[Question] Powering loudspeakers through a dayton 120 sub

[mHo2]

Hi, I'm a bit of a newb when it comes to audio, thats why i was hoping you guys could help out! (haha).

My plan was to buy a pair of behringer 2030p's, and hook them up to a Dayton 120 sub, because the sub has a built in amp, and from the sub, plug in the audio source.

I do however have some questions.
1. Will this work, does the dayton 120 sub have a normal input, not just low-level
2. Does the sub have enough power to drive the 2030p's
3. there are audio controls on the back of the sub, while this would be a suitable temporary measure, is there any way i could get a separate levels/volume control? (without having to buy a massive reciever), if a reciever is necessary, can you guys point me toward a cheaper/smaller one?


thanks a bunch!

-Mat

 

[j_garcia]

A sub's amp does not power anything but the sub - this is true for pretty much all subs. Those outputs are passive speaker level. There are some that are designed with the amp in the sub, but they are typically bundled with the speakers as a package.

If this is for 2.1 only, you can save yourself a bunch and get a cheap stereo receiver from Harman Kardon, Onkyo, Yamaha, etc.... They generally do have a sub preamp out, though these tend to not have a built in crossover.

Or you could do what I did with my "extra" system and get something like an Audiosource Amp100 that has the ability to accept 2 line level signals and switch between them and has volume control. Very basic, but it gets the job done and you can find these quite cheap used.

Another thought: http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=300-812 &FTR=apa 150 amp&CFID=8136326&CFTOKEN=21623681, but at $150, you are in stereo receiver range.

 

[mHo2]

Thanks for the quick response!

what i gathered from your post:
A. The [speaker wire]inputs to the sub for speakers are for active monitors, not passive
B. i could get a cheaper (pre)amp that would hook up to the speakers, then go to the sub?
C. i could get this audio source amp (which looks like the best option), and it would allow me to have both the sub and the speakers hooked up together? It does indeed look like the best option, but a little big, i could make it work, but something smaller would be preferable.
D. I could get that 150$ amp. This is something that i would like to get, but it would be alot more attractive if it were only 50$

Can you take a look at the Dayton sub to make sure it doesn't power passive speakers? I cant quite understand all of the terms used.

Also if i were to get this used audiosource amp, would it actively balance my sub and loudspeakers (what i assume a crossover does?), if so that might be the best option, though smaller is preferable as stated before

 

[j_garcia]

The Dayton definitely does not have powered speaker outputs. They are used as a pass-through, in that you would feed the sub with signal from a receiver/amp via speaker level inputs and then that power is passed through to the speakers. So the power comes from the receiver not the sub. These outputs have a passive x-over inline, so you can either use this to cross to the speakers or run the speakers direct and then tune the sub's x-over to match the mains natural roll off.

I picked up my Amp100 off Craigslist for $50, and it is an excellent option for low cost. It isn't small, but it is at least half the size of a typical receiver. The APA150 is much smaller, but obviously costs more, and these don't show up used often.

This is another option: http://www.tweakcityaudio.com/ The Gizmo has a built in crossover and is quite small. Note too that if you haven't bought the Behringers, these guys also offer the amp + speakers for $309 delivered.

 

[mHo2]

ah, its all coming together now, the sub has those connections on the back to filter out the lower sounds and has a crossover built in, so you dont have to have two outputs (one for the sub one for the speaker)

I apologize, i must sound as stupid as bricks.

I will look for an amp/reciever then, specifically this audiosource 100, how much 'power' does this amp deliver, and how many watts should i be looking for in an amp in my searches so i can easily power (but not over-power) my behringers?

EDIT:
Also for the amp wouldnt i need just single channel, as i could feed the speakers to the sub, then the sub to the amp, then the amp to the source?

 

[j_garcia]

The Amp 100 puts out an honest 2ch x 50W to the speakers. It will be plenty unless you have a really big room. My room is about 24x14 with vaulted ceilings and open to the kitchen and it has no problem playing loud enough in that room:

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59010

You can send the signal from the amp to the speakers directly or you can go to the sub first and then to the speakers. Some things to note with a setup like this: the volume control on the Amp100 won't affect the volume of the sub and it also does not have the ability to be controlled via remote. It is an amp only, it does no processing of any kind, but it does have a volume control on the front (gain) which is different than most amps.

 

[mHo2]

Okay, makes enough sense, and if i wanted to run both the sub and the speakers through the amp i would have control of both of the levels from the amp? or would i still need to go to the sub? it would be handy to control both levels at the same time, remote isnt as big of an issue.
If there is no way to control the level of the sub other than from the back of it, are most subs like this, or should i find a passive one?

And if i cant find this certain amp around where i live, what else should i look for?

By the way, thanks for all of the help!

 

[ParadigmDawg]

I really can't figure what's going on here but it sounds like you just need a simple AVR.

 

[mHo2]

i will TL;DR the situation:

I have a set of passive speakers, and an active sub, ive figured out that i can get a cheaper amp and wire it through the sub, and hook up the passive speakers to the sub for it to work.

My last questions are:
Which amp (if i cant find the recommended one)
and
How can i control the active sub and the passive speakers together

 

[ParadigmDawg]

What are you hooking the source(DVD, TV, DVR, CD player or whatever you have) to?

Still sounds like an AVR is what you need.

i will TL;DR the situation:

I have a set of passive speakers, and an active sub, ive figured out that i can get a cheaper amp and wire it through the sub, and hook up the passive speakers to the sub for it to work.

My last questions are:
Which amp (if i cant find the recommended one)
and
How can i control the active sub and the passive speakers together

 

[mHo2]

Just to a computer, can you link to a cheaper 'AVR'? it would be nice if it could control both the sub and loudspeaker levels, thanks!

 

[ParadigmDawg]

What do you consider "cheaper"?

Just to a computer, can you link to a cheaper 'AVR'? it would be nice if it could control both the sub and loudspeaker levels, thanks!

 

[j_garcia]

You can get a stereo receiver in the $150-200 range.

 

[mHo2]

Well, the passive behringers are 130$ and the sub is around 150$, i was hoping to just get an amp for the behringers for around 50$ or so.

But if i cant control the bass levels from that audiosource amp, that means every time i adjust the volume(i.e. louder or quieter).. i have to reach down to my sub as well, right? or am i overthinking this?

 

[mHo2]

Third EDIT:

Finally starting to make sense in my head!, i found a detailed picture of the back of the sub:

So it looks like, yeah all i need is a 2.1 amp/receiver with low level out, can you guys help me find a decent (cheap-ish) one?

 

[ParadigmDawg]

You could look at an entry level AVR such as this one.
http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/ONKTXSR307BLK/Onkyo/Tx-sr307-5.1-channel-Home-Theater-Receiver/1.html

Or look at a higher end one that has be factory reconditioned.

 

[mHo2]

Yeah, if all else fails that(an AVR receiver) would be a viable option.

Reading more, i think the dayton 120 sub has a built in crossover, so technically it should work to feed speaker inputs to the back of the sub, and then from the sub feed wire to the speakers, letting the sub's crossover do all of the work. My only worry is that the cheaper 2.0 Amp i get would only control the 'high-level' volumes? Or would it control both the sub and the monitors with volume? (even if there are two seperate amps)

 

[lsiberian]

Yeah, if all else fails that(an AVR receiver) would be a viable option.

Reading more, i think the dayton 120 sub has a built in crossover, so technically it should work to feed speaker inputs to the back of the sub, and then from the sub feed wire to the speakers, letting the sub's crossover do all of the work. My only worry is that the cheaper 2.0 Amp i get would only control the 'high-level' volumes? Or would it control both the sub and the monitors with volume? (even if there are two seperate amps)

Get an AVR.

Of the sub 100 dollar ones I suggest the Panasonic HE100 of ebay. They go for less than 80 bucks usually. I used that receiver for a while and it worked alright.

 

[mHo2]

Get an AVR.

Of the sub 100 dollar ones I suggest the Panasonic HE100 of ebay. They go for less than 80 bucks usually. I used that receiver for a while and it worked alright.

If i were to get a stereo amp, it would have to be slimline, im running out of room on my desk , but thanks ill keep that model in mind.

On the other hand, wouldn't getting an amp just simplify my setup though? (while working just as good as if it were through a receiver)

 

[j_garcia]

An amp won't simplify your setup, an AVR will. I suggested something like the Amp100 because they can be found cheap and fairly easily, but an AVR is likely to be a more practical solution, though it may cost you a bit more. I agree with looking at Accessories For Less - I've bought from them many times and they are quite good.