Got it installed, now wiring!

Hello everyone,

Here is my set up- Pioneer 6070 plasma, Pioneer VSX80TXV receiver, JBL 8" 3 ways for surround system, JBL Control 19 Subwoofer.

I also installed four JBL Control 24c in my house for second zone listening, along with another JBL Control 19 Subwoofer.

I have a SIMA 6 Channel splitter w/volume control.

My questions are:

How do I wire the JBL subwoofer?  It has a transformer in it, which I know nothing about.  I think if I run just positive and negative to it it will be fine if I dont use the other connections on the sub.  Problem though is my receiver doesnt have a speaker level output for the sub....it is line level output (think I have the correct terminalogy). 
Do I need a separate amp for the sub? (hook it up to my subwoofer out rca on my receiver?)
Do I need another amp for the house audio?  I dont have and speaker level outputs to plug into the SIMA Channel selector...
Finally, if I need additional amps, can you please suggest affordable options? 

Thank you all so much!

aaron

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, Aaron, but the JBL Control 24c and Control 19 sub are commercial audio products designed to work with 70-volt amplifiers (hence the transformers).  Not that they would be unusable in a residential application, but 70-volt amps are not going to be cheap. You’re probably looking at no less than $800 for enough amplifiers / wattage to power all five speakers.

 

Another option would be to bypass the transformers and wire directly to the speakers, if you aren’t concerned that the cost of the transformers built into the speaker’s purchase price is wasted.  That way you could use conventional home amplifiers.  You will need one amplifier channel for each of the 24c’s, and another for the 19 sub.

 

Regards,

Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Thanks for the reply Wayne, I got such a great deal on the speakers I couldnt pass them up, and I like JBL for my needs.  So how do I bypass the tranformer?  Have you done this before?  Thanks!  I really really apreciate this!

Sorry to leave you hanging, Aaron -  for some reason I didn’t get e-mail notification that you had replied.

 

To answer your question, the transformer should have wires coming off it that attach to two terminals that are secured to the speaker’s frame.  Just disconnect those wires, and attach your wiring in the same place.  Be sure and find away to secure the transformer wires so that they don’t end up touching anything.

 

Regards,

Wayne A. Pflughaupt