Hooking up a sub using low level inputs

[mloew1]

Well thanks to you guys all my sons new equipment will arrive tomorrow. I have One question My son just got the Epik sub, When I connect this to his Pioneer VSX 1021K receiver there is one sub RCA type jack out on the receiver, and two RCA jacks in on the Epik sub that say low level input. Do I need an RCA Y adapter? If I recall this is how I did it years ago on my old system. What I am trying to figure out is, are all the LFE output as mono? cause there is only one RCA out on the amp, how do they combine both left and right signals on the amp with only one RCA out? so why would there be two RCA inputs on the sub? And would it be better to hook it up the other way using the high level input. I am a bit confused.

 

[markw]

Well thanks to you guys all my sons new equipment will arrive tomorrow. I have One question My son just got the Epik sub, When I connect this to his Pioneer VSX 1021K receiver there is one sub RCA type jack out on the receiver, and two RCA jacks in on the Epik sub that say low level input. Do I need an RCA Y adapter? If I recall this is how I did it years ago on my old system. What I am trying to figure out is, are all the LFE output as mono? cause there is only one RCA out on the amp, how do they combine both left and right signals on the amp with only one RCA out? so why would there be two RCA inputs on the sub? And would it be better to hook it up the other way using the high level input. I am a bit confused.

From your picture, I can't read the writing by the RCA jacks but I can unequivicobly say this: You can run the single LFE output to either of the RCA jack inputs. Or, should you choose, you can buy a "Y" connector and feed that one LFE output to both inputs. Either will work just fine.

Or, do the instructions offer any guidance?

As to why the sub has two line-level inputs? Well, ever hear of stereos, which have two channels? They need the separate right/left inputs. It would be unwise to cut themselves off from that market by selling a sub that won't work with them, doncha think?

 

[AVRat]

The setup on the Epik looks different than most with L/R inputs. It appears the left one, LFE (white) bypasses the crossover, while the right one marked Crossover uses the internal crossover.

Just use the LFE input siince the receiver will be handling crossover duties.

 

[mloew1]

Thanks guys, I can understand the two inputs to the sub, but I dont understand only one output from the amp, to go to twin inputs to the sub. If I am understanding this corectly is the one RCA coming out of the amp handling the left and the right channel? And if so why does the sub need two inputs? Thanks Mike

 

[AVRat]

The two inputs to the sub are simply used whether or not to use the sub’s internal crossover. It’s one or the other, but not both.

The receiver handles the bass management summing the signals from the speakers below the crossover points plus the LFE channel and routes it to the sub output. This is done primarily because the frequencies involved are usually unlocalizable so it shouldn’t matter which speaker is producing it.

 

[mloew1]

Got ya AVRat, that makes perfect sense. Sorry for the newbe questions. Thanks again. Mike