Picking the right sub

[Damone5000]

You are correct.
The main purpose of the HP option on the 12S is to act as an electronic crossover to feed a seperate amp for bass management for the mains.
To avoid this and have the 12S pass the unaltered signal to the second sub is to just not switch the HP on...it switches off.

Best thing for the OP to do is use a splitter on his amp to provide a signal to each sub to set each individually, and not even consider the HP function..in his case, he cant use it for anything.

His mains are going to run full range (double bass) whether he wants them to or not, unless he buys a power amp just for them. That would render his Arcam A25 a preamp then, and I believe he sure doesnt want that !

There is only so much the OP can do with the Arcam A25 in this case, and it ain't much.
But as he states, he already ran a sub and knows this.

I wasn’t thinking when I mentioned chaining them. I would have realized it immediately and then been annoyed that I had to wait a few days for the splitters to come, so thank you for pointing it out.

I can use the Bluesound Node subwoofer out to a splitter. I think (think) the digital out from the Node will then apply its own HP filter on the digital out to the Arcam.

I did see that RSL has a wireless adapter. Have you or anyone heard that? I assume any degradation from using wireless would be imperceptible but would be interested in your take. Also interested in your take on whether 2 12s would be better than 1 VTF-TN1 for my largish room.

 

[isolar8001]

I wasn’t thinking when I mentioned chaining them. I would have realized it immediately and then been annoyed that I had to wait a few days for the splitters to come, so thank you for pointing it out.

I can use the Bluesound Node subwoofer out to a splitter. I think (think) the digital out from the Node will then apply its own HP filter on the digital out to the Arcam.

I did see that RSL has a wireless adapter. Have you or anyone heard that? I assume any degradation from using wireless would be imperceptible but would be interested in your take. Also interested in your take on whether 2 12s would be better than 1 VTF-TN1 for my largish room.

Don't know anything about the Bluesound Node, but the idea of having a streamer/component do the work of what should be done by an AVR/AVProcessor bugs me...maybe someone knows better.

RSL's wireless adaptors work well...I have used them, but just used wired in the end...my room is small.
2 Speedwoofer 12S's should (note, should) work better than 1 slightly larger HSU 15" sub....but, you know your room better than we do and how well 1 sub performed before.

 

[Damone5000]

Don't know anything about the Bluesound Node, but the idea of having a streamer/component do the work of what should be done by an AVR/AVProcessor bugs me...maybe someone knows better.

RSL's wireless adaptors work well...I have used them, but just used wired in the end...my room is small.
2 Speedwoofer 12S's should (note, should) work better than 1 slightly larger HSU 15" sub....but, you know your room better than we do and how well 1 sub performed before.

The whole setup is temporary as the room is too big to keep what I have as-is. I’m just going to get the sub / subs first because of how anemic it sounds in the larger room without a sub and get a proper AVR when the wife forgets I spent $2k on subs.

Good to know about the wireless option. Running 2 subs in opposite corners would be about 50ft of RCA cable and from BJC that’s almost $300. Wireless option from RSL seems to be only $130 for 2 subs.

 

[lovinthehd]

I wasn’t thinking when I mentioned chaining them. I would have realized it immediately and then been annoyed that I had to wait a few days for the splitters to come, so thank you for pointing it out.

I can use the Bluesound Node subwoofer out to a splitter. I think (think) the digital out from the Node will then apply its own HP filter on the digital out to the Arcam.

I did see that RSL has a wireless adapter. Have you or anyone heard that? I assume any degradation from using wireless would be imperceptible but would be interested in your take. Also interested in your take on whether 2 12s would be better than 1 VTF-TN1 for my largish room.

That might be a nice option if the Bluesound Node can do that for you. I'm not familiar with it, tho.

I've used other wireless subs, biggest issue isn't likely to be sound quality but rather management of the inherent increased delay.

 

[lovinthehd]

He cant go into the HP on the first sub...it's not an input, its an output.
He has to go into the main inputs on the first sub and set the main crossover where he wants.
Using the HP outputs to feed the second sub will limit the second sub to 30hz.
Certainly he doesn't want that.
Maybe he should read the 12S manual...then he would have not even thought of doing this !

Nah, was just thinking of wrong hardware, like the amp for speakers was in position to take advantage, which it wasn't. Thanks.

 

[Eppie]

I suspect that the subwoofer out on the Node is low passed but the digital out would be full range. You'll need to read through the BlueSound manual to see if the digital out can be high passed. If the Node is your only source, then it's an option but the only advantage I see (if the digital out is full range) is that it is a single cable combining left and right channels, so you can run a single RCA instead of a stereo RCA cable.