Is an amplifier with a dedicated subwoofer output better than one without?

[Adsibob]

My search for a new amplifier (my first in fact) has come down to:

1) Leak 230; or
2) Cambridge Audio CXA81 Mk2

I will be using it to play my Technics 1500C turntable and a CD Transport (not yet acquired but I like the look of the Leak CDT); and eventually a vintage tuner. I have acquired a pair of Linton Wharfdale 3XP stereo speakers for just £60; I know they aren’t high end but seemed like a good speaker to get started with. Reviews mention bass can be a bit lacking with those speakers, so I want to use a sub. I have a powered Tannoy which is about 15 years old from a 5.1 system I no longer use. I can either use that, or purchase a passive sub if that is better.

My question is:
The CXA81Mk2 has an dedicated subwoofer out, whereas the Leak does not. I understand that this means that to use a sub with the Leak 230, I will need to wire the sub to the Leak’s pre-outs. My question is: is that a disadvantage in any way against the CXA81Mk2 given my intended use?

[Nick Laslett]

Depends on how the Bass Management is handled. It is better to have an amp that splits the bass frequencies from the rest of the music signal and sends that to the subwoofer. Most standard speakers do not have very good handle on the bass frequencies unless they are big floor standers.

 

Audioholics YouTube channel and website will have an article on this topic.  Or visit Richer Sounds and talk to them about what you are trying to achieve. 
 

The challenge is you can end up with a system where the subwoofer and speakers don’t blend well together, and you don’t have sufficient controls to adjust this. 
 

*Edit. A quick google tells me the Cambridge Audio CXA81 has very limited bass management. In this case you would set the low pass filter on the Subwoofer to ignore frequencies above a certain value. 
 

https://supportarchive.cambridgeaudio.com/hc/en-us/articles/17968357221661-How-can-I-connect-a-Sub-Woofer-to-the-CXA61-81-81-Mk-II

 

**Edit2. Both amps will be fine. You need a Subwoofer with good controls, so that you can set the crossover to blend with your main speakers. Somewhere in the chain you need a way to manage the bass frequencies. 

Edited Wednesday at 12:54 by Nick Laslett

[nod]

If you like your music You won’t get the low pitch mono without a sub

Unless your stuck for space Id alway add at least one sub 

[nod]

8 minutes ago, nod said:

If you like your music You won’t get the low pitch mono without a sub

Unless your stuck for space Id alway add at least one sub 

One of my sons builds (car install)

6x15”

Edited Wednesday at 13:17 by nod

[Kelvin]

During lockdown a local high end hifi dealer loaned out his shop stock to his local customers. I was in the market to update my 30 year old Tannoy DC3000 speakers to something new. I had two sets of speakers on loan. Fyne Audio F702 and PMC twenty5 26. There was very little difference between all three pairs of speakers in reality. The PMC sounded marginally better overall. The Fyne Audio had slightly better bass control. Even my son’s 21 year old ears couldn’t really hear a lot of difference. I ended up keeping the Tannoys. However I did add a sub, mostly for the movies but wired it up to the Hi-Fi too. My Hi-Fi amp doesn’t have a dedicated subwoofer output so I had  to use the pre-out. The sub (an SVS SB3000) has a lot of control over it though. The Tannoys have a very good bass response but the addition of a sub really made a huge difference. But you do need a sub you can configure properly. The addition of a sub should be subtle rather than obvious.