Subwoofer input: hi-level vs low-level....

hi everyone
today, ive compared the hi level input vs the line level input on my REL T5i.

ive levelled matched them at the listening position so within 5 seconds I was able to A-B test them. my friend was the listener.

when level matched it seem the hi level and low level inputs are indistinguishable...

anyone else can share their experience with comparing both inputs?

 

Well, from what I've read on the REL subwoofer, the high level input is preferable for a 2-channel hi-fi system and the line level input for home cinema.

I am using the high level input in a 2-channel system and it is fantastic!

Did you compare them on a 2-channel hifi system or a home theatre system?

Interestingly I only came across this particular piece of information in the last week. If you are using the high-level input with monoblocks amplifiers... red(+) connection to right-hand amplifier (+) binding post; yellow (+) to left amplifier (+) binding post, here's the important bit, the (-) connection to preamplifier earth not to (-) binding post of either amplifier.

On my own original REL Stadium subwoofer (the beast, I call it), the wires are colour coded... red (+), blue (+) and green (-).

JG

 

I use my rel in 2 channel audio...

 

Have you read this...

Determine whether to use High Level, Low Level, and LFE/.1

JG

 

I did, but im curious why hi level is the recommended connection.
as my test seem to show very little difference, or actually a advantage to the low level input as it seem to sound better overal..

oh well, I just though hi level was some sort of advantage and im not sure anymore. ive been using REL subs for years but I think I will explore other brand now

 

I've been a REL for twenty years or more as well. The idea of Richard Lord the inventor of the REL was that the subwoofer was being fed the exact same signal as the loudspeakers being connected to the amplifier through the same feed. I am not a technical person but that is as good as I can explain it. The original REL Stadium (1990) didn't have low level inputs just the high level.

Anything I've ever read about the original RELs (and I have read loads) was that for 2-channel systems the high level input was THE way to go.

I'm sure if you Google the older RELs you will find a lot of information, I certainly did and I wouldn't change my REL Stadium for anything else.

Have a read of this, a review of the REL Stadium III in The Absolute Sound magazine, it might be of interest to you...

https://2y2ro62wfbas3svllg2i0s1t-wp...ds/2016/09/Stadium-III-The-Absolute-Sound.pdf

JG

 

James, I also know that the hi level input is supposedly better
in my system, I cannot hear a definite improvementand actually, I may prefer the low level input. in all cases, the differences between hilevel vs low level is very small and so almost negligible

this is why I opened this thread, to know if anyone did compare the low level vs hi level and their experience.

 

Are we the only two REL owners on the forum?

JG

 

I have a JL Audio sub and in the manual they recommend using the pre-out RCA connections.
I tried it but found that the bass sounds noticeably better using the high level speaker connections run in parallel with the main speaker wires at the terminals of the amplifier.
Possibly because of my amplifier's tube topology, but the bass sounds better and integrates better with the main speakers using the high level inputs.
It is the difference between an integrated sound compared to sub / satellite sound.

 

The integrated woofers on my Avantgarde horns have both types of connections and it is recommended to use the high level inputs (essentially being fed from a jumper cable that matches the main speaker cable from amp to horn(s)). The theory, as mentioned, is that the woofers take on more of the character of the main speaker system. Since I use tube amps for the horns, and the woofers are run from a solid state amp built in to the back of them, I can't say that they really take on the character of my main amps-- in fact, the biggest issue with this speaker set up is often getting the integrated woofers and horns to match in character and tonality without sounding like "woofers" playing along with "horns."
For what it's worth, I run an additional pair of larger subwoofers to augment the horn/integrated woofer array. For those, I run long interconnects direct from an additional output on my line stage. Since they are crossed-over pretty low --50hz on a -24db slope-- i can't say whether they would sound better if hooked up to a high level input. I did spend time positioning, messing with volume, crossover and phase to make them blend with the integrated woofers.

 

It seem to me that any differences would be due to the (possibly desirable) colorations of your power amp. In the interest of a less complex signal chain, I've always used line-level inputs myself.

 

Some years ago, when I got my B2, I was also confused by the multitude of connection options. It seems from reading the manual that the High Level is indeed the recommended way and in my case the B2 manual (page 16) makes it clear that the low level input is basically the AVR LFE channel or dedicated sub output found on few stereo amplifiers.

I guess which is better depends on (a) the amplifier and (b) your willingness to tweak. For myself I found that connecting with the yellow/red/black cable to the high level input is easier and I must admit that not having a friend willing to assist, running back and forth from the couch to the sub damped my enthusiasm to tweak the system.

 

Well the man who invented the REL subwoofer didn't even have the low-level connection only the Neutrik high-level connection on the original RELs as he was gearing the subwoofer towards the 2-channel market!

JG

 

Your in luck, don't let int drive you crazy and enjoy the music!

 

ive decided to ask my GF to change the sub connection from time to tim so i see if im able to know when she makes the change
the weird thing is that right now i may even prefer low level connection as it sounds more coherent. ill report back after few weeks.
fun time!

 

Can you help me understand how you accomplished this since JL Audio subs don't have high - level inputs? Did you buy and external high -> low level converter and if so, which one?

 

I used the low level input previously and never really enjoyed it for music, but that was primarily a HT setup. It always seemed "disconnected" from the mains. When I moved the sub to my new 2 channel setup I had no choice since my tube integrated doesn't have a pre-out so I used the high level inputs. So many other changes in speakers and amplification that I can't determine if my immense enjoyment of it now is related to the input type or the other changes but it's totally integrated in a very satisfying manner. Doesn't call attention to itself at all.

 

JL Audio do have high (speaker level) inputs. They should recommend them as the default. See page 16.

http://mediacdn.jlaudio.com/media/mfg/9013/media_document/live_1/Dominion_MAN.pdf?1438209422

 

Well done!
Absolutely the speaker level inputs sound better- i will not own a music sub without it.
The sound signature of the preamp and amplifier can be different enough to cause a disconnect if you feed the subs with one signal and the mains with the other. When each sees the same signal, integration and sound quality is as good as you can get.

 

Absolutely X 2. Not to mention maybe one of the amps (more often than not the one the signal source is connected to) may exhibit more constrained dynamics than the one that feeds the sub.

 

Well, a "few" weeks already passed. Verdict?

 

Most subs used these days are "active" and have their own amplifier built in. So regardless of which input you use the driver in the sub will never receive exactly the same signal as the main speakers. You'd need to run a passive sub to do that.

 

Maybe they should, but they recommend the opposite. From page 16:
Speaker Level Inputs This feature is included for convenience when needing to connect the Dominion™ to a receiver or integrated amplifier that only offers speaker level outputs. The use of this feature is only recommended when no suitable line-level signal is available.