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connecting a sub to a 2-channel system

My sister is coming for a visit. she is a budding audiophile and we will be having a listening session in front of my 2-channel rig. She is still very much a bass-head, and I want to hook my HSU VTF MkII sub into my 2-channel system, so I can show her what it sounds like with and without the big-booty-bass. My question is this: how to best hook the sub into the 2-channel system? My current thinking is to use a Y-adapter on a single channel coming out of either the pre or the DAC, then use the Audioquest sub-x cable to the HSU's LFE input. one channel from the DAC would be fixed, using a single channel from the pre would be variable. Thoughts? Thanks in advance. Keep in mind this is not a permanent addition...!
realremo
realremo OP
460 posts
 
Wow, thanks Al and everyone else...I think I'll twist some low gauge copper wire into the amp's taps and connect to the HSU's speaker inputs. Great info.
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almarg
9,670 posts
 
My current thinking is to use a Y-adapter on a single channel coming out of either the pre or the DAC, then use the Audioquest sub-x cable to the HSU's LFE input. one channel from the DAC would be fixed, using a single channel from the pre would be variable.
You're welcome! A P.S. to my previous post, though. Upon re-reading your initial post I believe I misinterpreted the quoted excerpt, and you were not referring to summing the two channels into a mono signal, but instead just to sending the output of one channel of the preamp or DAC to the sub's LFE input, while continuing to send the signal for that channel to the next component in the existing signal path. That would be sonically inferior to providing both channels to the sub, though, so the conclusions in my previous post still apply.

Best regards,
-- Al
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almarg
9,670 posts
 
Corrected link to the manual for the sub. Not sure why the link in my earlier post didn't come out correctly.

Best regards,
-- Al
realremo OP
460 posts
 
OK, got the sub hooked up. It's making the house shake as I write this. We'll see what my sister thinks, she'll be here Friday.
I used some old speaker wire I bought in the early 90's. Twisted it right into the AQ banana plugs at the amp. It's old, clear-coated, oxidized, flat speaker wire, supposedly 16 gauge. Playing with the phase, crossover and volume now trying to get it integrated. Seems to work fine, but my Quads sound different, I know the impedance of the sub won't affect my amp, but still...I guess the new sound just takes some getting used to!
realremo OP
460 posts
 
Further listening proves that I have to turn the volume up louder with the sub connected to get to the same SPLs I was getting in pure two-channel. I have a decibel meter and mild tinnitis, so I watch this kind of thing pretty carefully.
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