BK Gemini II on passive sub output

Delore

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I started upgrading my system earlier in the year but only got as far as doing the speakers. Other things came up, as they do.

I had planned on buying a new AVR over black Friday and then a sub in January once Xmas is over with. That would mean running in 5.0 in the mean time as the old sub is a passive one so won't work with any new receiver.

However, i've only just learned that "High Level Input" is a thing and should enable me to connect a powered sub to the passive sub output on the AVR using the "Speakon High Level Lead " that comes with the BK Gemini II. So i'm thinking if I do the purchases other way around and buy the sub now then AVR in January I should be able to enjoy an improvement in sound with the sub for those 2 months rather than a compromise with running 5.0 with new AVR.

I just want to check if there's anything wrong with my thinking here before I go ahead and spend the money?

59d512a22a533c1a5f4f1ed3.jpg
 
Yes, follow this wiring guide.
View attachment 1225265

^This diagram is showing how to connect a sub up to stereo outputs from an amp (left and right main speaker outputs of a traditional 2-channel hifi amplifier being what I'm sure was envisaged). This is different to what the OP has in mind, which is to use the (passive) mono subwoofer output of their amp.

@Delore what you've suggested looks like it will work to me. Just check with BK how best to connect the cable. I don't know if you should connect both yellow and red to the positive sub out on your amp, or to leave one of these cables disconnected (and covered up so it can't short any input).
 
Ultrasonic said:
what you've suggested looks like it will work to me. Just check with BK how best to connect the cable. I don't know if you should connect both yellow and red to the positive sub out on your amp, or to leave one of these cables disconnected (and covered up so it can't short any input).
Thanks but I managed to find a Yamaha RX-D485 AVR for cheap so got that first instead of faffing about. Running it without a sub at the moment and surprised how good it sounds with just the speakers (QA 30*0), it sounds quite significantly better in 5.0 than the old Pioneer did in 5.1 with the passive amp. Almost tempted just to leave it like that but now i'm wondering what i've been missing if the passive sub was so bad i can't tell it's gone.
 
Almost tempted just to leave it like that but now i'm wondering what i've been missing if the passive sub was so bad i can't tell it's gone.
For movies I would be astonished if you added a proper sub and regretted it.
 
For movies I would be astonished if you added a proper sub and regretted it.
To be honest outside of the blockbusters i rarely watch movies any more. There's just so many quality TV shows available via streaming now and i've kind of always been like that even with books, ignore what are meant to be great standalones in favour of huge book series.

New season of The Expanse coming up in a couple of weeks though and with the money i saved on the amp I should be able to pick up a BK Gemini 2 before it comes out unless something comes up.
 
To be honest outside of the blockbusters i rarely watch movies any more. There's just so many quality TV shows available via streaming now and i've kind of always been like that even with books, ignore what are meant to be great standalones in favour of huge book series.

New season of The Expanse coming up in a couple of weeks though and with the money i saved on the amp I should be able to pick up a BK Gemini 2 before it comes out unless something comes up.
Well, my comment applies to many dramatic TV series too :) . I watch more TV series than movies as well actually. I was more making a distinction from music, where a poorly setup subwoofer is more likely to be viewed as detrimental.

As you're looking at BK subs are you aware of their slightly cheaper B-grade selling channel on eBay (colossusxb)? The general comment from those who've bought one is that they can't spot any mark on them. For example:

BK Gemini II Subwoofer in Light Oak (Grade "B") 5060403220059 | eBay
 
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Well, my comment applies to many dramatic TV series too :) . I watch more TV series than movies as well actually. I was more making a distinction from music, where a poorly setup subwoofer is more likely to be viewed as detrimental.

As you're looking at BK subs are you aware of their slightly cheaper B-grade selling channel on eBay (colossusxb)? The general comment from those who've bought one is that they can't spot any mark on them. For example:

BK Gemini II Subwoofer in Light Oak (Grade "B") 5060403220059 | eBay

I saw those, actually had one in my basket until I bought the amp instead. It will probably be the end of next week before I buy one now though, got my fingers crossed Ebay do another 10-20% site wide discount by then as they didn't do anything for Black Friday.

Just hope I can keep it toned down enough so as not to annoy the neighbour downstairs but still enjoy it. We've had a good balance of how much noise we can each get away with over the years, kinda weird how neither of us hears much from our respective systems unless it's cranked up loud but can hear each other if talking loud on the phone o_O
 
-- As an eBay Associate, AVForums earns from qualifying purchases --
Just hope I can keep it toned down enough so as not to annoy the neighbour downstairs but still enjoy it. We've had a good balance of how much noise we can each get away with over the years, kinda weird how neither of us hears much from our respective systems unless it's cranked up loud but can hear each other if talking loud on the phone o_O
Ah, well that's a very different consideration. I had a sub years ago in a flat but it was essentially pointless as I was too conscious that it was bound to annoy my neighbour to ever really do anything worthwhile with it.
 
Well, got one now and all set up.

YPAO set it at -6.5db. Being the know it all that i am i instantly assumed it was wrong and set it to 0db. It was all good until particularly heavy scenes happened and it was all a bit too much, certainly enough to annoy the neighbours. So had to gradually bump it back down until i found a balance... which just so happened to be the -6.5db YPAO set originally :blush:

I had gain set to 12 o'clock but been reading in other threads it should be 10-11 o'clock so i'll try running it again tomorrow at that just to make sure it's all set up properly.

For some reason i expected voices from the centre to have a bit more, i dunno... deeper timbre to them with the sub but they mostly sound the same so far. That could be my 3090c though so will have to have a play and maybe drop the crossover from 80 to 90hz.

Overall i'm really happy though, what i thought previously about perhaps not knowing what i was missing having only used a passive sub for donkeys years has turned out to be right. Instantly with the BK sub connected everything suddenly sounds like it has the proper weight to it, I don't care about things like explosions as they usually have me reaching for the remote to turn it down anyway but all the little noises like footsteps sounds 'right' now when i didn't really notice them sounding wrong without the sub.

Now just need new surrounds as one of them now has a hole in the tweeter that no one seems to be owning up to!
 

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