Amp needed for subwoofer? (1 Viewer)

[Aaron_M]

I am currently looking at buying either the SVS 20-39CS, 16-39CS, or a Velodyne CHT-12. I have a Pioneer VSX-D810S receiver (http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/Pi...2,2078,00.html).
Will this receiver do a decent job of providing the power to one of these non-amplified subs??
Thanks for your help!

 

[BryanZ]

Assuming that is only used to power the sub, it should be fine. Is this the extra amp or receiver you have on hand?

 

[Aaron_M]

It's not my 'extra' amp or receiver... it's my main receiver. It powers all the speakers in the 5.1 setup I have. The sub is going to be an upgrade from the POS I have now. Will the receiver be able to power the sub as well as the other speakers?
I'm unsure about this, but I don't see how whether it powers the other speakers or not will affect the subwoofer performance because it's on a 6X100W setup, which would mean it puts out 100W to each channel regardless of whether 1 speaker or 6 speakers are connected. Please correct me if I am wrong. You all know much more than I.
[Edited last by Aaron_M on November 09, 2001 at 02:15 PM]

 

[John Kotches]

My concern is that the receiver might not come close to the quoted specifications when all 6 channels are being driven simultaneously.
This is becoming more evident as lab tests of receivers reveals some "wishful thinking" on specs for power output with all channels driven.
Another thing to ask is is the receiver rated to drive a 4 ohm load?
And now that I think about it some more, I'm not sure this is doable since the amplifier channel is probably coupled to the 6th main speaker output, meaning there's no way to get it to power the subwoofer properly.
Consider options in the used market, like maybe a Marantz MA-700 or something else.
Just my opinion.
Regards,
------------------
John Kotches
Contributing Writer
Link Removed

 

[BryanZ]

In that case, the operative answer is no. You need either an extra amp or receiver to power the sub. Almost anything will work. A KLH stereo receiver or Samson amp, a cheap amp off of ebay or receiver from Ubid. Check around at pawn shops, thrift stores, or garage sales. An $85 plate amp from www.PartsExpress.com will work. You are taking a preamp source and need to run it to something that has power in order to power the sub. If that is not feesible, look at the Adire Audio Rava as it should work wondefully for you.

 

[Aaron_M]

Will almost any amp/receiver work? Does brand name matter all that much and is there a big difference in quality between the different brands/models? This amp would solely be used to power this ONE subwoofer. Also, wouldn't an amp work better than a receiver being that it's made (or at least some are) to power one item?
Sorry for all the questions, but I like knowing what I'm buying / getting into before I spend this much money.
I will keep the Rava in mind, but I really have my heart set on these other options. Is the Rava equivalent in your guys' opinions? I've seen it mentioned when I did a search on the models I'm looking at, but no one really went in-depth on it.
Thanks again for all your help!