Passive subwoofer hook up?

Question

Ok heres the deal,I own a 12inch passive {non powered} subwoofer and some vintage DBX soundstage satelites.powering these will be a Very nice sounding MARANTZ SR7300ose receiver/amp.110 a channel.Using these speakers as {large in the speaker setup mode with none chosen for subwoofer} at what should I choose the cutoff freq?I have the option in the setup speaker mode to choose 80hz/100/hz or 120hz?Also could I set up a small powered subwoofer for speaker "B" with another set of the same DBX satelites?So I would have speaker A with passive + sats and speaker B with powered sub + sats? I own 4 of those DBX soundstage sats and they sound so good I would like take advantage of using al 4 of them.Can this be done "safely"?If not ....how bout a pair of POLK monitor 50 floor model for speaker B?Hope that wasen't to confusing?Thank you for your help!!!!

Answer 1

Ok, I see some potential problems:

1. Does the passive sub also have a built in passive crossover?

2. Does it have outputs for the satellite speakers?

If yes to both you will set the Marantz to Large speakers, no subwoofer and you won't have to bother with a crossover (cutoff) frequency.

If no to either you will have no choice but to run it as is or purchase passive crossover parts.

If yes to 1 you have to determine what that crossover frequency is and either run it as is which will double up on the frequencies that over lap between the satellites and the sub. This may not be noticeable. Listen to it and make a decision. If you find that the overlap creates problems you will need a "bass blocker" or high pass filter. Partsexpress.com sells these. You will also have to worry about the combined impedance. Check your Marantz owner's manual and find out if it is lower than the tolerable limit. You might want to look at this to better understand speaker impedance:

http://www.prestonelectronics.com/audio/Impedance.htm

You also may want to consider getting a cheap multimeter and checking that way. It's really the only reliable way to check the DC impedance of a combined speaker system. They are also a good thing to have around the house to check batteries, electrical outlets etc,.

As for the B system, I doubt that you can set up an active subwoofer with it. I have a similar Marantz receiver and I can't. However, specifications change from model to model. If you can you will have an output labeled "sub-out B" and will have options for the B system in the menu. If so it won't be problem as long as you can find a shielded RCA cable long enough to reach. Radio Shack should be able to help you out there or you can order one from Parts Express. As far as the crossover frequency, I don't know the lower limit of the DBX Soundfield speakers but I know that they were fairly well rated at the time. I remember reading Julian Hirsch's review in Stereo Review. I think they must have decent bass response and given that I'd go with 80 Hz. but it's easy enough to experiment so let your ears be the judge.

Answer 2

You cutoff frequency is the same as a crossover frequency. To determine when you should set that frequency as, you need to look at the specs on your other speakers. If they are small speakers that lack bass and lower end mid-range, you will want to use a higher crossover frequency (120Hz). But if they are larger speakers, you might be able to use the lower frequencies.



Trying to connect a passive subwoofer and a powered subwoofer to the same sound system isn't a very good idea. Not only will it be hard to connect (if it is at all possible), but the performance of each subwoofer would be so different that you would have dirty bass.

Answer 3

Marantz Sr7300ose

Answer 4

how do I hook amp to sub