Newbie Subwoofer Questions

[freescopesdad]

My first post, so please be gentle...

I realize this is a primarily HT oriented forum, and my question concerns perhaps an 80/20 mix of 2.1 music and TV, but please bear with me. Space is at a premium for me (smallish single family home) and my music listening and TV watching are in the same room. I'm really not interested in surround sound, my 55" Samsung TV (1080p) is currently supported by a 6-7 year old Samsung soundbar and subwoofer combo that is adequate, but I was hoping for more. And since I also have an extensive vinyl collection (I am definitely not an audiophile and cannot afford to be either) I wanted a receiver that could support both stereo AND movies without breaking the bank. After research I invested in the Denon DRA-800H network receiver which, although only 2.2 channel, seems to support my TV with both HDMI ARC and/or optical connections. It also has 2 subwoofer pre-outs and seems to have the ability to tune the subwoofer placement, volume and cutoff in it's setup (not sure how effective their software is as I don't yet have a sub.). It is also a nice clean 100 watts per channel RMS. My main speakers are Polk RTi-A3's which I bought on closeout last year. Very satisfied with these Polks.

So on to choosing a subwoofer. I don't want to break the bank, and the footprint needs to be on the smaller side, again because of space constraints. The room is about 12x20 feet, but also includes a baby grand piano dominating one end (my wife has played for years) and assorted furniture and bookshelves. I have been reading subwoofer reviews and they are now coming out of my ears, and every manufacturer's site claims to satisfy all of my needs and cure COVID and bring world peace. So...

I am thinking of either 8" or 10" in a smallish box. Do I need speaker level inputs or will line level suffice? Do I control the subwoofer through the receiver or the speaker? And finally, any suggestions as to specific brand/model subwoofer at less than $500? anything worth considering less than $200? Thanks in advance.
Ron

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Imo 8” and subwoofer is an oxymoron, but I understand that compromises have to be made. In the 500 or less range the RSL speedwoofer is a great choice. For less than 200, the Dayton sub1200 is good. Imo the extra for the speedwoofer is worth it in linearity and control. It also extends a little deeper, but won’t cause a 16hz earthquake lol.

 

[lovinthehd]

FWIW just your seeking out this information qualifies you as an audiophile....it's not a skill or level of spending, it's an individual's interest in audio reproduction....

I don't see actual bass management in this receiver, just a pre-out and a low pass filter adjustment, so you could connect with the sub pre-out and use either the low pass filter on the sub itself or in the receiver.....or perhaps you have a sub that does have some sort of high pass for the speakers and need high level (speaker level) inputs to accomplish. Personally I'd rather have a receiver with bass management.

William's suggestions for sub I like..