using bass amp in hi-fi rig as a woofer?!

[goonieman]

Hi All,

I have a hifi rig i'd like to boost with a woofer... a TC RS112.

The amp is a NAD 3020i - it has the stand connectors for left and right channels (screw connectors - 2 for each channel).

How would I even begin adding the TC to this mix, considering speaker load and all that drama?

I'm pretty newto this stuff - and have not been able to find anything online.

cheers!

[Phil Starr]

Hmm, I don't think it's going to be as easy as you think.

You'll need two things in place to use this sort of set up to make it work, a crossover so that only the bass goes to the TC and an amp to drive it, though i guess you have a bass amp??

You could easily enough drive the bass amp using the tape output or you could remove the jumpers from the pre out and use the hi fi version of the effects loop. However you are going to find the TC is so much louder than your hi fi that it isn't going to be easy to get a good balance. On top of that bass speakers don't go as low as hi fi ones generally so you'll get more bass but not deeper bass and less realistic sound.

All in all you'd probably be better off looking at a proper hi fi sub woofer with all the electronics built in. Maybe go and ask at your nearest Richer sounds or other hi fi stockist.

[Dan Dare]

Phil's right. Your NAD won't drive the bass cab in addition to the regular speakers and you'll have no control over it. You need proper sub (which in itself will be something of a compromise in a modest, low powered hi fi)

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

The short answer is that you want to use your bass speaker as part of a hi-fi, and where both response and low frequency extension are concerned bass speakers are very low-fi. Use the right tool for the job, in this case a hi-fi powered sub.

[Dan Dare]

Just to add a further complication, a decent, accurate hi-fi sub is not cheap. Rather than get a cheapo, if you put the money you would have spent on it towards upgrading your hi fi speakers, the result will almost certainly be better.

[cheddatom]

I did used to do this as a kid for playing games on my PC, with a 1 x 15" peavey combo. Every time I shot a gun (in the game) the entire house shook

...but yeh, it wasn't exactly Hi-Fi

[Trueno]

I think it will sound like poo.

[goonieman]

drat. fair enough - thanks guys. I do not want it to sound like doo-doo, so I guess a woofer is a down-the-line purchase.

Thanks for expert insights... really helpful!

[Jazzjames]

The 3020i is a lovely little amp. Get some bigger hifi speakers if you want more low end.

[Guest bassman7755]

[quote name='Dan Dare' timestamp='1472134365' post='3118788']
Just to add a further complication, a decent, accurate hi-fi sub is not cheap. Rather than get a cheapo, if you put the money you would have spent on it towards upgrading your hi fi speakers, the result will almost certainly be better.
[/quote]

IMO investing a pair of floor standers is a much better bet than adding a subwoofer - IME even budget floor standers sound much better than quite an expensive subwoofer + shelf/satellite speakers setup.

[Jazzjames]

[quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1472300606' post='3120158']


IMO investing a pair of floor standers is a much better bet than adding a subwoofer - IME even budget floor standers sound much better than quite an expensive subwoofer + shelf/satellite speakers setup.
[/quote]

Yup.

[landwomble]

I did this when I was a student with my Laney Linebacker combo I used to have. My dad built me a little external powered crossover and it worked quite well*


* Was in no way hi-fi but was able to make things fall off neighbours shelves when turned up loud...

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

[quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1472300606' post='3120158']
IME even budget floor standers sound much better than quite an expensive subwoofer + shelf/satellite speakers setup.
[/quote]That's the opposite of my experience.

[vailbass]

if the 'tape out' will send a signal to your bass amp (you will need an amp, not just the speaker) , you could set the tone controls with all the mids and highs turned down and the bass up to 'emulate' a sub. Why not give it a try? Experimentation is fun and useful.