2.1 with a Home Theater Receiver

[Roen]

I just purchased a RX-A660 but I only want to set up my speakers in a 2.1 arrangement at the moment.

Would it better for me to set up the speakers:
Receiver Speaker Out -> Speakers
Receiver Sub Out -> Sub
Speaker Settings: Center / LS / RS: None
Audio Settings: Stereo

OR

Receiver Speaker Out -> Speakers (Sub piggyback)
Speaker Settings: Sub / Center / LS / RS: None
Audio Settings: Stereo
Set crossover, gain and phase on sub manually using analog dials

 

[lovinthehd]

If you have an avr with bass management, like you have, the normal thing is to use it. Not all avrs use the sub in stereo mode, might want to make sure it will do what you want (I don't know, no Yamaha experience for me).

The sub only appears only to have a fixed high pass filter of 80hz and only on the rca output, it doesn't have speaker level outputs so no crossover available for your proposed use (the dial on the sub is only a low pass filter, not a crossover).

 

[j_garcia]

The x-over control only affects the sub anyway not the speakers, so use the AVR.

 

[Roen]

If you have an avr with bass management, like you have, the normal thing is to use it. Not all avrs use the sub in stereo mode, might want to make sure it will do what you want (I don't know, no Yamaha experience for me).

The sub only appears only to have a fixed high pass filter of 80hz and only on the rca output, it doesn't have speaker level outputs so no crossover available for your proposed use (the dial on the sub is only a low pass filter, not a crossover).

I wouldn't need a crossover for the speakers. The speakers would take the full range of input, and use their passive crossovers to filter out any unneeded frequencies. The sub would do the same, and the low pass filter would be set at 80 Hz. Both would be fed from the same L/R speaker out input from the receiver.

 

[j_garcia]

That can work, but since you have an AVR, you'd get far better results using the bass management it has.

 

[lovinthehd]

I wouldn't need a crossover for the speakers. The speakers would take the full range of input, and use their passive crossovers to filter out any unneeded frequencies. The sub would do the same, and the low pass filter would be set at 80 Hz. Both would be fed from the same L/R speaker out input from the receiver.

The passive components in the speaker have no idea what you're doing with the sub, so for your plan to simply set the low pass filter at 80hz would need a "matching" speaker....and at 80hz most speakers I see you considering in your other thread will still be overlapping frequencies with the sub....I'd still use the avr for more flexibility with an actual crossover.

 

[Roen]

The passive components in the speaker have no idea what you're doing with the sub, so for your plan to simply set the low pass filter at 80hz would need a "matching" speaker....and at 80hz most speakers I see you considering in your other thread will still be overlapping frequencies with the sub....I'd still use the avr for more flexibility with an actual crossover.

True, but for some mitigation the low pass filter on the sub is variable. If I were to use, let's say Ascend 340 SE, I could set the low pass to 50 Hz and there would be 5 Hz of overlap (45 - 50)

 

[Pogre]

True, but for some mitigation the low pass filter on the sub is variable. If I were to use, let's say Ascend 340 SE, I could set the low pass to 50 Hz and there would be 5 Hz of overlap (45 - 50)

I would want to set low pass even lower and just use the sub for gentle support in the very lowest frequencies with that configuration. From what I understand, it's not always best to have your speakers and subs both playing the same low frequencies. It mucks up your bass response. I strongly agree with using bass management on your avr and set a proper crossover.

 

[j_garcia]

If you plan to dial the sub in manually with a SPL meter for a smooth, then that will work. If not, then let the AVR do it.

 

[lovinthehd]

True, but for some mitigation the low pass filter on the sub is variable. If I were to use, let's say Ascend 340 SE, I could set the low pass to 50 Hz and there would be 5 Hz of overlap (45 - 50)

If your preference is to do the blending/overlapping thing then do it. I'd use bass management unless I had some old 2ch gear that didn't have it.

 

[Roen]

All good input, thanks!