Question about Swan Speakers and Subwoofer

How are you looking to use them? If you're using them as computer speakers, it's pretty easy. You can either split the rca cable or plug it into the center/sub output on your soundcard. Alternatively, some subwoofers now have rca line out's so you hook up the Swans through the sub.

I can't speak for the d1080's, but the m200's have very good bass on their own. I tossed on a psw10 just to get that added bass extension, but it's really not necessary.
 
I own the D1080MKII and I noticed that a sub makes a difference. Putting the sub to the sub out on the sound card doesn't really work in my experiences since many cards only use the sub-out on 5.1 or 7.1. My sub also doesn't have an rca-out, so I just use a splitter. It works pretty well.
 
I would go for the MK200. I'm pleased with how the D1080 sound but I've heard the MK200 just that much better. Just make sure you get a good sound card to make them shine. I just ordered a Xonar DX and it probably won't be here for another week, but they sounded great on the X-fi XtremeMusic. Just make the jump, it's worth it.
 
If your sub doesn't have any outputs or pass-thru then you can use either of these methods by splitting the signal from the sound card and sending it to both the subs and the speakers:

subwiring.png


Only downside is that you either deal with two volume knobs (on the speakers and the sub) or you control the volume from within windows or your playback program/game, that and the fact that the speakers are still putting out the full range of frequencies so you're not freeing them up to reproduce only the mids and highs, as it were...
 
Cleaned my instructions up a little.

seemlessthunder said:
Do it yourself 2.1 Powered Speakers through soundcard.

What you need are the following cables:

(1) 3.5mm to RCA cable: http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...d=10218&cs_id=1021804&p_id=666&seq=1&format=2
(3) RCA Y-splitters: http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...d=10218&cs_id=1021803&p_id=663&seq=1&format=2
(2) RCA cables

diypowered21.jpg


Instructions are as follows:
1. Connect the 3.5mm to RCA cable to your soundcard's main speaker out.

2. Connect one RCA Y-splitter to each end of the cable from step 1.

3. RCA cable. Plug both white plugs step 2 into this. Plug the other end into your AV-40's.

4. RCA cable. Plus both red plugs from step 2 into this. Proceed to step 5.

5. RCA y-splitter. Use the last RCA y-splitter to connect the rca cable from step 4 to your subwoofer. This step is necessary because you don't have L/R rca inputs on your sub. The single end goes into the subwoofer.


A few additional comments:
If your subwoofer has RCA inputs, step 5 is unnecessary.

If your speakers have subwoofer out, you just run a 3.5mm to RCA cable to the Monitors and then an RCA cable to the subwoofer.

If your subwoofer has an RCA speaker out, run a 3.5mm to RCA cable to the subwoofer, and then an RCA cable from the subwoofer to the Monitors.
Click to expand...
 
Depends. If you have a soundcard with driver-level equalizer, then you just use the sub for the crossover and adjust the frequency output for the different bands accordingly. You can also try it just in 5.1 mode and disabling the other speakers via windows.
 
If you consider the average BB employee even remotely knowledgeable then I've got a bridge to sell ya...

In all seriousness though, if you already have your brand new speakers/sub, just buy the cables and try it! Also, Best Buy is the LAST place in the world to buy cables at... They're usually marked up beyond believe. Head up to www.monoprice.com or somewhere else (even the Rat Shack will likely be cheaper, and have a better variety). Monoprice has awesome prices and good quality stuff though, even with shipping (to Puerto Rico!) it tends to be substantially cheaper than anywhere else.

Regardless, if you want to go down the receiver route you'd need different (passive) speakers, the M200MKII are self powered (meaning they have their own amp) and have absolutely no need or use for a receiver.
 
The color shouldn't matter dude, if it's red/yellow it's probably meant as a video + mono audio cable (yellow usually corresponding to video), but you can use it just the same for audio only (in stereo). I can't really make out how you've hooked it all up from those pics though... I take it the sub is currently not connected at all, and you've used a 3.5mm-to-RCA adapter to hook up the speakers (to the sound card) using that cable you already had? That should be fine for now ('till you get additional splitters/cables to add the sub). Didn't the Swans come with any cables though?
 
Btw that adapter you've used could take the place of the 3.5mm to RCA cable in my first diagram (above), but it might be kinda hard to connect two RCA splitters to it (and then additional cables to the splitters) since they'll be so close together... That's why I put a cable in the diagram. All this stuff should be dirt cheap somewhere like monoprice though.

If you're following the first diagram in my post you'd need one 3.5mm to RCA cable ($7.35), three RCA splitters ($0.68 each), and two regular RCA cables ($1.69 each), though you should already have at 'least one of those... Also keep in mind that I just linked the first cable of that kind that I spotted just now at Monoprice, you may find a cheaper/shorter run (some of the ones I linked include an S-video cable which you don't need either).

If you go with the second simpler diagram instead (less cables), you'd need a simple 3.5mm splitter (that you can find anywhere for less than $5), two of the aforementioned 3.5mm to RCA cables ($7.35 each), and one RCA splitter ($0.68).

Edit: Actually, check that, looking at your pics it looks like your sub has L/R RCA inputs so you wouldn't even need the RCA splitter with the second scenario, and you'd only need two of them in the first scenario (you don't need to re-merge the RCA cable to hook it up to your sub as in my diagram, I drew it with subs that only have one RCA input in mind).
 
So you have a 3.5mm to RCA cable and a standard RCA cable... I'm still not sure what you've tried and what/why it hasn't worked, but all you need is a 3.5mm splitter, and another 3.5mm to RCA cable, so you can hook up the sub.
 
Thanks for the update RailGunRiz. Though my setup is working from the subout of the satellites, this is something I may consider doing to see if there is any improvement. It is nice not only to know the cable setup but also what to buy as well.

How does the M200 sound with the sub? I bet that setup is pretty kick*ss.
 
Yeah, the Swans are very nice on their own as long as you're ok with the bass being a little flabby around 60hz/below. You don't really need a sub unless you're deadset on getting down to the 25-40hz range. They're sufficient for normal listening and importantly will render vocals pretty accurately in movies.
 
I also have the Swan M200MKII and I like it but would it be handle a center channel adding to it?
 
If you adjust the EQ for them (in software mind you, not the knobs) you should have no need for a center channel. This is where a good sound card comes into play with a driver level EQ. Xonar does a good job of this and lets you make tons of custom presets to your heart's content.

The only way you would be able to add a center channel would be to use a receiver and I don't know that even then it would work or sound good. Again though, if you tweak the EQ well you really shouldn't need a center.
 
If you add a receiver you shouldn't be working with active speakers at all... Glad to hear you got it all working RailGunz, even though what the guy at Monoprice told you is exactly one (of several) ways we had already shown you to hook it all up. :p
 
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