How many times can one split an RCA sub signal?

[rolyasm]

Say a person wants to hook up 4 subs in a room and only has one RCA subwoofer output. How many times can you split the single output before the signal is diminished? What are the alternatives?
thanks.

 

[audioholic212]

As many times as you want as long as your subs have their own AMP and you use the pre amp out?

I could be totally wrong, so, please wait for other answers.

 

[fast1]

whats the pre am out?

 

[audioholic212]

What I had in mind was the 'PRE-OUT' on some receivers.

Something like this?

 

[markw]

No definite answer.

It depends on the output impedance and strength of your sub out and the combined input impedances and gains of the subwoofers involved.

 

[GlocksRock]

So long as the subwoofer you are connecting your receivers sub out to also has outputs, you can daisy chain as many subs together as you want to. You can also run a y-splitter on the sub-out at the receiver, then just run the outputs to each of those subs to one other sub.

 

[Nemo128]

2.







Ah I'm just kidding, what do I know.

 

[MatthewB.]

I would think over long distances and each succession of connections that the signal itself would start to degrade (but we are talking distances of over 35 feet. If I were to hook up four subs, I would Y cable from the recievers sub preout then run the two cables to the subs at the sides up front, then from there run a cable from the subwoofers output to the sub at the back of the room running along both sides of the side walls (hardly anyone has a room so large that this wouldnt work.) This way you would have a very small percentage of signal loss (I think you would need fancy gear to even notice the signal drop, it would be that small. But if daisy chaining one sub to the next to the next, after so many feet the signal would definately degrade over long distances. You also run the risk of serious groud loop issues with such a long distance.

 

[BMXTRIX]

Say a person wants to hook up 4 subs in a room and only has one RCA subwoofer output. How many times can you split the single output before the signal is diminished? What are the alternatives?
thanks.

The best way to do this is with an audio distribution amplifier.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Audio-Authority-1x5-Distribution-Amplifier-DEC28_W0QQitemZ270372601474QQihZ017QQcategoryZ149958QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Typically, they will have some sort of video associated with them, but you can ignore the video and stick with the audio.

These products are designed, from the ground up, to take the incoming audio and split/amplify it at the same time. You maintain the cleanest possible signal with good voltage across all outputs so you get minimal signal degradation and noise on the line while at the same time allowing for full power to be sent to all subwoofers.

They are fairly readily available on eBay for not a lot of cash.

 

[Mike19]

Hi rolyasm.

I don't think splitting the signal is the issue, its the lenght of the cable run and you supplied no distances.

Assuming that the total lenght of the cable run from receiver to rear sub will be longer than 30 feet (and as someone already posted), I would use 1 splitter at the receiver sub/pre output. Then run a cable to the 2 front subs. Then a cable from each of the line level (RCA connector) outputs to the rear subs, same side of room. This is the daisy chaining method described in a previous post.

If your subs do not have a line level ouput, then use a splitter at each of the front subs and run a cable back to the rear sub, same room side. If the rear subs don't sound exactly the same as the front subs with the volume level set the same on all subs, then you will need a ditribution amp like a previous poster suggested.

If for some reason none of the above works, then I suggest that you move the rear subs to the sides of the room or make 2 stacks of 2 subs each at the front of the room. You can't try stacking if you have downfiring subs. Also, I have read, but never tried, placing 2 subs side by side(sides touching) to achieve the same synergystic effect that stacking affords (increased SPL). This, of course, can be done w/ downfiring subs.

Mike

Mike