my local nad dealer (who happens to be a licensed Nad tech as well) and he said that both the rca and xlr inputs are on a seperate circuit and there is no switch they dont stop working if the other is used

nice work

Reading your post that's what I would have expected (ie RCA and XLR's both have outputs)

 

Mike