Subwoofer Blending

Hi Tomryan. Most powered subwoofers usually include both a variable adjustable low pass filter for your sub and a switchable high pass filter with three or so settings for the feed to your mains. I can understand you wanting to lessen the load on your SET amp, but I would try as much as possible to avoid running your 2.5s through the high pass circuitry of the subwoofer's crossover.

I own ProAc Tablette 50 Signatures and Response 1SCs and love the midrange of these monitors. I have never even gotten close to acceptable results running any of my monitors through my sub's high pass filtering. The beautiful midrange of the ProAcs and Sonus Fabers I tried this with were completely lost with this method. It's tough enough retaining the midrange quality of these speakers and not muddying them up running them full range and rolling the sub off at 35-40Hz, so filtering both the mains and the sub at least for me is not acceptable.

I should note that using the method you're considering does work for me in my all NHT home theater system. To my ears they blend pretty seemlessly, but audiophile speakers can be another issue. My ProAcs are much more revealing of musical detail and soundstaging than my NHTs, so it's easier to compromise their qualities if I'm not careful in the setup.

For music I would probably avoid the Velodyne and look for a REL Storm III to match with your 2.5s. Once you get a powered sub you can always experiment with integrating it both ways, but I'm sure you'll prefer running your ProAcs full range. Is buying a second amp like the one you have and biamping a feasible alternative? Good luck!

I don't have a specific answer, but I would strongly suggest demoing subs and picking whichever one sounds more musical, regardless of the sub's ability to provide a high-pass output. REL does not feature a high-pass output, but they are very good subs and should not be struck off your list for this reason.

ACI speaker manufacturer offers a passive high-pass filter to go between the preamp and amp (at line level). This would only work if you connect the sub to the preamp at line level, and would clearly not work if you connect the sub to the power amp at speaker level (REL's favored approach).

Lastly I have heard of people getting a very large non-polarized capacitor and connecting in series with the main speakers. Off the top of my head I think you'd need a non-polarized capacitor, rated to at least 100 volts (to be safe) and with a capacitance of around 200 millifarads. Not sure how easy this is to find.

I think it may be best to run full range .. but if you can get the capacitors cheaply try it out.

I'm definately in the camp for running a speaker like your Proac full range. -- As to your question, however, my experience is that to get a good match, you need cross-over frequency, volume, and continuously variable phase control for a sub. I've never heard the piece myself, but another thread identified the Paradigm X-30 as a good control unit. It has low-pass filter, volume, and phase control for the sub and if you want to try the high pass filter approach for your Proac it has one selectable at 50, 80, and 120 Hz. Good luck.

Thanks for all the input; exactly what I needed. I'm now thinking about bi-amping (one amp for tweeters and another for woofers) as the 2.5s have damn good bass if given enough power. Think I'll start another thread for bi-amping advice. Thanks again, everyone!

Hi, I have a general comment. More amps for the same money don't mean better sound than the same money spent on a "better" stereo or mono amp. You wont more push from you low watt amps I believe. If the single ended low watt sound is your thing and you wont more steam try what I did, also no cost for tube replacement etc. PASS ALEPH single ended amps probably have the sound you like and real horsepower to drive normal speakers but not very difficult speakers. I have mono 100watt ALEPH mod.2 and love them. Very Rare on used market but can be found ($3,000+used). The 30 watt stereo ALEPH is not the same weight and effortless sound and the 60watt stereo is good but not the = of the 100 watt mono. The 200 watt mono is going to cost a fortune in electric bills.

I believe a subwoofer is a mistake for most systems. I found that most speakers that go to 45hz with a decent 7 or 8in. woofer will produce plenty of base when the powersupply and sources are of high enought quality. Many products don't spend the $ on beefy powersupplies using first class parts. Your room size does effect base response in that a big room needed to have more air moved. 20 by 30ft. room will need need a 10in. driver of 87 to 90 db. with some real muscle before it to play a cello/stringbase conviencingly.

Last I believe you use a PLACETTE preamp. I am interested in them. Do you know anyone in the Chicago, Ill. area who owns one? Do you have the active model or the volume control alone? I am interested to hear more about this preamp. Thanks, in advance, for responding to my questions about the placette. Best wishes, good listening. Peter H.