Sub Options with Mains for Music with Pre/Pros (1 Viewer)

[Doug_B]

I will be purchasing a new HT audio system within a couple of months, including speakers and sub, a multichannel amp, and a pre/pro. I will likely be going with the Outlaw 950 if it's released in a timely fashion and receives good early reviews. Music will be important to me in this system.
Since I have yet to own a Home Theater controller or sub, I am not familiar with the options that controllers typically support for setting up a sub to play with the mains for 2 channel music. From the auditions I have done, when I have played 2 channel music with the sub, the mains were still fed a full range signal. Is this the norm? Do controllers typically support bass management only for the multichannel home theater modes (DD/DTS 5.1, 6.1, etc), or is it based on whether the source signal is arriving via the digital inputs versus the analog inputs? From what I've gathered, analog inputs typically bypass bass management, but it's unclear to me if digital inputs always support bass management for all modes.
This info may have a bearing on the speakers I select, in terms of their extension down low.
Thanks.
Doug
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"Today is a good day to die." ...Old Lodge Skins
[Edited last by Doug_B on August 21, 2001 at 12:26 AM]

 

[Doug_B]

Anthony,
I generally understand what you did with respect to the powered sub taking high level inputs so you can segregate the signal. Not sure I understand why you needed a separate 2ch preamp to accomplish this, unless the music actually sounds better with the preamp added to the connection versus the analog inputs from the source going directly into the multichannel pre/pro.
I guess my questions still stand. Let's assume a setup where my 2ch music will arrive at a multichannel pre/pro using the same digital input as my DD/DTS 5.1 audio. Will such 2ch music be subject to the pre/pro's bass management? If so, do most pre/pros allow a mains setting of large while at the same time sending the mains' bass to the sub output (I think I remember seeing a Denon receiver support a large mains + sub setting)?
I think if i got the Outlaw 950 with its adjustable crossover freq, I actually would experiment with a small setting for the mains but at a freq less than 80Hz, say 60Hz. This assumes floorstanding mains that have at least decent extension down low, maybe at worst into the high 30's.
Doug
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"Today is a good day to die." ...Old Lodge Skins
[Edited last by Doug_B on August 21, 2001 at 12:31 PM]

 

[Bill Catherall]

Nevermind...just ignore me.
[Edited last by Bill Catherall on August 21, 2001 at 04:51 PM]

 

[Doug_B]

Anthony,
I think I follow you, but one thing puzzles me. If your multichannel pre/pro doesn't have analog bypass, how are you connecting the 2ch preamp to the pre/pro, which you mentioned you have done in your first post?
Doug
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"Today is a good day to die." ...Old Lodge Skins

 

[Doug_B]

Anthony,
OK, now I see. I was going in the wrong direction. I can see how the levels are screwy for the digital sources.
Thanks for all the input.
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"Today is a good day to die." ...Old Lodge Skins

 

[Tony Cicirello]

Anthony,
Any chance you could diagram all these connections for us newbies?
I'm using my DA50ES as a pre/pro with a 9B-ST THX and would like to experiment with a 2 channel pre-amp.
Thanks,
Tony

 

[BruceD]

I've been using a sub in 2-channel stereo for the last two years, and I am very happy with the results. Here is my setup:
webite equip list---> http://cgi.audioasylum.com/systems/1301.html
Stereo preamp:
Stereo preamp AUX input 5-channel amp
DD/DTS Pre-pro sub analog-out --> empty (or second sub)
Electronic xover:
xover analog input L&R analog-in 5-channel amp
xover low pass analog out -->powered sub (sub's passive xover off)
36" Direct View TV
input#1