Can I do this with my subwoofer? (1 Viewer)

[JohnnyM]

My 20 year old Paradigm PS-1000 amplifier is shot. Speaker is good and was just rebuilt. Can I use one of my old amps to power it? If so, how would I get the LFE information from the source device into the separate amp? And if the separate amp does not have an LFE output, how would I get the signal to the speaker? I plan on simply attaching to the red and black wires of the sub speaker. I had a LFE cable running from my HT Receiver to the sub with a Y splitter. Would I need to cut that wire to reveal the 2 leads? Of could I attach the 2 speaker wires to the sub amp input and attach the red and white there? If it's possible, please answer these...

1. How to get the LFE signal from the source into the separate amp?
2. How to get the LFE signal from the separate amp into the speaker?

Other thoughts... my DVD player has an HDMI output and an optical output. Is it possible to connect the HDMI to the HT receiver and the optical out to the separate amp to provide the LFE signal.

I'm hoping to use an old Denon HT receiver (without HDMI but with LFE out) or an old JVC Integrated amp with neither HDMI or LFE out. Both amps are well over 100 watts/channel. The Paradigm was 250 watts. I'm hoping there's enough power for that 10" woofer.

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

If the sub’s amp is dead, you will need to bypass it. This will require removing the amp panel from the back of the sub and installing a pair of speaker binding posts to it. You can get them at parts express.

https://www.parts-express.com/cat/binding-posts/1506

This will involve drilling a couple of holes in the amp panel to install the new binding posts. You can cut the speaker wire off the dead amp in the sub, and connect them to the binding posts.

Once you do that, things are pretty simple. You basically now have a passive subwoofer.

Your HT receiver has a LFE output. It’s labeled “Sub Out” on the back of the receiver. That signal will pass to the “old amp” you will be using to power the sub.

So: HT receiver sub output -> old amp input -> old amp speaker output -> subwoofer speaker inputs (new binding posts.

You gave no details on the old amps, but presumably they are stereo or home theater multi-channel. Either way, you will be using only one of the front left or right channels for this.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[Dave Moritz]

I would also add to what Wayne said, and that is if you have a stereo amp that is bridgeable to mono I would do that.

 

[JohnnyM]

Thanks guys. I've got a set of binding posts on the way. Seems pretty straightforward making the connections. The amp I'll be using is an old JVC A-X900B https://www.petervis.com/gallery/Vintage Advertisements/jvc-high-fidelity-components/a-x900b.html
Specs show 130 Watts RMS into 8 ohms @ 1kHz. How will I know if I can bridge this to mono? If it can, and I do, will this result in 260 watts to the sub? If I can, this will match the wattage the Paradigm originally had.

One last question. Does using the LFE output take care of the crossover concerns? Or do I set those levels again when setting up the subwoofer (and might there be a setting for active or passive subwoofer)?

 

[JohnRice]

Keep in mind, you have no idea what the impedance of that driver is. It could be 2 Ohm, which will pretty much destroy your amp. Odds are very good it's around 4 Ohm, which won't exactly be what the amp is designed for either.

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

John brings up a good point. You’d better check the driver with an ohm-meter.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt