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Respectable Passive Subwoofer @ 100W rms

post #1 of 7
12/28/06 at 5:50pm
Thread Starter 
Recently my ~1975 Speakerlab S3s (1" dome/3" Midrange/12" bass) have been banned to 2nd floor storage. Great condition and sound quality, but 'the boss says they're too big and outdated. Replaced by Infinity 2-way (1"/3").

I do not have a line level output for a powered subwoofer. Assume I need a new Sub to be placed in-line with the Infinity (front speakers). I also have center and surround (rear) speakers.

Most sub literature does not mention passive capability.

Just looking for a quick recommendation to help me regain recently lost bass. Though perhaps there's little I can do to replace the thunder of my S3s within a passive setup. Hopefully the Sub will be capable of both powered & passive setup.

TIA
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post #2 of 7
12/28/06 at 7:44pm
Most active subs have speaker level in and out. You run the L/R main speaker wire to the in on the sub, then run speaker wire from the out to the L/R speakers. Now set the crossover on the sub to around 80 Hz. Below the Xover will go to the sub, and above the Xover will go to the mains. In the sub, the left and right will be summed so you get the bass from both channels.

If you use a passive sub, you will need an external Xover device and amp or combo.
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post #3 of 7
12/29/06 at 5:55am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by ransac View Post

If you use a passive sub, you will need an external Xover device and amp or combo.

A little confused by the above: shouldn't the Subwoofer contain a crossover? And, doesn't the receiver supply amplification to the sub?

Any specific recomendations for brand/model? Nothing elaborate: I see Daytons mentioned often as well as Infinity PS-8. I plan to visit Circuit City soon, BestBuy component subwoofers all exceed my budget of ~$100-200. Perhaps a kit with premade cabinet.
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post #4 of 7
12/29/06 at 10:07am
Passive subs just a speaker in a box. There aren't any electronics. They don't have crossovers or amps. Your receiver would not be able to drive the sub and the main with 100 watts and you could only use the left or right channel for the sub. Plus you would have to run this in parallel to a 4 ohm sub and an 8 ohm speaker. Not good. Basically, don't look for a passive sub.

With an active sub, also called a powered sub, the amp and crossover are built in. Look for something that has speaker level left and right, inputs and outputs and hook it up the way I described in my earlier post. The speaker level input/output on powered subs are put there for people, like you, with older two channel stereo receivers.

With a $200 limit, I would look at the x-sub from AV123.
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post #5 of 7
12/30/06 at 9:32am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the advice!

After searching more in this forum and speaking to PartsExpress tech, I ordered a Dayton SUB-80 Powered Sub along with (for wife's asthetic requirements) Dayton Satellite pr. -I know, barely a starter kit for most on this board.

Now am the proud owner of a few spare pairs of excellent quality, yet outdated design, bookshelf and floor speakers. Surely I could sell them but hard to break away from the floor set that I built (and rebuilt) 30 years ago. Too bad Speakerlab.com didn't retain/update their line of quality kits.
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post #6 of 7
1/1/07 at 5:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ransac View Post

Passive subs just a speaker in a box. There aren't any electronics. They don't have crossovers or amps. Your receiver would not be able to drive the sub and the main with 100 watts and you could only use the left or right channel for the sub. Plus you would have to run this in parallel to a 4 ohm sub and an 8 ohm speaker. Not good. Basically, don't look for a passive sub.

With an active sub, also called a powered sub, the amp and crossover are built in. Look for something that has speaker level left and right, inputs and outputs and hook it up the way I described in my earlier post. The speaker level input/output on powered subs are put there for people, like you, with older two channel stereo receivers.

Umm I Have A Pioneer HTP200-SW Passive Sub & IT DOES HAVE A CROSSOVER BUILT IN SIDE AS TO SENT THE RIGHT FREQUINSES TO THE LEFT & RIGHT CHANNEL & LOWS TO THE SUB ONLY
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post #7 of 7
1/8/07 at 7:29am
Thread Starter 
Thanks again for the assist:
I setup the Dayton 80 active Sub in-line with the Dayton Satellites as the front/mains. As a 1st time Sub owner, I'm impressed with this setup. The bass is comparable to the 12" woofers in the old floor speakers, yet the satellites sound better for the higher ranges.

Those old speakers are better suited to high volume I used to enjoy -the 5lb 1" dome tweeters don't really kick-in until after the wife starts complaining.

The only 'gottcha' was connecting 12ga speaker wire into each component - it doesn't fit into the Sub or the receiver. 25ft run from receiver to Sub and 25ft back to the fronts. I had to splice/solder 16ga to the ends of that wire -PITA! 14ga may have fit, but 16ga is what I had.
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