L+R line level audio outs to a sub?

[Alex2507]

My HK AVR 430 is zone 2 capable through the surround back channels and much to my surprise through line level outputs. Could I use those line level outs to run a sub in zone 2?

 

[MDS]

Zone 2 pre-outs are meant to be connected to an amplifier so you can retain 7.1 in the main zone, instead of letting the receiver power the second zone.

You could connect the zone2 pre-out to an amplifier and then connect the amplifier's speaker terminals to the subwoofer's high level inputs and the subwoofer's high-level outputs to speakers.

If you connect the pre-outs directly to a powered sub's line-level inputs, it would amplify the bass but because the signal it received was line-level you won't get much if any sound out of speakers connected to the sub.

 

[Alex2507]

Zone 2 pre-outs are meant to be connected to an amplifier so you can retain 7.1 in the main zone, instead of letting the receiver power the second zone.[End Quote]

If I read the manual right the it says that by using the zone 2 function you can forget about 6.1 and 7.1. I would use the AVR 430 surround amps to drive the L+R channels in zone 2. The 2 channel music zone if you will.

If you connect the pre-outs directly to a powered sub's line-level inputs, it would amplify the bass [END QUOTE]

That is what I needed to know. I asked because I was afraid to maybe blow a perfectly good sub to smitherines by plugging something into it that wasn't specifically designated for the sub. The manual doesn't cover creative applications. That is all I want to do with the zone 2 pre-outs, plug 'em into a sub and let the bass pour out. Okay MDS, thanks for the info.

Now I can go sub shopping. I need it to be really good for music. It will get L+R signals piped into it probably via BJC offering of sub cable. I need it to be small 'cause I live in a condo. I don't need alot of power 'cause I live in a condo. I just want it to make music sound really good. I've done a little reading and there's something about a DD line of sub that is know for quality and compactness. Seemed pretty steep though. Yeah I know, we all want good stuff cheap. K-Mart is that way, right?

So now I need to figure out which sub to get. It will be for music. PERIOD.

 

[Alex2507]

MDS, I stand corrected. Please accept my humble apology. You were right on the money about the first portion of your post. In my own defense let me say that pg.38 refered me to pg.36 where I got thrown for a loop but after being further refered to pg.17 the manual straightened me out. It's like I'm reading it backwards or something.

So now the question is will I be able to use pre-amp outs and surround back speaker level outs at the same time?

Does anybody know what the Velo DD10 goes for? Or maybe a more cost conscious alternative? Please keep in mind that huge power isn't a huge priority.

 

[Matt34]

http://av123forum.com/showthread.php?t=19147
Nice sealed 10" sub with PEQ, nice rosewood finish, would be a good choice for an all music setup....$300

Here is an idea of what the used market is like for the Velodyne DD line.
http://cgi.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/srch_fs.pl

 

[Alex2507]

Thanks Matt34. I really had no idea what I was getting into here. Your post certainly enlightened me to the possibilities though. I am getting better at gleaning info from this site. Not as good as some but better. So please bear with me. Now I see the need to audition equipment. My S/O is getting dragged along also.

While affordability plays a factor, not upgrading my upgrades is a huge consideration. I'm actually looking forward to doing these comparisons. 2 years ago I got my first system and really thought my Infinity PS10 was the bomb. I only know 1 other person who owns a sub and I think his is an unsophisticated beast that he plays too loudly.

I see you have an HK AVR 330. Would you know if line and speaker level outs can be used at the same time for zone 2?

 

[MDS]

Would you know if line and speaker level outs can be used at the same time for zone 2?

Probably not but it's the kind of thing that won't hurt anything if you try.

Most receivers are the same with regards to zone 2 setup and there is a menu option to 'assign' the rear channel amps. For example, Onkyo has a menu option called PoweredZone2. When set to Act (activated) the zone 2 speaker terminals are powered by the rear channel amps and the surround back terminals are deactivated (which is why you can only have 5.1 in the main zone - the other 2 channels are being used for zone 2). When set to Not Act, the pre-outs are activated and the surround back speaker terminals work once again (so you can still have 7.1 in the main zone and stereo in zone2 because it is being driven by the amp connected to the pre-outs).

Even when zone2 is being powered by the receiver you can have 7.1 in the main zone when zone2 is not being used.

The HK is going to be similar, no doubt about it.

 

[Alex2507]

Alrighty then. Try and see is always a fun option. I mean that from the heart. Off I go to apply that same approach to selecting a sub. Woo-Hoo! I try to keep this aspect of my personality hidden from people in the real world. This whole A/V thing is like my dirty secret.

Thanks.

BTW in my living room there really is no room for 7.1. Also I think I'm a fan of Dolby Digital and if I understand it that comes across as 5.1. So sacrificing the surround backs is no sacrifice at all. Feel free to correct me or offer any suggestions.

 

[Alex2507]

What I found to be the case and 1 ?

Using the HK AVR 430 SB amps to drive multi room speakers and using the multi room low level outs to feed audio to a TV did not work well at the same time. What a surprise, huh? Reason being that the volume control on the AVR did the same thing to both signals. In order to get the TV volume up high enough the speakers ended up being too loud.

I can howerver do one or the other which is nice for 2 channel music out of my best speakers or I can watch and listen to any source on the display without the use of the rest of the system. Condo dwellers midnight movie watching etiquette if you will.

Now for my next bright idea: What is my sub gonna do if I run a low level signal to it from one source and a speaker level signal to it from another source? Ideally the sub would never receive both signals at the same time.
But what if it did by accident? This is just the kind of time I have at the moment. I got the wire too. Scary, isn't it?