Mother-card vs. daughter-card / RCA vs. jack - How to plug subwoofer?

[Jacko0o]

Hi everybody

I am struggling for a while searching for the best method to connect subwoofer with my PC.
I have AIM SC808 soundcard with 2.0 speakers (Edifier R2600) plugged through RCA to mother-card. I would like to add a subwoofer to my setup. My question is: what is the best way to connect a sub for the best sound quality?

1. Is it better to plug a sub to CEN/LFE OUT socket on daughter-card (on the right above) with speakers connected to Line Out L/R on mother-card (on the left above)?
OR
2. Is it better to plug a sub as a "connector" between mother-card and speakers (Line Out L/R on mother-card --> sub with "OUT" sockets --> speakers)?
OR
3. It doesn't matter and both methods are equally right (?)

I don't have sub yet. When I find out the best method to plug it, I will search for the sub with proper connectors.

As far as I know, mother-card has much better quality than daughter-card. I'm not sure tho, how it affects sound quality.
I tried to get some info on different forums. I also tried to write to soundcard producer... Didn't get anything useful so far... I hope I can find some knowledge and advices here

Thank you in advance for your replies,
Jack.

 

[Mikem53]

The LFE is the Low Freq effect, the .1 of a 2.1 or 7.1 system. This will have the low pass signal for the sub in one channel, premixed. So the sub won’t have to filter the lows with its crossover from both channels.. then I would use the speaker out on the main card, example #1. otherwise you will have more cables and connections and the sub will have to do the crossover on both channels, if I’m understanding your question setup correctly, it is 4:50 am my time before coffee, oh and good morning !
Not sure if you feed a stereo signal, if you will have an LFE channel to use ? That depends on what your feeding the soundcard and being decoded ? Then you will have to use example 2 , sending the whole signal and let the sub peel off the LF for the sub..

 

[Jacko0o]

To visualize what I have in mind,

that would be option 1:


and that whould be option 2:


I was hoping to eliminate any IF(s) and MAYBE(s)

 

[Mikem53]

Will you always be decoding the .1 channel ? Is there always a .1 from the source for the LFE ?
if you used a pre out with just a stereo signal, then you will need option 2 and use the subs x-over..

 

[Jacko0o]

I'm not sure if I understand you... Option 1 or 2 should be a permanent solution. Sub will always be connected (to LFE in option 1 or to RCAs in option 2). Would that mean that .1 channel will always be decoding?

BUT (didn't think about it earlier)...
I don't want to use sub all the time, for the sake of neighbors and co-inhabitants Option 2 would mean that sub has to be turned on constantly. Does it mean that muting sub (decreasing volume to minimum) also mutes speakers plugged to it or maybe volume controls work independently and it will cut only low frequencies "taken" by sub without affecting speakers' volume?

 

[Mikem53]

Thats my understanding, the LFE is the .1 in a coding scheme. Thats not to say some hardware or software in your card isn’t summing the LFE with all inputs. But basically you need a source with .1 that is extracted and sent down the output summed from all channels, hence the one input.
If you are doing this for two channel music, I would use method 2, with both channels going to
the sub and using the internal crossover. Maybe not ideal in the extra cable and dual Connectors, but you wont have to rely on decoding. If you use 5.1, then method 2 won’t get all the LFE of the 5 channels..

 

[Mikem53]

I'm not sure if I understand you... Option 1 or 2 should be a permanent solution. Sub will always be connected (to LFE in option 1 or to RCAs in option 2). Would that mean that .1 channel will always be decoding?

BUT (didn't think about it earlier)...
I don't want to use sub all the time, for the sake of neighbors and co-inhabitants Option 2 would mean that sub has to be turned on constantly. Does it mean that muting sub (decreasing volume to minimum) also mutes speakers plugged to it or maybe volume controls work independently and it will cut only low frequencies "taken" by sub without affecting speakers' volume?

I don’t think the sub needs to be on.. Those inputs and outputs connectors are probably connected in parallel. You could look up the manual To be sure.
I have an SVS SB2000 which has an LFE in and a stereo line in and out. For HT use I use the LFE as the processor sums all inputs.
For my 2 channel system, when I used it.. I used the line in L and R on the sub out from the preamp. most subs will have both or use only The one channel. you can easily test which sounds better.
That Yamaha sub must come with a pigtail “Y” for L and R input or is made for a soundbar or AVR

 

[Jacko0o]

Thank you very much for your help. I am much smarter now Gonna go for option 2