Adding a subwoofer to current set-up

26 replies
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Garethowen (archived2)
Bronze
Posted June 19, 2016 at 10:47 GMT
#2064122

Hi All - 

I have an all B&O set-up, which despite being all B&O is somewhat unconventional (because it's the only way the dealer/I could figure out to set it up - will explain below).

I'd now like to add a subwoofer (either a beolab 2 or 19) to the set-up but whenever I speak to dealers about this they appear confused and usually give me conflicting advice (not great as it's all B&O stuff so should, in theory, all work perfectly together).

So here's the current set-up:

- I have a Beosound essence (which I use daily for music) 

- a Beovision 11 (which is connected to the essence via the essence's line-in - as this seemed to be the only way to be able to use the speakers with the essence independently of the TV and have TV sound going through them too).

- A pair of beolab 12.2s connected to the essence

- A pair of beolab 3s daisy chained from one of the 12.2s.

(in addition, I already have one issue with this current set-up where the final speaker in the chain often stops playing sound and goes to a low buzz until it's turned off and on again or I fiddle with any one of the wires between it and the 12.s it's daisy chained to - but we can leave this issue for another day :)

So, How would I best connect a sub to this set-up? (so that it can work well with both the essence on its own, and with the essence + beovision 11 when that's turned on too).

The easiest way to connect the sub would be to daisy chain it from on the of the 12-2s, but I understand this would either create some sort of delay in bass or wouldn't tell the other speakers that the sub was there, and therefore they would still try to handle the low notes themselves(?).

Any advice gratefully received!

Many thanks in advance,

 

Gareth.


Millemis
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Millemis
Bronze
Posted June 19, 2016 at 18:08 GMT
#2064123

Hi Gareth,

indeed an unconventional setup!

Before I make any other comments or suggestions, may I ask, which sources of the Essence, you use/how do you use it?

Or maybe the first question should be - is it an Essence 2nd generation?

MM

Location: Flensborg————Danmark

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Garethowen (archived2)
Bronze
Posted June 19, 2016 at 20:04 GMT
#2064124

Hi MM - Thanks for getting involved :)

It's an essence V1.

I mostly use it for spotify connect and tunein radio.  I like the essence wall remote and app and I can't see the TV from the kitchen where the beolab 3s are (so running everything through the TV and getting rid of the essence isn't really an option).

Thanks!

Gareth.

 

EL
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elephant
BronzeFounder
Posted June 20, 2016 at 01:17 GMT
#2064125
So Gareth, is it fair to say you have created a pseudo multi room environment ?

BV and BL3s in one area / zone

Other BLs in a separate area / zone

You like to get BV sources and Essence sources playing in both zones

You want to add a sub-woofer.

Here are some ideas; where I am a little off-track I hope MM will step in and correct / clarify.

I would daisy chain the BL3s off one Essence PL (say 1). Set each BL3 to a separate stereo channel.

Buy a BL11 as it allows daisy chaining - and has to be at the front of the chain ie nearest the Essence in order to filter out the bass from the other two BLs at the back of the chain.

Daisy chain the other BLs behind the BL11 (on say Essence PL 2) and with each other.

Unfortunately you would not be able to do this with a BL19 as it does not support daisy chaining. It is best used by plugging directly into a BV's sub-woofer PL.

G(
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Garethowen (archived2)
Bronze
Posted June 20, 2016 at 08:55 GMT
#2064126

Thanks for this.

I actually bought a bl11 as part of the original set-up but the dealer took it back as it was rarely kicking in, saying that even the bl 12.2s were coping with most of the bass that the bl11 would have taken.
So it's time for something more powerful.
I think it will be a bl 2 that I go for (as even the dealers seem to pull that face that says it's better in their opinion than the newer 19).
The more I've read about this over the weekend, the more I suspect the ideal set-up will be to connect the bl2 directly to the essence, then use one of the out powerlink connections on the bl2 to connect to one of the 12.2s, which will daisy chain to its sister 12.2 which will daisy chain to the bl3s (as currently).
Does this sound crazy/like t could cause problems to anyone?
Thanks again - really do appreciate it.
Gareth.
Millemis
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Millemis
Bronze
Posted June 20, 2016 at 10:44 GMT
#2064127

Honestly I have been cheewing a bit on this one - it is a tough one!

Having read the post of elephant and your last one, I am somewhat afraid that you won't get the result, that you expect, by adding a subwoofer (the 2) direct out of the Essence and daiysychaning the rest from there..

Not knowing the size and the shape of your room, I would suspect, that the effect of the subwoofer would be to little with the BL3's. It might even make them sound less bassy, because the bas is already filtered away when the PL leaves the BL2 by the 12's.

It might work - but, as I said, when one does not know your environment, it is hard to give an advice.

Another solution would be to add a subwoofer (the 2 or the 11) to each set of speakers and run one PL (from the Essence) for each speaker-setup. This would also allow you to make the settings of the subwoofers correct according to the room and placement of each set.

BUT - as an overall remark, I think that you are wasting a lot of potential (really a lot!) in your setup, if you continue on these paths. The BV11 would give you a sophisticated bas management and the opportunity to create several different speaker groups, when the speaker are connected to it. Connecting the Essence to the BV11 is absolutely possible.

Of course  it is for you to decide!

However, it would be nice to know, what the reason is for not using the BV as the hub.

MM

 

Location: Flensborg————Danmark

stefan
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stefan
BronzeFounder
Posted June 20, 2016 at 11:37 GMT
#2064128

I highly recommend a BL2 for your setup. I`d connect it to the first PL out of the essence - BL3 connected to PL out of BL2, so BL2 will do the bass management. Then I`d connect the BL12 to the second PL out of the essence, in "full range" mode without a BL2 in the signal chain.

Essence - PLout1 - BL2 - BL3/L - BL3/R with Y adapter or in parallel from BL2

                  PL out2 - BL12/L - BL12/R with Y adapter

If all 4 BLs are in a single Room/zone I`d also try to connect all BLS after BL2 in the signal chain (never tried that before....).

These solutions might also solve your PL issue with the last speaker....(?)

Stefan

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Garethowen (archived2)
Bronze
Posted June 20, 2016 at 12:05 GMT
#2064129

Thanks all.

The reason for not putting everything through the tv (MM) is because I usually use the essence independently of it (I.e. I donMt want to have to turn the tv on every time I want to listen to music or the radio).
The TV and 12.2s are on a mezzanine above the kitchen which has the 3s in it.  So they're sort of all in the same room but not all at the same height.  The sub would be up in the mezzanine.
Given this, Stefan's suggestion, and MM's point about the 3s losing their bass in the set-up I was suggesting gets me thinking:
Could the solution be to connect the 3s directly to the essence and the bl2 to the other essence connection, with the 12.2s connected to the bl2 (I.e. The bl2 will filter out the bass from the speakers on the same level and those on the level below won't lose anything.
What do you think?
stefan
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stefan
BronzeFounder
Posted June 20, 2016 at 12:26 GMT
#2064130

Sure - will also work, and will make more sense in your setup, I think.

Stefan

EL
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elephant
BronzeFounder
Posted June 20, 2016 at 12:34 GMT
#2064131
stefan wrote:

Sure - will also work, and will make more sense in your setup, I think.

Stefan

Seems so.

Only word of warning is the BL2 has a reputation of being a good movie subwoofer, but I have read elsewhere that it is "flabby" when it comes to music.

Back to others for debate.
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