Sub wiring the "Polk Way"

[Johnny Canuck]

Noticed another thread on this. Reading the Polk website and their instruction manuals, they recommend wiring the sub through speaker connections and setting speakers to Large and Sub OFF.

Is there a way for one to do this without running speaker cable? I mean by using the preouts marked "sub" on the Denon 3805 or does it go out of the front pre outs? Would I need a Y splitter if I am already using a power amp connected to my front pre outs?

I am interested in trying this. The other thread mentioned crossing over towers at 80 hz is a waste. Is this Polk method better for towers or bookshelf speakers? Can someone please tell me how to wire this way with my current set up:

Denon 3805 running front highs/mids, NAD power amp running lows on mains by way of front pre outs of receiver..HSU STF 3 sub.

I listen to music 80% of the time. Does this method work better for music and if so, is it alot worse for movies?

Thanks guys

 

[mtrycrafts]

Noticed another thread on this. Reading the Polk website and their instruction manuals, they recommend wiring the sub through speaker connections and setting speakers to Large and Sub OFF.

Is there a way for one to do this without running speaker cable? I mean by using the preouts marked "sub" on the Denon 3805 or does it go out of the front pre outs? Would I need a Y splitter if I am already using a power amp connected to my front pre outs?

I am interested in trying this. The other thread mentioned crossing over towers at 80 hz is a waste. Is this Polk method better for towers or bookshelf speakers? Can someone please tell me how to wire this way with my current set up:

Denon 3805 running front highs/mids, NAD power amp running lows on mains by way of front pre outs of receiver..HSU STF 3 sub.

I listen to music 80% of the time. Does this method work better for music and if so, is it alot worse for movies?

Thanks guys

If I read your directions correctly, no way around using speaker cables.

You would run a speaker cable tot he sub's speaker level in for each channel, then from the sub to both speakers from the high side out, or whatever their name is on that sub. More speaker cables, lots.

 

[MDS]

The whole premise behind the 'polk way' described on their website is that some receivers have only a fixed xover frequency and it would be better to route the front channels to the sub so you can use its xover control. That is no longer true as nearly all receivers have adjustable xovers.

If you use the speaker level hook-up you get to control xover frequency at the sub, but you lose the bass managment and time alignment feature of modern receivers.

If you want to do some hybrid scheme and use the front pre-outs of the receiver (and set the fronts to large) to the sub you would retain bass mgmt for the other channels, but the frequencies at or below the xover frequency fo the receiver for the Small channels will be re-directed from the small channels to the non-existent subwoofer (because you now have nothing connected to the receiver's sub pre-out).

Now if you want to use 2 subs and connect one in the normal way to the receiver's sub pre-out and the other using the pre-outs, you would be able to set a different xover frequency for front channel bass.