subwoofer for A2 speakers

[whatever]

I currently have Audioengine A2 speakers and it lacks bass severely.

 

I want a lot of bass. I looked at the S8 sub at audioengine site and looks kinda tempting but it's only 8" woofer... don't know if that's enough.

 

Anyone has recommendation on 10 or more inch sub for my setup? My budget is around $300~ 350.

 

[bikemig]

Both HSU and Outlaw are internet direct vendors that have highly regarded subs; both sell subs starting under $300. I would think that an inexpensive 8 inch sub would work nicely with the A-2s given that they are modestly powered speakers.

 

[whatever]

Thanks bikemig.

 

Which model do you recommend?

 

http://img560.imageshack.us/img560/5880/screenshot20120304at124.png

 

Looking at the pic of the back of the sub, I don't see RCA inputs nor 3.5mm mini jack input. I have a Macbook. That's it. How do I go about connecting?

 

http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/4739/hsustf2349.png

 

 

 

Same here... the Outlaw sub back side look the same. How do I connect?

 

http://www.outlawaudio.com/images/LFMPlus_large.jpg

 

 

I have changed my listening preference and I want all bass I could possibly get. My Bass-to-Treble ratio is 100:1. We are talking some massive amount of bass... tired of having no bass. I think I need at least bare minimum 10" woofer if not more. This will be for my small bedroom. I need something really really solid as I will eventually move it to the living room and it's pretty large and has vaulted ceiling. I don't think 8" will cut it.

 

 

And my budge can go up to $600 if necessary...

 

[bikemig]

Check with audioengine but I'm fairly certain that one of the RCA inputs on the A-2s can be used as an output (they have a discussion of this on their website under the FAQs I believe). The connection would go mac -> A-2s -> powered subwoofer. I had my A-5s hooked up like that for a while but they have a dedicated rca output.

 

[whatever]

I did look it up but I didn't find anything that says about what you said.. but I did find this:

 

"If I have a subwoofer of my own, how would I use the A2s with it?

Connect the line-level output from your subwoofer into one of the A2 inputs. Very simple. " - by audioengine FAQ

 

 

HSU STF-2 sub's back panel:

http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/stf-2-amplifier-big.jpg

 

What kind of connectors are they? I can't tell by looking at that small pic... Are they for speaker wires only? If so, how do I connect that the A2 speaker? It only accepts RCA or mini jack. Are there speaker wire-to-RCA cable out there? I'm newb to this. please assist anyone?

 

[whatever]

Well looks like those are regular connectors for the speaker wires... I checked on the web and they got some speaker wire to RCA cable / adapter available... but they look cheap. Some reputable vendors like AudioQuest, Wireworld, Kimber, etc don't seem to carry such thing. Maybe this isn't good way for me to go? I donno..

 

Are there any good subs (10"+) that have RCA Inputs and Outputs?

 

 

plz help

 

[bikemig]

Monoprice has quality interconnects for devastatingly reasonable prices. The audioengine sub has RCA ins and outs.

 

[whatever]

Yeah i know the Audioengine S8 has RCA ins and outs but the woofer driver / output isn't big enough. If possible, I would like to go with a 10" driver... and prferably the RCA ins and outs.

 

 

 

[whatever]

bikemig, you are right. Sorry I didn't look around hard enough. Thanks for the info!!!

 

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/External-DAC-Subwoofer-Out

 

[wgscott]

You are right. I found this with a bit of google following your suggestion:

 

http://www.head-fi.org/t/355187/how-to-add-subwoofer-to-audioengine-a2#post_5582990

 

I will give it a try at some point.

 

[harmonica2]

I own a HSU VTF-1 paired with Peachtree D5's, and I'm really happy with the combination. You can either hook up the VTF-1 up via RCA line-level cable, or via speaker cable. My NAD 326BEE has a subwoofer output, so I use an RCA cable. You can choose whether or not to include the built-in crossover. My 2-channel amp has no built-in bass management, so I use the crossover.

My previous speakers were KEF 102s, so since about 1993, my systems never played frequencies lower than 50 Hz before I bought this subwoofer. As you can imagine, the experience of integrating the subwoofer is a revelation. Before the HSU, I had never heard the first octave of a jazz bass accurately. I only imagined the notes based on the harmonics. Now I can hear those first eight notes in their primary form. Drums are now more realistic, and as a one-time drummer, I love the satisfying thunk of the kick drum. The best part is that I enjoy all of this without turning the subwoofer up very loud. The volume knob is parked at 9 O'clock. Of course, my goal is to recreate sub 50 Hz frequencies at the same volume as my main speaker so that when the bass player walks up the fret, it sounds like one instrument. But if I want to swim is low tones at a 100:1 ratio at the Original Poster suggested, the power is there.

 

[whatever]

Thanks harmonica2 on your HSU sub experience with your setup. Sounds like the HSU is a good performer. That NAD 326BEE looks quite tempting. Hmm maybe I should get that for my main entertainment setup as I currently have crappy old receiver and it isn't that good on the Frequency to noise ratio and the amp quality is not that good.

 

Hehe I was kind of exaggerating about the 100:1 bass to treble ratio part. Just got sick of lacking bass. I'm still looking around... as there are lots of good subwoofers out there. It's amazing so many out there competiting each other.

 

thanks,

 

[harmonica2]

Yes, NAD has been making quality integrated amps for a long time, and the 326BEE is a great value for the features and power is delivers. However, I've read a lot that suggests that you can get slightly better fidelity from similar 2-channel integrated amps from Rotel and Marantz. I have considered making the switch as the NAD is actually a little over-powered for my set-up, but I have resisted because neither of those options have sub-woofer outputs, which is a nice convenience, and I'm happy with my sound.

Although there are lots of competing subwoofers, I would focus on companies that specialize in subwoofers, like HSU.

 

[whatever]

thanks harmonica.

 

 

Velodyne appears to make really good speakers / subs. Does anyone have experience with one of these Velodyne EQ-Max series sub? The one I'm looking at is EQ-MAX 10 (10" driver). How does this compare to HSU subs? It *seems* the Velodyne is more expensive performance per dollar... What makes these subs more expensive? Is it the build quality or is there something I don't know of...

 

 

thanks?

 

[bikemig]

If you are looking to integrate a sub into a 2 channel set up, the outlaw stereo receiver has a lot going for it since it has bass management. It is the only 2 channel receiver that has this which is one of the reasons I bought it. It is also a very fine receiver with a robust amp.

 

[audiozorro]

I use the A2 on my work and home desktops but they do not play loud without distorting. As such I think that while adding a sub is good, the real limitation is with the A2 and adding the S8 is not the best solution.

 

I have a modest home theater system with 3 pairs of A4 speakers and one S8 sub and it sounds good. I do not own the A5+ but it is bound to be the best sounding Audioengine speaker. And if you add the S8 it will sound so superior to anything that the A2 and S8 could ever offer.

 

The S8 provides more than enough bass for movies and music. And I find all the Audioengine speakers to be musical but the A4 will sound better than the A2 when pushed and the A5 will sound better than the A4.

 

So my recommendation is to buy the A5+ if that is your main or only speakers. If you choose to buy the S8 first to use with your existing A2, that's fine, but you really should consider eventually buying the A5+ and speaker stands. However if your main objective for the A2 is for near-field listening on the desktop then just add the S8. I find the A4 or A5 to be too large for my desktop.

 

Audioengine has a 30-day return policy, so you owe it to yourself and superior sonics to consider these options.

 

[whatever]

^ Thanks for the input. Did you mean P4 speakers? (A4 is not found in the audioengine site) If so, yeah definitely the P4 will sound better at higher volumes as it's designed to handle more power, same for the A5's too.

 

Yep it will be mainly used for nearfield listening, and I love my A2 speakers very much. They are cute little thing and has exceptional sound. I wanted to add sub as a temporary setup... or you could say "experimental" setup. I have seen this, that some audiophile users take their big ass subs and pair it with the A2's lmao. Surprisingly, they find the sound very impressive. Of course, at descent volume without increasing the volume too loud. I wanted to feel the bass at low volumes. No matter which sub I will choose, it will eventually move over to my main entertainment system that has a large screen in my living room. I was actually thinking of more of something like Mapleshade Upgraded Sirocco S30 Speakers (which I believe out-handles A5+ speakers in the highs). The sub will replace my existing Bose sub. Bose, yeah I know it's crap.

 

 

Because of my plan, I think I will steer away from the audioengine S8 sub as 8" won't cut it for me. Thanks for the thoughts though.

 

[audiozorro]

I love the Audioengine A2 speakers for my desktops and for traveling. I never tried hooking up my S8 to the A2s. But I do use the S8 with my home theater surround sound setup using the P4 speakers and it is quite impressive for the loud and room shaking bass that seem to dominate today's movies. That is, if you enjoy shocking your family, friends and neighbors with loud car crashes and thunderous explosions.

 

For music, I find the Audioengine speakers to be musical and a great value but no one should expect $200-400 speakers to rival high end speakers costing 2 to 4 times more.

 

If I were willing to spend more money on home theater, I would have bought a Rythmik F12 sub, but the S8 was significantly cheaper and small enough to fit under my living room end table to be hidden from view. I also assumed that the using speakers from the same manufacturer would be a good match.

 

[whatever]

woahh..... I looked around and spotted this.

 

 

Oh man I want this so bad.

 

AVI ADM 9T Subwoofer (10" driver) - $1750

 

 

It's way out of my price range. Anyone would like to donate? $10 per person. Thanks.

 

 

I also found Revel Concerta B120 sub (10" driver) which looks so good... This one is a grand. This audio hobby is very expensive hobby.