Sub/Powered tower setup

[swgiust]

I am adding a subwoofer to my current set up of powered towers. I have a few questions on the best way to set the whole thing up. I'll try to explain the options that I have:

#1: Use the LFE out to my powered towers and the Sub. This would mean that the Sub and the subs in my towers would all recieve the same information. I would set my mains
to small and my cross over to 80hz.

#2: Use the speaker level input to my powered towers, set the towers high pass filter to
on, and set the speakers to large. Then use the LFE just to the sub. In effect, this turns my mains into Large speakers with no LFE input.

#3: Split the line going from my pre to my amp, one side going to the amp, one side going
to my powered towers, setting the speaker to large and turning on the high pass filter on
the speaker. Then hooking the Sub to the LFE output.

What I am trying to gain is more low bass. My current speakers do a good job into
the low 30's, maybe even into the high 20's but will not do that crushing bass that
you hear from a good sub. I would set the cross over on the sub to the 40-60hz range
so it would be doing the low bass only.

Let me know what you all think!

[Geoffcin]

I am adding a subwoofer to my current set up of powered towers. I have a few questions on the best way to set the whole thing up. I'll try to explain the options that I have:

#1: Use the LFE out to my powered towers and the Sub. This would mean that the Sub and the subs in my towers would all recieve the same information. I would set my mains
to small and my cross over to 80hz.

#2: Use the speaker level input to my powered towers, set the towers high pass filter to
on, and set the speakers to large. Then use the LFE just to the sub. In effect, this turns my mains into Large speakers with no LFE input.

#3: Split the line going from my pre to my amp, one side going to the amp, one side going
to my powered towers, setting the speaker to large and turning on the high pass filter on
the speaker. Then hooking the Sub to the LFE output.

What I am trying to gain is more low bass. My current speakers do a good job into
the low 30's, maybe even into the high 20's but will not do that crushing bass that
you hear from a good sub. I would set the cross over on the sub to the 40-60hz range
so it would be doing the low bass only.

Let me know what you all think!

I run the same type of setup with my HT. My powered towers, the Cambridge Soundworks T500 have a thunderous bass responce to the mid 20's but for me, on SOME material I like more.

I've found the best way to do this is to remove the LFE line signal from the mains, run the mains LARGE, and let the sub(s) take care of the LFE. My receiver also has a setting called subwoofer Plus, that allows the LFE signal to go to the mains in addition to the LFE line level. This setting can be a bit much for everyday use, but if I'm doing movies with powerful effects I've found that's the best setting.

[swgiust]

Thanks, now just to clarify,

You have you mains (left&right fronts) set to large, they are hooked to your reciever using
only speaker wire. (no rca type cable for lfe), you have your sub set to on.

Do your speakers have anysort of cross over setting? or do they automatically handle
the bass?

thanks again

[Geoffcin]

Thanks, now just to clarify,

You have you mains (left&right fronts) set to large, they are hooked to your reciever using
only speaker wire. (no rca type cable for lfe), you have your sub set to on.

Do your speakers have anysort of cross over setting? or do they automatically handle
the bass?

thanks again

Mains are set to large, with no line level input going to the internal amp. I remove the line level from the powered mains and split it into my subs.

The mains have adjustment for both gain and crossover settings but this is only for the line level input. Any adjustments do not affect the sound if the amp is not driven with the line level. The internal amp STILL powers the woofers when driven by the speaker cable.

I set the receiver to Subwoofer-plus setting. This adds the LFE track into the mains IN ADDITION to sending the LFE signal out the subwoofer line level output. I do a few more minor settings, like backing off the subwoofer gain 3db in the receivers settings, and setting my subs to the full 120hz crossover setting.

This is something that I only do only on a few movies like Saving Private Ryan, LOTR, Star Wars and others. I usually have the subwoofers in my audio setup.