[slshearer]

I have a NAD T778 AVR, which has two subwoofer outputs, but they are (mono) and split between 1 channel, so I was thinking of hooking up my 2 DT SuperCube II subs to my 2 DT 9800X towers using the high outputs from the left and right channels of the NAD.

I was going to use the front left and right output channels and hookup using the high-level inputs to the Supercubes, then connecting to inputs on the crossover of the DT 9800X Towers. The DT 9800X has a built-in powered sub as well. Does anyone know the best way to hook up the speakers,
so they work as designed?

Thank you!
Stewart

Pictures of speakers are below.

so they work as designed?

Thank you!
Stewart

Pictures of speakers are below.

 

[Omniman]

RCA to the super cubes, speaker wire to the speakers, let the bass management in the avr set the rest.

 

[MrBobb]

I think the cube's manual want you to hook up through the LR, but I have a feeling this is for stereo, not surround. Email def-tech.

 

[slshearer]

RCA to the super cubes, speaker wire to the speakers, let the bass management in the avr set the rest.

Hi are you saying rca out from left and right channel rca output on the AVR then use High level out from Sub to Speakers, Thanks

 

[slshearer]

I think the cube's manual want you to hook up through the LR, but I have a feeling this is for stereo, not surround. Email def-tech.

LR do you mean Left and Right? I was assuming that the subwoofer out put on my AVR was strapped to a channel
.

 

[swgiust]

Speaker wires to the speakers. Rca cables to the subs.

 

[RayGuy]

Speaker wire to mains, RCA sub out to subs (just the actual subs, not the base modules in the mains), cross over at 80 or 60Hz, whichever sounds best to you.

 

[slshearer]

Speaker wires to the speakers. Rca cables to the subs.

HI
I assume what you are referring to is the 2 subwoofer outputs on my NAD to the RCA low level inputs on the DT sub from the DTsub

I think the cube's manual want you to hook up through the LR, but I have a feeling this is for stereo, not surround. Email def-tech.

Good idea, I am a little confused; it's my old speaker mains BP2000 hooked up, and my Subs sounded a lot better on the low end than my new BP9800X !!! I have even Dirac the room a few times but seems like I lost some bottom end!!!

 

[slshearer]

Speaker wire to mains, RCA sub out to subs (just the actual subs, not the base modules in the mains), cross over at 80 or 60Hz, whichever sounds best to you.

Hi Sorry I am a little challenged!!! I thought I would be able to hook up my NAD L and R Front Channels using the amplifier wired outputs to each subs High-Level Input then going from the subs high-level output to my DT Towers Main Input. Currently, I am connected from the AVR 2 SUB RCA Outputs to the Sub RCA LFE Inputs. My Towers are hooked up directly through the NAD Left and Right Channels. Are you suggesting I can hook up the Towers from the Subs by connecting the High-Level Output of the sun which would be connected to the RAC low-level connection?

 

[RayGuy]

Speaker wire from the NAD to the mains, RCA sub cable (low level) from the NAD sub out to the subwoofers. Do not use the high level (speaker wire) inputs or outputs on the subs, as then you would lose the ability to employ a crossover. From your description, sounds like you already have it correctly connected.

 

[John (David)]

I agree with the wiring, but ....
Wouldn't you want to use all 4 subwoofers? That would mean to run mains at full range plus subwoofer outs. Right? I am not familiar with NAD bass management.

 

[slshearer]

I agree with the wiring, but ....
Wouldn't you want to use all 4 subwoofers? That would mean to run mains at full range plus subwoofer outs. Right? I am not familiar with NAD bass management.

That makes 2 of us! I appreciate your message and will update everyone on what I do. My confusion comes from a lack of brain power based on so much technology. My understanding is some other AVRs have 2 independent Sub outs, but unlike my NAD, which straps the 2 outputs, the competition is not strapped to each other, making me think the subs are reproducing the sound as different sounds to each sub. Do these other AVRs with independent subs outputs send the same music to each sub, or is it a different sound coming from each sub? 🤔

Thank you

 

[John (David)]

That makes 2 of us! I appreciate your message and will update everyone on what I do. My confusion comes from a lack of brain power based on so much technology. My understanding is some AVRs have 2 Sub outs, but they are not strapped to each other, making me think the subs are mono in reproducing the sound. Do these other AVRs with independent subs outputs send the same music to each sub, or is it a different sound coming from each sub?

Thank you

Your subs won't play music, but only the the sub level low frequencies of your music. You have the good fortune to have stereo subs in your mains, and 2 mono subs, which have greater depth than your mains do. This will reinforce and help remove the bass nulls in your room, depending on placement, which equals a more even bass response for everyone. Best of both worlds.

 

[RayGuy]

I agree with the wiring, but ....
Wouldn't you want to use all 4 subwoofers? That would mean to run mains at full range plus subwoofer outs. Right? I am not familiar with NAD bass management.

No, you wouldn't. It's difficult enough to get two subs to play together well, let alone 4, with different characteristics.

Don't fall for the marketing hype for the speakers with powered bass modules, they are not "subwoofers".

Lastly, the engineers have taken very great pains in integrating the bass units into the speakers. Is your receiver, with some 80Hz crossover point between the bass modules and the passive portion of the speakers going to do a better job? Nope.

This has been discussed ad neaueum on this site with the bottom line being what has been stated over and over by multiple responders, do not treat the bass modules in the DT speakers as subwoofers. You'll only end up disappointed in the outcome. Running "Double Bass" will also end in tragedy ... don't do it!

More is always better ... wrong.

 

[BillsFan4]

That makes 2 of us! I appreciate your message and will update everyone on what I do. My confusion comes from a lack of brain power based on so much technology. My understanding is some other AVRs have 2 independent Sub outs, but unlike my NAD, which straps the 2 outputs, the competition is not strapped to each other, making me think the subs are reproducing the sound as different sounds to each sub. Do these other AVRs with independent subs outputs send the same music to each sub, or is it a different sound coming from each sub? 🤔

Thank you

I am not 100% sure but I believe the difference with the independent subwoofers outputs you are talking about is just referring to how the room correction software in the receiver applies EQ to them. Like some receivers EQ both subwoofers independently and others EQ them as one. It sounds like your receiver will EQ both together as one. They are both still going to get the same sound sent to them though.

You still want to use the subwoofer pre-outs on your receiver to connect the subwoofers.
Then the receiver will send them the LFE (low frequency effects) channel. Basically any frequency below where you have the crossover set. So if you have your crossover set to 80hz it will send all the bass roughly 80hz and below to the subwoofers.

In your receiver you can also set your speaker size. This also effects the LFE channel. If you have your speakers set to “small” it will send all the bass (below the crossover point you set) to the subwoofers. If you set your speakers to “large”, then the receiver will also send them the bass/LFE too. If you have normal speakers, even if they are big towers, normally you want to set the speakers to small. But since yours have built in subwoofers you may want to experiment with setting them to “large” so they get the bass too. And there should be another setting where you pick “LFE” or “LFE+mains”. LFE sends everything to the subwoofers. LFE+mains sends the LFE to both subs and mains.

Or you can also keep your speakers set to small and set at LFE (and not LFE+mains) but set the crossover much lower. Say 20hz or 30hz (whatever your speakers specs dictate. If they are rated +/- 3db down to 20hz then set it for 20 or 30. If they are rated down to 40hz then set it for 40 or 50). That way your subwoofers still handle the lowest bass frequencies but your speakers will also produce/contribute bass, but not below the frequencies they are not capable of playing.

hopefully I explained all that correctly… lol

 

[slshearer]

I agree with the wiring, but ....
Wouldn't you want to use all 4 subwoofers? That would mean to run mains at full range plus subwoofer outs. Right? I am not familiar with NAD bass management.

No, you wouldn't. It's difficult enough to get two subs to play together well, let alone 4, with different characteristics.

Don't fall for the marketing hype for the speakers with powered bass modules, they are not "subwoofers".

Lastly, the engineers have taken very great pains in integrating the bass units into the speakers. Is your receiver, with some 80Hz crossover point between the bass modules and the passive portion of the speakers going to do a better job? Nope.

This has been discussed ad neaueum on this site with the bottom line being what has been stated over and over by multiple responders, do not treat the bass modules in the DT speakers as subwoofers. You'll only end up disappointed in the outcome. Running "Double Bass" will also end in tragedy ... don't do it!

More is always better ... wrong.

I just want to express that I appreciate your time to write your conclusion but I don't agree with your suggestion that the DT subs are not subs. so if they are not subs what are they and is DT the only powered sub that you think are marketing hype or is this with all powered subs?

 

[RayGuy]

I just want to express that I appreciate your time to write your conclusion but I don't agree with your suggestion that the DT subs are not subs. so if they are not subs what are they and is DT the only powered sub that you think are marketing hype or is this with all powered subs?

Well, it does not do the last octave, despite the marketing dept written specs. Does that qualify as a sub? YMMV.

No, the approach also applies to Golden Ear and any other powered bass, passive mid/tweet, speaker.

That said, many folks just do what they want and are happy with the outcome.

 

[slshearer]

I am not 100% sure but I believe the difference with the independent subwoofers outputs you are talking about is just referring to how the room correction software in the receiver applies EQ to them. Like some receivers EQ both subwoofers independently and others EQ them as one. It sounds like your receiver will EQ both together as one. They are both still going to get the same sound sent to them though.

You still want to use the subwoofer pre-outs on your receiver to connect the subwoofers.
Then the receiver will send them the LFE (low frequency effects) channel. Basically any frequency below where you have the crossover set. So if you have your crossover set to 80hz it will send all the bass roughly 80hz and below to the subwoofers.

In your receiver you can also set your speaker size. This also effects the LFE channel. If you have your speakers set to “small” it will send all the bass (below the crossover point you set) to the subwoofers. If you set your speakers to “large”, then the receiver will also send them the bass/LFE too. If you have normal speakers, even if they are big towers, normally you want to set the speakers to small. But since yours have built in subwoofers you may want to experiment with setting them to “large” so they get the bass too. And there should be another setting where you pick “LFE” or “LFE+mains”. LFE sends everything to the subwoofers. LFE+mains sends the LFE to both subs and mains.

Or you can also keep your speakers set to small and set at LFE (and not LFE+mains) but set the crossover much lower. Say 20hz or 30hz (whatever your speakers specs dictate. If they are rated +/- 3db down to 20hz then set it for 20 or 30. If they are rated down to 40hz then set it for 40 or 50). That way your subwoofers still handle the lowest bass frequencies but your speakers will also produce/contribute bass, but not below the frequencies they are not capable of playing.

hopefully I explained all that correctly… lol

Hi so currently I have the 2 subs hooked up to LFE from AVR to Sub, The DT Towers also have LFE inputs can I split the LFE signal from each Sub to the Towers and then set the them to 80hz ?
Thanks!
Stewart

 

[BillsFan4]

Hi so currently I have the 2 subs hooked up to LFE from AVR to Sub, The DT Towers also have LFE inputs can I split the LFE signal from each Sub to the Towers and then set the them to 80hz ?
Thanks!
Stewart

I am not familiar with those speakers or their inputs. However, normally if you are looking to hook up more than 2 subwoofers to a receiver that only has 2 subwoofer outputs, you would want to use a RCA splitter (like I linked below). Plug the male end into your receivers subwoofer pre out then hook the 2 subs up to the female ends of the splitter and do the same for the other input, allowing you to connect up to 4 subwoofers that way.

https://www.amazon.com/Speaker-Splitter-Conductor-Shielding-Flexible/dp/B0916WWN9Z/ref=sr_1_8

But the process might be different for those DT speakers if they require you to connect them in line with the subwoofers. Hopefully someone else can answer. If not you can try asking over in the definitive technology speaker thread. Someone there should helpfully be able to answer.

Definitive Owners Thread

Honestly that’s exactly the only reason I am hesitant to try something new as exciting as that seams to me. I know I like the sound of my current speakers and they work well in my room so I figure The towers and center would be a safe upgrade. I totally get it. I’m the same way…..i hate...

www.avsforum.com

 

[Omniman]

Hi so currently I have the 2 subs hooked up to LFE from AVR to Sub, The DT Towers also have LFE inputs can I split the LFE signal from each Sub to the Towers and then set the them to 80hz ?
Thanks!
Stewart

You can but it would just FTU. You’ve already been given the correct advice. Up to you if you want to follow it.