TLDR; Should I use the sub out on the MX3? or just go straight from speaker terminals? Why or why not?
I found a Polk PSW10 today for $40 and had to grab it due to the overwhelmingly positive reviews ive seen about it online, considering its ~$130RRP price bracket.
Another reason I jumped at the opportunity is because of the MX3’s inherent lack of any real bass management, so seeing the low pass filter and phase control on the sub made my eyes glow.
I have a pair of Klipsch R14M’s hooked up to the topping MX3 and right now I’ve figured two ways to hook up the sub, I have an rca Y splitter that I can plug into the MX3 sub out, going to the rca line outs on the sub, or I can connect the speakers directly to the sub with the speaker level terminals on the sub.
My question is essentially, what are the differences between these two methods of connection, and which one is best?
Here is what I have come to the conclusion of with the current limited knowledge I posses on this topic.
To the best of my understanding;
They should both make the sub go, and both ways should retain low pass and phase controls to the sub.
Connecting the sub through the speaker level terminals should allow me to control both speaker and sub volume through the MX3, but I guess my most obscure question, is that if I hook it up this way, will the sub act as a sort of “man in the middle” and cut off the low frequencies to the speakers? effectively taking the sole load of those lower frequencies itself? or will it have no effect on the speakers frequency output?
Why not just use and do the easy way? R14m’s sub-out with RCA-cable to Polk.
Volume control works on MX3 and “bass management” is done by the R14M’s.
Then just volume mach sub volume with speakers.
The main argument for using the speaker level pass through on your sub is to act as a high pass filter for your speakers. This way your speakers aren’t burdened by the bass frequencies your sub will be handling. While the MX3 does have a sub out, it doesn’t act as a crossover separating those frequencies.
Do your Klipsch distort when you’re trying to play as loud as you want? If not, then it probably won’t make much difference. Listen to where the bass naturally rolls off on your speakers and dial your sub to fill in below that.
BTW: You don’t need an RCA splitter. A single, mono RCA cable from the MX3 to the L input of the sub will do.
Thanks for the response! That lack of crossover in the MX3 is exactly what I was most worried about!
Sorry my post is a bit if a mess but thats what I meant by “man in the middle” that the sub will be a high pass filter to the speakers and take the whole low frequency load, as opposed to the speakers trying to play the same low frequencies that the sub is already pushing.
So just to clarify, the rca input method won’t split the load but the sub terminal input will?
And if I do use the terminal input method, do the speakers need to be solely connected to the sub and sub to MX3? Or can I have banana plugs piggy backing on the MX3 going to speakers and sub from the MX3?
I have been using it this was for now because I couldn’t wait lol I realised the volume control still works for both this, but I’m curious how you mean by the R-14M’s doing the bass management?
Just presumed that R-14’s would do bass cross-over automatically.
Send low-signals to sub that speakers cannot produce, like a good speakers should do.
Running speaker level from the MX3 to the speakers and using the Sub out to the Sub will send full range to both. The Sub is equipped to filter the high frequencies but the speakers are not equipped to filter the low frequencies.
If you run speaker level from the MX3 to the Speaker Level Input on the subwoofer and then run speaker wire from the Speaker Level Output of the subwoofer to your speakers, you will get the filtering you desire. That way the subwoofer will apply a low frequency filter before passing the signal on to the speakers.
It’s just over the top level’s of dumbness to use speaker level inputs in that setup (or ever imo) if Line level is available and speakers low end ain’t a problem. Changing the gear for better or more adjustable is the way.
Just use sub like it should be used. Like you know have.
