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Old 08-31-2015, 11:20 AM   #1
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audio help

hi guys,

i got my hands on a stock bose subwoofer and am stuck trying to connect it to my aftermarket Kenwood KDC-BT555U.

this HU only has an RCA type output for subwoofer (wiring instructions here: http://s3.amazonaws.com/szmanuals/9c0003c5f238fbb1d754e68a566174ee) which i believe requires to go through an amp that i already removed when i replaced the factory Becker. there is no direct wire output like i have for the speakers.

is there no other way of connecting the subwoofer separately with no amp? i did some research but havent found any adapter and not even sure if it will work with no amp. my audio skills suck what can i say..

right now i wired it directly to a rear speaker output as an interim solution. HU has 50 watts which is plenty for the stock bose sub so i dont need more power or an amp, i just want to hook it up separately so i can adjust sub settings.

hoping for an easy answer

thanks in advance,

Cristian

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Old 08-31-2015, 12:00 PM   #2
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If you don't want to use an amp, an active crossover between one of the outputs and sub is an option (not the RCA).
The RCA output is pre-amp, so that signal must be amplified to get any usable sound.
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Old 08-31-2015, 12:07 PM   #3
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that's what i was hoping to hear. what do i need in order to make that happen?
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Old 08-31-2015, 12:12 PM   #4
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An active crossover will allow you to adjust the sound level and frequency sent to the sub. It's been a long time since I've looked at crossovers, so I'm not sure which to recommend. Maybe someone else can chime in.

Edit: a quick search shows that even a small crossover is going to run about $50. You may be better off just getting a small 100-200 watt amp which would allow you to do the same with the added bonus of slightly more power. I've been out of the audiophile world for 15-20 years, so I'm probably not the best person to answer this.
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Last edited by particlewave; 08-31-2015 at 12:17 PM.
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Old 08-31-2015, 01:30 PM   #5
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I don't know of any Active crossovers that will work will high level signals. What you could do is a Passive crossover.

Basically a simple Low Pass filter is just a coil. (1st order 6db/octave)
Use something like this 2-Way Crossover Designer / Calculator

Figure out what the speaker impedance is (2ohm i think) and the desired cutoff frequency... next to your head like that I would say less than 80hz. Then head over to partsexpress and they have a whole selection of crossover building parts.
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Old 09-01-2015, 06:46 AM   #6
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alm001 thanks for the help! it's the subwoofer i got from you


i'll look into it and see if that's the way i want to go.

i noticed after just a few minutes of high volume play with the sub working hard the sound starts to get distorted. if i turn it down for a bit and then back up it goes back to normal.. for a while.

is this the HU overheating or the sub itself? HU puts out 50W which i think is plenty for the sub. sound is crisp before it overheats.

what can i do about this?
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Old 09-01-2015, 06:55 AM   #7
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Do you have a way to measure the impedance of the woofer? It may be too low for your source.
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Old 09-01-2015, 07:05 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alm001 View Post
Do you have a way to measure the impedance of the woofer? It may be too low for your source.
i believe i need a multimeter for that which i dont have. i should get one anyway..
but shouldnt i be able to find the sub specs somewhere since it's a stock unit?

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