Is it possible to add a subwoofer (B&W ASW10CM) to a 272 in the following way:
Subwoofer pre-out on AV processor (Set the AV processor in such a way that the pre-out will send LF signals, ie set speakers to ‘small’ in the AV processor) —> Analogue input 2 or 3 on nac- 272 (L or R?) —> line out (analogue outputs) —> subwoofer. All RCA connectors, so I need to add one extra RCA cable.
The idea is to use the subwoofer in two modes:
AV mode, fixed subwoofer and speaker signal from the AV receiver on passthrough via 272 to subwoofer with it’s own amplifier and speakers to 250DR
UPnP/Stereo mode, variable volume for subwoofer and speaker on 272
I use it this way with my front speakers and works perfect, now for adding the sub for extra bass extension of the front speakers in UPnP/Stero mode
I did a search on the forum, but could not find my specific idea.
I don’t know anything about AV processors and don’t understand option 1. But for option 2, anything you connect to input 2 or 3 will be replaced as soon as you switch the input to the 272’s streamer. If you want the sub to work on the main speakers for upnp then you will need the sub connected directly to the 272 or to the back of the main speakers via a high level input.
Does the sub have two inputs? If so you could connect it to the AV processor for AV and to the 272 for music, and switch between them via the sub.
The connection from the AV processor to the 272 goes via the pre-out of the AV processor to analogue input 2 on the 272. You can set the analogue input 2 to fixed AV-volume, so no volume regulation by the 272 but the AV processor takes care of that. I wonder if this is also possible with a sub in the same way.
Wouldn’t that require the ability to select two analogue inputs on the 272 simultaneously?
Or am I not understanding what you propose correctly?
You could connect the sub to the 272 RCA preouts, granted it wouldn’t be audio from the dedicated subwoofer audio track, just the bottom end of the front channels. But you could also use it for music that way.
The line out RCAs on the 272 are full line level all the time, regardless of fixed AV volume - they are like a tape output.
This isn’t going to work as you can only select one input at a time.
You could possibly use the line in for the AV signal, and the speaker level input for the HiFi signal, if your particular sub allows it, but I’m not convinced that it would work well. There could be grounding issues, and I’m not sure you would be able to adjust the low pass, phase and other settings in such a way as to suit both connections.
I can setup the AV processor in such a way that speakers are set to ‘big’, meaning that the full frequency will go to the speakers. Then connect the sub to the pre-out on the 272, setup phase, volume etc.
It will have a nice bass extension this way in AV mode and in HiFi mode.
Yes, you can do that. It means that the sub is not getting the dedicated LFE channel that would normally be supplied by an AV amp with, for example, a 5.1 channel configuration.
You may still find that the ideal sub settings (and possibly room position) for music listening are quite different from those you would choose for AV use. Depending on the sub, it may not be practical to adjust these settings each time you change. My Naim sub allows you to save different configurations, and you can quickly change from one to another using the remote. If your sub has such a capability, you might find it useful.
I’ve been reviewing this thread and others, and really trying to understand how the subwoofer works off high level. I just don’t get why this works/is good, but I see enough users of subs here and on pfm to suggest it’s worth trying to understand it. Currently my head is spinning on this topic and I’m not usually so dense.
I suspect these questions have been answered over the years, so apologies in advance if that’s the case, but might I tap the collective experience of the group with the following thoughts/questions please?
If I take REL as an example, if I understand their videos they advise connecting their subs to the speaker terminals on the amp, and if for arguments sake you had 135s, you’d use one sub per channel and connect 2 or 3 of the wires they supply depending on resultant volume at the sub. Question 1: REL videos show binding posts, how do you connect to a naim terminal?
This next bit is where my mind can’t grasp what’s going on. All the signal reaches the terminal on the amp. I’ve invested heavily in getting it to that point in near perfect condition and then I’ve invested heavily in my speaker cable to take it the next leg, to the passive crossovers in my speakers. It feels wrong to ‘share’ any part of that signal at this point. Question 2: why does this not degrade the signal going to my speakers?
I understand how an active system works and how a passive system differs. This seems to be a hybrid. Question 3: does it work, and why?
Question 4: would I be better off with beefier speakers instead?
Question 5: which maker is best-suited to naim ?
Question 6: I use SBLs and they are capable of outstanding bass, but not always. Are people using their subs selectively?