I want to route my subwoofer in my system so that it is hooked up to the .1 (LFE) channel AND is also tied in to work when just listening to music in stereo. Can this be done and selected between in different modes, etc?

Thanks!

With the 950, you can set the mains to "small" and the crossover will re-direct bass to the sub in any mode, including stereo.

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gonk -- 950 Review | LFM-1 Review | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | Saloon Links

Okay, but how do I wire the sub to take advantage of that as well as tie it into the LFE channel?

I would really prefer the full range to go to my large front towers and probably 50-60 Hz & below to go to the sub.

I'm not sure I understand your question. Plug an RCA cable into the sub output on the 950 and plug the other end into you sub's RCA input. That's it. LFE signal will be sent to the sub as well as frequencies below your selected crossovers.

The 950's bass management offers a lot of options. I've got a summary of the bass management modes in my 950 review, which might be a good place to start.

Here's what I would start out trying: connect the sub to the LFE output only (the typical home theater setup) and set the mains to "small" but cross them over low (40Hz) -- the VMPS speakers you are looking at are essentially full range. This will let the sub lend the mains a hand while also letting it handle .1 LFE tracks. On movies, most of the deep bass is already going to the sub from the LFE channel, and there is going to be fairly little for the crossover to even worry about on the left and right channels. On most music, there's not a lot below 40Hz (some material will wander far deeper than that, but most instruments don't go lower than 50Hz to a few hundred hertz). If you want the sub involved but also want the tower to get the full signal, use the stereo bypass mode -- which will pass the analog signal from your player directly to the VMPS's but also run a copy through the digital bass management and produce a signal for the sub. jgubman did some experimenting with the stereo bypass mode with mixed results (he found the double bass that existed below the crossover point objectionable and opted for an ICBM to help integrate the VMPS's); your taste, listening room, and associated equipment may yield different results. For example, you may prefer the 950's DAC's to your CD player's DAC's, in which case stereo bypass mode would not be your preferred approach -- in that case, all you have to do is connect the sub to the LFE output, set the mains to small, find a low crossover that you like (probably 40Hz, possibly 60Hz), and forget about it.

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gonk -- 950 Review | LFM-1 Review | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | Saloon Links

Yep, gonk's nailed it. I like the "Stereo Bypass" mode, so I've used an ICBM to dial in my crossover.

The RM-40s and are certainly capable of playing full range, in my particular room, I have lots of bass issues and find I get better lower bass response if my subs are near a room boundry and the speakers are out a little bit, YMMV.

Okay...so the LFE output also gets stereo information below the crossover threshold selected. That's all I needed to know. Now I'll have to contemplate if I should get an ICBM.

Jon- is it a real horror if I don't have one and run in stereo bypass? Or are you just "splitting hairs"?

Thanks again!

-Ed

Gonk, I am not sure if this is necessary, but don't you have to have the analog cables connected to run in bypass mode? Might want to clarify this for others.

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MeanGene's Home

I'm just splitting hairs, I like to obsess.

Best thing is to try it both ways. As an experiment I'd do the following steps:

a) set the 950 w/ main speakers as small and a 40Hz crossover. Connect your source and run the outlaw in stereo mode.

b) set the 950 w/ main speakers as large and play the same tracks again this time w/ the 950 in "stereo bypass" mode. Notice if you are missing any low bass. Notice if the midrange and highs are a little more "clear" with less "grain" and have a better dynamic now.

If you find that you're missing a little bass but prefer the sound of your source's DACs over the Outlaw's DACs, you'll want to get an ICBM or other high-quality crossover, like a marchard unit or the NHT X-2 (as around on audiocircles, there are a few users over there using other external crossovers).

MeanGene, yes, for stereo bypass to work you must have analog cables connected.

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gonk -- 950 Review | LFM-1 Review | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | Saloon Links