Subwoofer hookup (again)

[kothee]

I know this is a frequent topic, but I have not yet found a clear answer to my problem:

I have an old Sony receiver (STR-DE305) which does not have a designated sub output. I wanted to replace my regular two bookshelf speakers with satellite speakers and a subwoofer. I got the Yamaha YST-FSW050 powered sub, which only has a subwoofer cable connection option, no speaker wire inputs. Is there a viable way to connect these two, or will I have to eiher return the sub or get a new amplifier?

First I connected it with an RCA cable and Y adapter to the tape monitor, but that way the sub volume is not controlled together with the regular speakers.

Then I tried splicing an RCA cable to connect it to the speaker wire connections of the receiver (center wire to the +, outside wire to the -). Seemed to work at first but then the receiver overheated, so this is no good either. The RCA cable is 20 feet long, could that contribute to my problem, or was I wrong to even try connecting it to the speaker output to begin with?

Any help is appreciated.
Michael

 

[Davemcc]

First I connected it with an RCA cable and Y adapter to the tape monitor, but that way the sub volume is not controlled together with the regular speakers.

Then I tried splicing an RCA cable to connect it to the speaker wire connections of the receiver (center wire to the +, outside wire to the -). Seemed to work at first but then the receiver overheated, so this is no good either. The RCA cable is 20 feet long, could that contribute to my problem, or was I wrong to even try connecting it to the speaker output to begin with?

Both of your attempts are wrong and have the potential to damage your equipment. In the first case, Y adapters should only be used to split a source to two components. They should not be used to push two output sources into a single input.* In the second case, the RCA is a low level input and the speaker output is a high level input. The two are incompatible from an electrical engineering perspective.*

Your sub and receiver are incompatible and there is no simple or proper way to make them work together. You will need a sub with speaker level inputs or a receiver with a sub output. If you are lucky, you haven't damaged the input stage of the sub or done permanent damage to the receiver's amp section.


*Technical explanation omitted because it's too complex for my simple mind.

 

[TLS Guy]

I know this is a frequent topic, but I have not yet found a clear answer to my problem:

I have an old Sony receiver (STR-DE305) which does not have a designated sub output. I wanted to replace my regular two bookshelf speakers with satellite speakers and a subwoofer. I got the Yamaha YST-FSW050 powered sub, which only has a subwoofer cable connection option, no speaker wire inputs. Is there a viable way to connect these two, or will I have to eiher return the sub or get a new amplifier?

First I connected it with an RCA cable and Y adapter to the tape monitor, but that way the sub volume is not controlled together with the regular speakers.

Then I tried splicing an RCA cable to connect it to the speaker wire connections of the receiver (center wire to the +, outside wire to the -). Seemed to work at first but then the receiver overheated, so this is no good either. The RCA cable is 20 feet long, could that contribute to my problem, or was I wrong to even try connecting it to the speaker output to begin with?

Any help is appreciated.
Michael

If your receiver does not have pre outs, there is no way to do this.

 

[markw]

Send it back.

I got the Yamaha YST-FSW050 powered sub, which only has a subwoofer cable connection option, no speaker wire inputs. Is there a viable way to connect these two, or will I have to eiher return the sub or get a new amplifier?

As others have implied, you'e kinda screwed. That sub is made only for a LFE/sub output, nothing else. You need to get a more "hookup friendly" subwoofer with speaker inputs at least.

 

[kothee]

Thanks everyone for the very clear answers. I guess I should not be surprised that things didn't work as I was hoping. However, when I searched on the web for this information I did not find it clearly stated, even though several people seemed to be in a similar situation, so I did not think that it was this hopeless. Anyway, all the equipment still seems to be working fine and I will probably end up upgrading the receiver to make things work.

Thanks again,
Michael

 

[TLS Guy]

I would forget the idea of small satellites. That is low fi at best. They don't have enough reach to splice well with a sub. I would actually get larger speakers first, then upgrade the receiver or go to separates. Then think about hooking in you sub.

A sub is in my view well down the priority list.