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Two subwoofers for two channel music listening

Hi all , 
How do you hook up two active subwoofers? I have two SVS 1000 series subwoofers with both high level (speaker) and line level (RCA) ins.

Method one - Lets say the subs have high/speaker level inputs. So do you hook up the left sub from the left amplifier out and similarly right speaker out from the amp to right sub high level in? This set up is just like the stereo pair of speakers.

Method two - The alternate is from a preamp hook up the RCA line in of one subwoofer then daisy chain i.e. RCA out from the first sub to the RCA in of the second subwoofer. Not using a Y splitter from the preamp. Trying to use both red and white RCA from preamp to red and white RCA in of the first sub.

Which method do you prefer? Any benefit or disadvantage of one over the other? Thanks for your comments and inputs.
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audioman58's avatar
audioman58
4,200 posts
 
Not all subs have speaker hook ups , Svs has rca as well as other .
I use level level  with very good line out adapters from amplifier
 binding posts to line out adapters, that have rca  sub outs to subwoofer in, noticably more accurate then preamp out.
audioguy85's avatar
audioguy85
2,018 posts
 
Why? I'd sell the speakers and buy one that does bass. Why ruin a speaker by adding bloated bass from subs. They are relegated to the home theater in this castle!
dadork
633 posts
 
@millercarbon OP is unintentionally referring to being able to locate a sub by either having the xover set too high on the sub or having the volume/ gain set too high. Subs can do an excellent job @audioguy85 of augmenting speakers low end which when done correctly can take the pressure of your mains to produce those lows and free them up for mids and highs.
turnbowm
353 posts
 

audioguy85541 posts01-30-2021 7:43pm"Why? I'd sell the speakers and buy one that does bass. Why ruin a speaker by adding bloated bass from subs. They are relegated to the home theater in this castle!"

With small stand-mount speakers and sub(s), you can locate the stand-mounts for best imaging/soundstaging and locate the sub(s) for best bass. With large speakers w/o sub(s) you don't have that option.

"Bloated bass from subs" doesn't exist if they're set up properly. Test tones and SPL meter is the method I chose.
jimofmaine's avatar
jimofmaine
41 posts
 
Are you using bookshelf speakers that only reach to 200hz? Hooking up L R stereo subs may help the soundstage. Subs integrating at 20hz, probably not much, but I'm not convinced there's no difference with all recordings. Not everything is mixed to mono. 

No way full range speakers give you LF at proper DB. Also, placement of full range is not optimum for LF.  Bloated or thin LF is improper integration/placement/phase. At a minimum use a test tone sweep of low frequency. Hook up both ways and experiment w placement. 




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