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LFE vs High-level subwoofer connection, for FIDELITY

Simple as it sounds. What subwoofer connection method offers higher fidelity, and why? The LFE, 75 ohm unbalanced RCA cable. Or high-level, speaker wire to the binding posts of the amp. I am running 2 KEF KC92 subwoofers to a Soul Note A-2 Ver. 1 amplifier.
 

Grok Ai states it matches your speakers tonal balance, timing cues, and sonic signature, because it shares the same signal path through the amplifier that your speakers sound travels through. It’s also a great way to get tube or amp sound into your bass region. My LFE outputs from my Khozmo Acoustics pre-amp, bypassing the amplifiers elite and favorable sound.  The PS audio subwoofer had not been released yet or I’d have swoope those up, instead of the KEFs.

Also, has anyone heard that it is straining or damaging to a truly balanced, direct coupled amplifier to use high level inputs? This was mentioned to me and I can’t recall how reliable a source it came from. 

jbuddha882
bartsw's avatar
bartsw
261 posts
 

@jbuddha882 

im looking at an anthem SA35 to get Dirac live in a system

I can’t speak for Anthem but an AVR is probably the worst thing you can do to add noise to ’fidelity’...for music. So if you go straight from your source (ie streamer) to amplifier, high level is the most obvious option. I can run two or more long RCA from my steamer, plus splitters to my subs around the room, or I can simply use a short lamp cord to high level it from the speakers to subs without having to run multiple cables all over the room to the AVR or integrated amp.

jbuddha882 OP
27 posts
 

No I am not using the Onkyo for music, I just tested it against my reference 2 way system. My system is, AfterDark NetONE SFP network switch, externally clocked. Fiber fed, so galvanically isolated from the wall. The NetONE -> Holo Audio Red -> Gustard S26 -> Khozmo Acoustics flagship balanced Vishay Zfoil r2r volume control preamp -> Soul Note A-2 amplifier. Conditioned by Furman, externally clocked by a TEAC CG-10m-X clock. 

jbuddha882 OP
27 posts
 

Side note. The largest sound improvements were: upscaling Roon to DSD 512 with a Mac mini m4, and adding a clocked SFP network switch with good S/FTP Ethernet cables

peter_s
1,441 posts
 

All I can say is that the technical folks at Rhythmik subwoofers strongly prefer the low-level input to the high-level input. They say that the low level provides better fidelity. At least with their amplifiers.

fatdaddy2
540 posts
 

LFE and fidelity should not be used in the same sentence.

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