[pancakeplease]

Sorry i feel like I'm taking crazy pills so someone please clarify this for me. It's about loudspeakers and a sub but I'm sure a lot of you have experience or knowledge with it. 
 
I'm seeing Marantz and NAD is one of the top and most popular selling brands when it comes to integrated stereo amplifiers for speakers. Except every time I consider these, I brushed it off because there is no Sub-Out. They are very basic with 2 channels and no subwoofer output. So either everyone who buys this is using floorstanding speakers or I'm missing something. 
 
There are different ways to connect a sub. There's speaker line, which I can't do because my sub (SVS SB-12-NSD) does not have speaker wire inputs. There's LFE, which is the most common, and this is usually processed by a AVR or pre-amp. Can't do this with a Marantz or NAD integrated amp because they have no sub-out. 
 
So that leaves me with 1 other option. High level Input. I don't fully understand this since google is showing high level input as using speaker wires? 
 
The SVS subwoofer manual says that you can connect from a pre-out on the amp to the high level. It does not explain what this means, if the speakers will be full-range or if I can turn off their low-end frequency to get good crossover. 
 
 
I just found it so odd that even a Marantz Integrated costing $1500 doesn't have a sub out. 
 
 
The only stereo amps I'm seeing with sub outs are Onkyo, Yamaha and Pioneer in their Stereo Receiver lines. 

 

[MindsMirror]

I didn't find anywhere that refers to your sub's "high level input." The images I saw show it having RCA line level input. It should work as desired by connecting your source or preamp out to the sub's line in, and the sub's high pass out to your speaker amp's line in.

 

[pancakeplease]

Wait 

  I didn't find anywhere that refers to your sub's "high level input." The images I saw show it having RCA line level input. It should work as desired by connecting your source or preamp out to the sub's line in, and the sub's high pass out to your speaker amp's line in.

Sorry bit confused. If I have 1 stereo receiver/integrated amp, you're saying use the Pre-Out with RCA cables and put those into the sub's line in? I dont understand the high pass to speaker amp's line in part. 
 
Currently I'd have a dac into the integrated amp's audio 1 line in. the speakers are wired out from the integrated amp. and no subwoofer out so Im guessing I use the pre-out to put into the sub. If I do that, would I be able to adjust the crossover using the low pass knob on my sub?

 

[MindsMirror]

  Wait 
Sorry bit confused. If I have 1 stereo receiver/integrated amp, you're saying use the Pre-Out with RCA cables and put those into the sub's line in? I dont understand the high pass to speaker amp's line in part. 
 
Currently I'd have a dac into the integrated amp's audio 1 line in. the speakers are wired out from the integrated amp. and no subwoofer out so Im guessing I use the pre-out to put into the sub. If I do that, would I be able to adjust the crossover using the low pass knob on my sub?

The source or preamp out I mentioned before would be your DAC. Connect the DAC to the sub line in, and the sub high pass out to the receiver's audio 1 line in (where you had the DAC before). That way you are inserting the sub between the DAC and the receiver. The sub will take the full range signal from the DAC, split it based on it's low pass setting, play the low frequency portion itself, and send the high frequency portion to the receiver.

 

[pancakeplease]

Ohh gotcha that makes sense. So with this method, the low pass filter should work on the sub still right? Im not entirely sure if the low pass filter will work or not. 
 
This is what the SVS manual says about that: 
 
"There two sets of output connectors on the STA-400D. One set (labeled Line Out) is unfiltered and carries 
t
he same signal as found on the input connectors.
The set labeled High Pass Out has a high pass filter applied 
 
which has a corner frequency of 80Hz and a slope of -12 dB per octave.
 
 
The output connectors are typically used to either daisy-chain additional subwoofers with a single, unfiltered 
output, 
or
 
as the input to a power amplifier for the Left and Right main channels with no filtering 
or
 
the 80Hz 
High Pass applied depending on which set of connectors are used."
 
 
 
So if I understand this right, I go directly from my DAC/Source Line Out into the Sub Line In. Then I can either go:
 
1) Subwoofer Line Out > Receiver Audio Input for unfiltered signals, which means the speakers will play at full range and the sub will play only the low pass filter frequencies (say 60hz or less only)
 
2) Subwoofer High Pass Output > Receiver Audio Input for FILTERED frequency automatically set at 80hz. 
 
Does that sound right to you? 
 
Wouldn't it be better to use Option #1 so I can control the low pass filter at my liking versus just being set at 80hz? 
 
Here's a picture of the sub's back
 

 

 

[MindsMirror]

 
Wouldn't it be better to use Option #1 so I can control the low pass filter at my liking versus just being set at 80hz?

I assumed the low and high pass frequency would be adjusted together, it sounds like the high pass is fixed though. The knob will still control the low pass signal in both options, you just can't control the signal that is sent to the high pass out. I'd still use option 2.

 

[pancakeplease]

  I assumed the low and high pass frequency would be adjusted together, it sounds like the high pass is fixed though. The knob will still control the low pass signal in both options, you just can't control the signal that is sent to the high pass out. I'd still use option 2.

Thanks you're right. I got low pass confused with setting speaker mains to large/small crossover. 
 
I guess option 1 and 2 both allows me to use the subwoofer's crossover for the sub itself. 
 
But the limitation would be that I either play the mains at full range or cut off at 80hz. I guess if I want more adjustability I need to buy an avr. ugh
 
Thanks for the help