This is an interesting and timely topic as I just today picked up an AX-7 to play around with. I connected my REL to it the way I normally would, with the one black lead connected to one channel's "-" terminal. Drewh1, did Ayre suggest what to use for chassis ground on the unit? There are no obvious screws on the back to use.
(In case anyone at Ayre is reading this, the Cardas binding posts are not ideal when you are connecting a subwoofer this way because you end up tightening down for the terminal with the subwoofer lead and then it's not tight enough on the other pole.)
For subwoofers that only offer line level connection, such as the JL Audio subs, how would you connect them to the Ax-7, which has no pre out -- through the tape out? |
It's an R-205 and, yes, it uses a 3-prong power cord.
I've lifted the ground. Sound seems to be the same either way. |
Thanks a lot, guys. Al, you are a treasure! |
Revisiting this topic, one of the downsides of the chassis ground connection scheme, at least with my REL, is that when the Ayre is turned off but the REL left on, the REL hums. Drewh1, do you experience the same thing? |
Interesting. The REL has a three-prong plug. I will say that I think the system sounds better connected the standard way (i.e., not to chassis ground), but that may be the 6db volume difference at work. I don't want to blow up the Ayre of course, but... |
I have a new question on this subject. How do you connect a stereo pair of subwoofers to a fully balanced stereo amp, such as the Ayre.? The REL cable for each sub has two channels of "hot" (red and yellow) plus a ground. I assume that, for each sub, you would connect both hots (or just one?) to the plus side of the appropriate channel on the amp. But what about the grounds? Would you connect both subs' grounds to the chassis? |
Thank you, Al. After i posted my question, I looked around on AA and found a response from a REL representative to a customer in India concerning his hum problem. Since your Ayre amp is balanced and since you are using two subs, you must have a balanced hi level inupt which your model does not have. It is not a product defect. The unbalanced hi-level input can be used on balanced amps so long as there is only one sub. Also, since the black speaker terminal on a a balanced amp is not ground but rather positive-inverse, you must ground to the chassis, any screw that stops the hum.
Therefore you can use one sub on the Ayre with the sub grounded to the chassis, or perhaps just take the ground from the LFE and leave the black wire out of the equation if that works for you.
If you wish to have two subs on this amp, you must have one of the larger models that are equipped with balanced hi-level inputs. This is, in fact the only circumstance (two subs in stereo on a balanced amp) where the balanced hi-level input is used. This also gets wired up quite differently. Each channel is red-positive, yellow-negative, and black to chassis ground. This would suggest that I'm SOL regarding using two subs with the Ayre and will need either different models of RELs or a different approach to amplification, such as separates with two sets of preamp outs, or monoblocks, or an unbalanced stereo amp. However, I'm not sure I believe the guy's answer. I have sent a note to REL and will also call Ayre at some point to try to get more clarity. |
Drewh1, your response slipped in. Yes, I will call Ayre, good suggestion.
Does anyone know if JL Audio subs present the same dilemmas? |
Drewh1, your response slipped in. Yes, I will call Ayre, good suggestion.
Does anyone know if JL Audio subs present the same dilemmas? |
