[Huck]

I am running basically "pro" gear in my listening room,which includes a Denon d.j. mixer,Yamaha DXR10 powered tops and a single 12" RCF powered sub .Right now I am feeding the sub with the L/R outputs from the mixer MAINs and from there going through the sub x-over to the Yamaha tops and crossing the sub over at 80hz and running the powered top's HPF on OFF.
  I notice that this Denon mixer has a 'sub-out' via a single 1/4" TRS phone plug with frequency dial from 40-200. Would I be better off going straight to my subwoofer from this spot and then go directly to the powred speakers from the MAIN outs on the mixer,avoiding the sub x-over all together? I am striving for the best sound doing either way. Thanks,Huck
 

[JLM]

Short answer #1: Try it for yourself (it's your rig, room, ears)

Short answer #2: It depends

Long answer (to explain short answer #2):  Purists would hate to not use direct connections to your mains (tops), but that would run them full range.  Running through the sub turns the sub/mains into a sort of 3-way speaker.  It will relieve the mains woofers from the bass duties (that take more power, adds intermodulation distortion, and prevents those woofers from handling more power and sounding more open).


While you're at it, you could also try varying the crossover frequency.  80Hz is the THX movie standard, but there is no audio standard.  Lower crossover makes the woofers in your mains work harder, but could improve imaging.  Results vary, depending again on your rig, room, and ears.  Most audiophiles run their subs between 50 and 120 (for tiny mains) Hz.  Above 200 Hz imaging would definitely be affected.

[Huck]

Thanks! ^^
     Any advantage to running an electronic cross-over instead of going  the usual route from the mixer,to the sub and from the sub to the tops. I am debating this alternate method.I am running a pair of powered two-way tops with HPF's and a single powered sub.Thanks,Huck

[JLM]

Depends.

If there is an audible advantage to either:

1.) Whatever extra useful features the electronic crossover might have (such as variable crossover frequency and/or crossover slope) over the sub output (check specifications on both mains and sub) or;

2.) If the electronic crossover produces a cleaner signal than the subwoofer crossover (probably would only happen for a really cheap/broken sub);

it might be worth the extra connections/cabling/complexity/cost. 

[Huck]

Short answer #1: Try it for yourself (it's your rig, room, ears)

Short answer #2: It depends

Long answer (to explain short answer #2):  Purists would hate to not use direct connections to your mains (tops), but that would run them full range.  Running through the sub turns the sub/mains into a sort of 3-way speaker.  It will relieve the mains woofers from the bass duties (that take more power, adds intermodulation distortion, and prevents those woofers from handling more power and sounding more open).


While you're at it, you could also try varying the crossover frequency.  80Hz is the THX movie standard, but there is no audio standard.  Lower crossover makes the woofers in your mains work harder, but could improve imaging.  Results vary, depending again on your rig, room, and ears.  Most audiophiles run their subs between 50 and 120 (for tiny mains) Hz.  Above 200 Hz imaging would definitely be affected.

 I tried running the sub straight from the Denon sub-out and there is hardly any output...I had to turn the sub volume all the way up,whereby I usually run it at 12 o'clock and there was still not enough?! I scrapped that idea and went back to going from the mixer l/r Main outs to the sub,to the tops.  Thanks,Huck