Subwoofer connectivity question

Al,
Thanks for chiming in here. I was concerned about the same thing you spoke about in your reply.

Sooooo, speaker level inputs is the way to go in my particular case, which way should I hook them up? Should I run leads from my amp to the sub, at the same time as running speaker cables from my amp to my speakers, OR should I just use the speaker level outputs on the sub and hook my speakers up that way?

If I do use speaker level outputs on the sub, is the sub degrading the signal my speakers see, since it will be in line of the signal between my amp and speakers?

Should I run leads from my amp to the sub, at the same time as running speaker cables from my amp to my speakers?

Yes. The input impedance of the speaker-level inputs of the sub will be very high. Therefore it will present a negligible load to the amp, and the wiring between the amp's output terminals and the sub doesn't have to be heavy gauge speaker wire; much narrower gauges will work fine for the sub connection too, as long as the main speakers are connected directly to the amp with heavy gauge cable.

REL subs, for example, come with a narrow gauge 3-wire cable which can be used for that purpose, one wire going to the left channel + output of the amp, one wire going to the right channel + output of the amp, and one wire going to the - output of either channel. (Connecting to the - output of the other channel isn't necessary, as the two - outputs of an amp that does not have balanced outputs are presumably connected together within the amp).

Regards,
-- Al

If you are going to run your speakers full range why bother with a sub?

I use a pair of Gallo TR1D subs, and run my bi-wired main speakers full range. The subs are connected speaker level with a short piece of speaker cable from the low frequency terminals of the speakers to the subwoofer inputs.

The subs are positioned next to the main speakers so this arrangement is tidy. The crossover and level controls are utilized on the subwoofer for a perfect blend.

The REL "high level" input system is brilliant as it stays out of the way of existing hookups, the amp likely doesn't know it's there (puts a very high impedance load on the amp) and lets your mains remain unmolested...I spade my REL at the amp and banana the main speakers so everything fits neatly, and the REL blends beautifully and sounds great.