In addition to the fact that the AX-7e doesn’t provide volume-controlled outputs from its preamp section, there are significant potential issues if its speaker-level outputs are connected to a sub. Note the following statement in its manual:
The Ayre AX-7e drives the loudspeakers with balanced outputs. Since none of the output terminals are grounded, connecting any of them to ground may result in damage to the amplifier. Do not connect the loudspeaker outputs to any speaker switch-box, accessory, or test equipment that has a common ground connection.
The negative speaker-level input terminal of many and probably most powered subs which provide speaker-level inputs is connected to AC safety ground through a low impedance, or in some cases perhaps even directly. In those cases connecting the negative speaker-level input terminal of the sub to the negative output terminal of the amp risks damage to both the amp and the sub, depending on how circuit ground and AC safety ground are interconnected within both the sub and the amp.
And what would probably be a much worse possibility is that if you were to use just one sub, and if that sub provides inputs for two channels, if you were to connect the sub’s two negative input terminals to the two negative output terminals of the amp the result would most likely be a direct short between the amp’s two negative output terminals.
An approach that would probably work ok, which REL recommends for use in such cases, would be to connect the sub’s negative input terminal(s) to a chassis screw on the amp. Although it is possible that hum could result with that approach, depending on the specific designs that are involved. An even better approach, IMO, would be to solder the wire from the sub’s negative input terminal(s) to the ground shell of an RCA plug, leaving the center pin unconnected, and inserting that plug into an unused RCA connector on the amp.
Regards,
-- Al