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DAC + Active Speakers and Subwoofer Setup

V

viets7ylez

Gawd
Joined
Jun 8, 2004
Messages
591
Hey guys,

I am currently using a pair of Swans D1080MKII active speakers with a BIC H100 subwoofer.

Currently I have it connected following this diagram on here from my onboard sound card:

subwiring.png


I am using the bottom setup.

However I am thinking about buying a NuForce uDAC to use instead of my onboard sound.

The uDAC has RCA outputs:

images


So my question is how should I hook this up to my setup?

I'm thinking I can use the same diagram as above but use the top setup with RCA splitters from the uDAC.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance.
 
I use the udac to connect to my swans speakers. Just connect it the same way you would, but with rca instead of 3.5mm since the udac uses rca's. Should be the same.
 
The problem is connecting in the subwoofer. Thats what I'm having trouble figure out.

BTW, how does the uDAC sound with your speakers?
 
Ahh i see. Don't really know how that goes.

The udac sounds much better than onboard sound imo. Sounds better than my xfi xtremegamer too. I like it :).
 
You are supposed to run the sound through the subwoofer. RCA from your sound card to the subwoofer input, then RCA from subwoofer output to your speakers, and tweak the crossover point to your preference.

Otherwise...you are running the Swans full range. Your subwoofer has the excursion capability to push out the low frequencies with low distortion. For a 5 inch driver like Swans, below 100hz the THD is extremely high...below is the THD distortion profile of a small speaker (about 45-50% more mass than the Swans, but still very small for monitors).

thd_90db.gif


Distortion is very audible with small woofers playing full range...you should probably be running a ~100hz crossover with output to the speakers through the subwoofer.

Below is the THD profile of a larger bookshelf speaker with a 7" midbass driver (56lbs/pair):

thd_90db.gif
 
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the BIC H100 doesn't have RCA out, only RCA in so theres no way to run it from the subwoofer to the speakers.
 
Hmm, well in that case his only option is if somehow his onboard has the ability to set a crossover and send outputs through the center/sub out and the front L/R out.
 
viets7ylez said:
bump for advice...
Click to expand...

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b152/tpc3416/AcoustechH100d.jpg <--- Thats what the back of your sub looks like correct?

http://img3.pconline.com.cn/pconline/0708/28/1091132_070828_HIVI_D1080MKII_2_thumb.JPG <-- And that's the back of the D1080MkII?

I'll first disclaimer this post by stating that I have no idea whether this'll work or not, but the solution that comes to mind at first glance is this:

The Swans use a master/slave config, the master is powered and the slave is passive. The sub looks like it can take a line-level OR a passive input, and it has a passive output.

Run an RCA cable between the L/R outputs of the uDAC and the L/R inputs of the master speaker. Use speaker wire and connect the passive output of the master speaker to the passive input of the sub. Then use more speaker wire and connect the passive output of the sub to the passive input of the slave speaker.

This SHOULD work I think. The major problem I see is volume balance between the master and slave speakers.
 
I guess that's a passable solution. What you are really doing is having one channel that's full range (monitor+sub) and the other that's limited by the extension of the monitor. The bass will be timed with the output of just one channel.

The BIC H100 doesn't exactly have the dynamics, speed, and hit as clean as a high end servo sub, so the limitations of its group delay + distortion will overshadow this minor technicality.

The volume imbalance can be solved with a mic and some free sound editing software. You would have to do the SPL sweep at a higher frequency because the passive channel has decreased output in the lower frequencies due to the crossover filter of the sub.
 
viets7ylez said:
Hey guys,

I am currently using a pair of Swans D1080MKII active speakers with a BIC H100 subwoofer.

Currently I have it connected following this diagram on here from my onboard sound card:
Click to expand...

I just noticed something else. Looking at your past posts, you're using a Gigabyte EX58-UD5 motherboard right? That uses the Realtek 889A onboard audio chipset.

http://www.gigabyte.us/FileList/Image/motherboard_productimageback_ga-ex58-ud5_big.jpg

Looking at the back panel of your motherboard, as well as the specification list, shows that there's a dedicated subwoofer output, along with the standard L/R output. You never needed to use a bunch of splitters to begin with (well, the 3.5mm to RCA splitter would still be needed actually).
 
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Honestly, for most people who ask for advice, I always suggest just getting a receiver for bang-for-the-buck DAC and connection options. Also, it allows for passive speakers which are usually better than active speakers.

Your situation is why I just buy a sound processor like my Outlaw Audio 990 and an amplifier or two with my passive speakers. Sounds great and has lots of connections options including subwoofer outputs. Big and heavy, but amazing. :D

Now to upgrade to the version with HDMI.
 
King of Heroes said:
I just noticed something else. Looking at your past posts, you're using a Gigabyte EX58-UD5 motherboard right? That uses the Realtek 889A onboard audio chipset.

http://www.gigabyte.us/FileList/Image/motherboard_productimageback_ga-ex58-ud5_big.jpg

Looking at the back panel of your motherboard, as well as the specification list, shows that there's a dedicated subwoofer output, along with the standard L/R output. You never needed to use a bunch of splitters to begin with (well, the 3.5mm to RCA splitter would still be needed actually).
Click to expand...

That's only possible if his sound card drivers have the option of setting a crossover where the output is split between the fronts and the subwoofer. Otherwise the subwoofer out has no output. The only thing the subwoofer out does by itself is send out an LFE signal, which is only present in movies, not music.
 
The new version of the d1080 uses a 3 prong type connector to connect to the slave speaker not speaker wires so that plan wont work =\.

Also, I did try using just the dedicated out from the motherboard to the sub, but there is no crossover built in and it did not work well at all.

And yes I know passive speakers with a receiver would have been a better option for my case I'm happy with my setup. I'm thinking splitting it the same way I did before from the motherboard will work just fine from the uDAC so I'll probably try that.

Thanks for all your inputs though.
 
No RCA outs on the H100...that's pretty surprising considering it's not much cheaper than say a Hsu STF-1.
 
To get RCA out from your subwoofer: Sell your subwoofer amp, buy 60-80 watt amp from parts express that has RCA outs and put it in your sub. Your speakers are 30 watt anyway so you don't need 500 watt from subwoofer. I had similar situation and did just that and at the end pocketed $100 from the price difference and got great sound. I had to make a bracket to fit the new amp since it was smaller though.
 
Honestly you could use #2 in your original illustration and you would probably bevery happy with it. Plus it would cost all of $6 if you didn't have the 2 1/8" stereo to RCA wires.

This is is just a generalization, but the sound quality of that DAC is probably the same of a descent DAC used on a motherboard. Its USB powered so your even using the same power source that the onboard DAC would be using.

Your speakers are only rated to 59Hz, and it has a Bass knob. You could adjust the Bass knob down a little and that will create something like a active crossover in that it will keep most of the excursion inducing frequencies out of the Swan woofers. Then adjust your sub accordingly.
 
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