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HT in 2 channel & sub issue


dbomberger

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Well just before I rekindled my love affair with vintage audio, I purchased a large screen tv (2 years ago). At the same time I purchased a Sony home receiver because I had been happy with my previous "ES" purchase.  Fast forward to now and I'm getting ready to retire and relocate.  I have a SW12-II thats been setting unused a great deal of the time over the last 20 years (virtually unused for reasons I won't go into here).  In any event I wanted to hook up the sub to the new receiver and in the fine print discover that while I can use a (2-channel setting), it won't interact with the sub in that mode. (Darn or worse).

 

My question them becomes, is this just a bad choice in equipment (feels likely) or is this a common issue.  If I want to purchase a new receiver that will utilize the subs properly in 2 channel mode.

 

Any and all advice welcome and appreciated. I will keep my vintage system(s) as they are but want a HT that uses at least one sub and which can also play streaming music to the system when I'm in that room.

 

Thanks

 

Del

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Hi Del - I believe this is common.  Most AVRs have a 2-channel mode (yamaha calls it "pure direct") that eliminates as much circuitry as possible in the signal path - including bass management for the subwoofer.  Sometimes there is a way to tell the AVR to keep sending low frequencies to the subwoofer in this mode (yamaha calls it "extra bass") or a middle-ground setting that re-enables bass management circuitry without enabling all the DSP modes (yamaha calls it "straight mode").  Or, old-school, depending on your sub and AVR, you could connect the L/R pre-outs of the AVR (rather than the subwoofer-out) to your sub, but this would mess up your home-theater listening.

 

Bottom line - I think this is common but check the Sony AVR forums for a better answer.

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Without the model number of the Sony receiver, it's hard to be certain... But even a 2 year old receiver should allow you to use the sub with just 2 speakers.

My guess is it has more to do with the setting (stereo, Dolby Digital, etc) you're using and/or possibly the setup of the receiver.

If you just have 2 speakers attached and use a "pure" or "direct" mode, you may not get a signal to the subs... Just pure stereo.

But if you set the receiver to Dolby Digital or Dolby Pro Logic, then you should get stereo (from a stereo signal) with the subs being utilized. That would/could also vary based on the setup, based on crossover point and/or whether the speakers are set as large/small.

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http://www.ebay.com/itm/Emotiva-XDA-2-Gen-1-/231770171378?hash=item35f69427f2:g:AhoAAOSwU9xUTkHF

 

Maybe put some thought into this Emotiva XDA-2 preamp. It lets you run two amps via the balanced XLR outputs at the same time that you can run two powered subs via the RCA outputs. Pair it with a nice little amp and you will have a really nice sounding set up. Can't beat the price from the Emotiva Ebay store linked above either!

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