Adding a powered subwoofer

 

Bronze Member
Username: Kingdufus

Beantown

Post Number: 11
Registered: Apr-04
Hi all,
I'm considering adding a powered subwoofer (a cheap one on ebay) to my cheap home theater system, which currently has a passive subwoofer. Do I have to worry about ohms and/or watts? Am I better off getting a better passive speaker? Granted, it's a cheap system and I shouldn't expect much, but I'm hoping to at least boost the Bass output. (System: Kawasaki AV1000)
 

Silver Member
Username: Project6

Post Number: 981
Registered: Dec-03
if it is powered, it will be independent of your receiver.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Kingdufus

Beantown

Post Number: 15
Registered: Apr-04
Hi Berny,
Thanks for your response. I'm concerned about frying my amp, since the specs for the powered subwoofer do list ohms:
20 WRMS into 4 Ohms, 40 Watts peak
Frequency Response: 25Hz - 110Hz
Low-level (RCA) Input: >15 KOhms
Universal Input: >15 KOhms

My amps subwoofer is 25 watts, 8 ohms.
I just want to make sure I won't do any damage by hooking it up. Do you think it's still safe?
Thanks!
 

New member
Username: Os2dude

Marietta , GA USA

Post Number: 4
Registered: Jul-04
This is possibly an ignorant question, but could you add a 4 ohm resistor to either the left or right wire and bring it up to the required 8 ohms?
 

Gold Member
Username: Project6

Post Number: 1067
Registered: Dec-03
Chris,
if the subwoofer is powered, you don't have to worry about the impedance. It will have its own power supply and amplifier within the subwoofer so it is independent of the receiver. it will work much like another device like a tpae deck, all it needs is the output signal from your receiver and not the speaker signal.
 

Gold Member
Username: Project6

Post Number: 1068
Registered: Dec-03
the 4 ohm resistor will not work
 

Bronze Member
Username: Kingdufus

Beantown

Post Number: 16
Registered: Apr-04
Thanks everyone. A follow-up question: My receiver has a separate speaker signal for the subwoofer via a dedicated L and R speaker connection, but no additional output for the sub (such as an rca plug). The sub I'm planning on buying has both, speaker inputs and an rca jack. Even if I use the speaker inputs, is there still no impedence pull? Thanks!
 

Gold Member
Username: Project6

Post Number: 1074
Registered: Dec-03
Lester,
If you are using the L and R speaker connection for a dedicated subwoofer, you will have an impedance load. This dedicated speaker signal is for a passive subwoofer, but if used to connect to a high level input of an active subwoofer, it shouldn't matter unless otherwise specified on your subwoofer.
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