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Soundcard --> active Subwoofer --> Passive speakers ... no sound ?

post #1 of 7
12/24/11 at 4:09am
Thread Starter 

Hi there,

 

I connected my active subwoofer to soundcard (RCA line in connection). On the subwoofer there is a powered output for (passive speakers). I made that connection with bare wire speakers. 

 

There is coming sound out of the subwoofer, but there is no sound coming out of the speakers :S.

 

Subwoofer: Monitor Supreme Sub 201A

Souncard: Xonar STX essence

speakers: Alesis monitor one Mk2 (passive).

 

 

What I've tried:

 

1. Different passive monitor

2. Different speaker wire cable (2.5mm and 1.5 mm)

 

What I think what might be the problem:

 

1. Bare wire connection speaker might be not good, I think of buying a banana plug but not sure if its gonna help/

2. Subwoofer output connection are not OK.

 

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post #2 of 7
12/24/11 at 5:49am
  • xandypx
  • - Sarcasm - Just One Of My Many Talents
Quote:
Originally Posted by Djankie View Post

Hi there,

I connected my active subwoofer to soundcard (RCA line in connection). On the subwoofer there is a powered output for (passive speakers). I made that connection with bare wire speakers. 

There is coming sound out of the subwoofer, but there is no sound coming out of the speakers :S.

Subwoofer: Monitor Supreme Sub 201A

Souncard: Xonar STX essence

speakers: Alesis monitor one Mk2 (passive).



What I've tried:

1. Different passive monitor
2. Different speaker wire cable (2.5mm and 1.5 mm)

What I think what might be the problem:

1. Bare wire connection speaker might be not good, I think of buying a banana plug but not sure if its gonna help/
2. Subwoofer output connection are not OK.

Looking at the manual for your sub, the Front/Rear left and right RCA output connections are not powered. If you look at the connection possibilities (Pages 26-29), of the owners manual... It shows that you need to feed the sub with a "speaker level" (amplified signal) input (to the connections marked "From receiver") in order to get output from the adjacent RCA's outs (marked "To speakers). Line level inputs will not produce sound out to passive speakers. The sub’s amplifier is only for the subwoofer driver (speaker).

This connection is typically used when you do not have an independent subwoofer channel from your source device. The subwoofer’s crossover will remove the lower frequencies (below the Xover set point), route them to the subwoofers amp, and then send the remaining high frequencies out to the front/rear speakers. Again, this is all done with a signal that has already been amplified (speaker level).

If you are connecting to a computer, unfortunately you do not have "speaker level" outputs for the front and rear speakers... only line level, which requires powered speakers (not passive). The only way to overcome this, to use your passive speakers, is to add an amplifier to the system as shown in the connection diagrams.
Edited by xandypx - 12/24/11 at 5:51am
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post #3 of 7
12/24/11 at 7:04am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by xandypx View Post
Looking at the manual for your sub, the Front/Rear left and right RCA output connections are not powered. If you look at the connection possibilities (Pages 26-29), of the owners manual... It shows that you need to feed the sub with a "speaker level" (amplified signal) input (to the connections marked "From receiver") in order to get output from the adjacent RCA's outs (marked "To speakers). Line level inputs will not produce sound out to passive speakers. The sub’s amplifier is only for the subwoofer driver (speaker).
 


 

Hmm... line level input is a "low-level" input, so they do no need to be amplified ?.  And "to speakers" is not a RCA. it is a speaker wire, which has a "High" level output, this means that the subwoofers amp will amplify the speakers isnt?

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post #4 of 7
12/24/11 at 7:09am
Thread Starter 

Hmm **** I get it now. So in order to get this thing to work is:

 

soundcard --> receiver --> subwoofer --> speakers 

 

The connection subwoofer --> speakers will only work if there is indeed a receiver/amp in the sub.  

 

Am I right ?

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post #5 of 7
12/24/11 at 7:18am
If you want something cheap that will solve your problems > http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=310-300

Soundcard>Miniamp>Sub>Speakers
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post #6 of 7
12/24/11 at 7:22am
Thread Starter 

Nice find! something similar in europe? :D

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post #7 of 7
12/25/11 at 10:24am
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Tripath+TA2020&x=0&y=0

Closest thing I can find. I don't know what sites people in Netherlands use to buy things so just do a search of Tripath TA2020 or simply search mini amp.
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