£250-£300 budget 2.1 Speakers

Marsman · 5 Dec 2016 at 19:47

Very true. It isn't at all connecting that way.

It's only bringing up having to control the sub volume separately if using RCA 'rec out', made it sound, not so much hard, but an unwanted hassle.

hornetstinger · 5 Dec 2016 at 19:49

Just buy a amp with pre-outs, or a dedicated subwoofer out which is a pre-out. You don't need to use speaker level outputs, and just get away with a single RCA-RCA cable which is volume controlled, so no fiddling once initial level matching is done.

Marsman · 5 Dec 2016 at 21:27

Such amps are a fair bit more money than the AM1. Denon 720 has pre out, but is twice as much as the AM1. Added to the cost of the subwoofer and speakers, that's well over what the OP can spend.

Second hand would a good and cheaper option if he was buying for himself, but buying as a present, is not something many would want to do really.

Either OP sticks with the 9.1, SW150 and AM1, but connects the sub to the AM1 using speaker level inputs, or just go for the simple option and grab a pair of A5+.

dacads · 5 Dec 2016 at 22:17

A5 aren't going to offer much in the bass department and wil be underwhelming compared to Aego M and SP2500.

se_vietboi · 5 Dec 2016 at 22:47

Yeah she's just a teenager so I don't want to go overboard. I'm sticking with the 9.1, SW150 and AM1. Thanks a lot for your input guys; it's really helped a lot.

Marsman · 5 Dec 2016 at 22:55

I'm sure they offer a decent amount of bass for stereo speakers of their size, but you are right, they can't match a subwoofer.

Marsman · 5 Dec 2016 at 22:59

se_vietboi said:
Yeah she's just a teenager so I don't want to go overboard. I'm sticking with the 9.1, SW150 and AM1. Thanks a lot for your input guys; it's really helped a lot.

OK. It'll make a good 2.1 set up, that can't really be bettered without either buying good second hand bargains or spending more money.

Apologies if the info has come across as confusing. As dacads posted previously, it's not as hard as it's made to sound. Once set up, should be plain sailing.

se_vietboi · 5 Dec 2016 at 23:23

Aye setting it up should be a breeze but I wanted to make sure I got all the necessary accessories and not make the surprise a flop!

Anyways thanks again!

Marsman · 5 Dec 2016 at 23:37

Yes, indeed. Always better to make sure you have all the necessaries. Would be a shame for the whole thing to be undone by something that was overlooked.

As long as you have enough speaker cable for 4 runs, 1 length to each speaker and 2 runs to the subwoofer from the amp, then along with a RCA to 3.5mm cable, you can't go wrong really.

You may not actually need 2 runs to the subwoofer, as it's not stereo, but it does show 2 in the manual, so better to have enough cable for 2, just in case!

hornetstinger · 6 Dec 2016 at 07:15

you do need to run stereo speaker cable from amp to sub, otherwise you just get the bass from one channel

Marsman · 6 Dec 2016 at 10:57

Yes, I realise now what I was missing last night. I was looking at connection to the subwoofer using one RCA cable, going into just the L RCA on subwoofer; thinking it was using just one channel, and coming the conclusion that might also apply when using the speaker level inputs.

What I missed at the time though, was that it was connected to sub out on the amp, not pre out, which uses both.

dacads · 6 Dec 2016 at 12:14

For the 3.5mm to 2 RCA it might be worth spending a few pence more and going with this 2M OFC cable.

se_vietboi · 6 Dec 2016 at 12:48

Now I'm more confused then ever. So I also need to plug one cable into the subs left RCA output into somewhere on the amp? I'm going to Richer Sounds today anyway so if anything I can ask them.

hornetstinger · 6 Dec 2016 at 14:37

Source output to amplifier input
Amplifier speaker outputs into speaker inputs
a) Amplifier stereo speaker outputs into subwoofer stereo speaker inputs
or
b) Amplifier pre-out left & right RCA outputs into subwoofer RCA input.

Marsman · 6 Dec 2016 at 15:47

As above.

I was just questioning whether you needed to run 2 sets of speaker cable to the subwoofer input. You do, as hornetstinger explained in a previous post. It was just an unnecessary question.

Speaker out on amp > speakers input on subwoofer = 2 cables. Job done.

se_vietboi · 6 Dec 2016 at 23:14

Right thanks for clarifying

think I can manage from now.

dacads · 7 Dec 2016 at 10:06

se_vietboi said:
Right thanks for clarifying think I can manage from now.

So what's the list of what you're buying?

se_vietboi · 7 Dec 2016 at 12:41

dacads said:
So what's the list of what you're buying?

Damn I was afraid someone would ask. Ok I lied cos I didn't want to sound like an idiot even after all these replies. Err..

WD 9.1s, SW150, Topaz AM1 and cables I was planning to buy 6 sets of speaker cables and one set of RCA to 3.5mm. Anything in abudance I can simply return..that is the plan anyway.

dacads · 7 Dec 2016 at 16:45

se_vietboi said:
Damn I was afraid someone would ask. Ok I lied cos I didn't want to sound like an idiot even after all these replies. Err..

WD 9.1s, SW150, Topaz AM1 and cables I was planning to buy 6 sets of speaker cables and one set of RCA to 3.5mm. Anything in abudance I can simply return..that is the plan anyway.

lol no need to be afraid, we are here to help

You will need two sets of RCA cables, one for connecting amp to source (iPhone etc) and another for connecting sub to amp, as the speaker inputs will all be used up by the speakers.

se_vietboi · 7 Dec 2016 at 19:17

dacads said:
lol no need to be afraid, we are here to help

You will need two sets of RCA cables, one for connecting amp to source (iPhone etc) and another for connecting sub to amp, as the speaker inputs will all be used up by the speakers.

And I appreciate it very much. So its:

-RCA from amps rec out to subs line level input
-RCA from amps mp3/aux input to iPhone
-2 sets of speaker cables, 1 for each speaker to amp
-2 sets of speaker cables, 1 for each speaker to sub speaker level input

I hope this is correct.