How Do I Use a Standalone Sub Instead of the Ones Built into My Tower Speakers?

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Q I recently purchased a pair of Definitive Technology BP 8060 ST tower speakers with built-in subs. They are connected to my Sony STR-DH750 receiver. What would be the correct speaker setting if I used the 8060s as my front speakers (set to Large) and continued to use my Sony sub for LFE instead of the ones built into the Def Tech towers? The rest of my system consists of two Infinity rear surrounds and a center speaker, plus two Bose speakers mounted on the front wall that I use for height speakers. —Kevin Bolin / Houston, TX

A Since the STR-DH750 is a 7.1-channel receiver, and you’re using the two extra amp channels for height speakers instead of back surrounds, the correct speaker setting would be 3/2.1. You might want to consider ditching your current sub and using the ones built into your Def Tech 8060 tower speakers for LFE purposes instead, however. Any speaker system with two 10-inch subs, each powered by a 300-watt amp, should provide enough low-end oomph for all but the most bass-intensive applications, and something tells me that your Sony subwoofer isn’t going to cut it.

If you still require more bass extension and output than your current system provides, I’d suggest looking into a super-sub from a specialist subwoofer manufacturer like SVS or Hsu Research. One more suggestion: You may want to consider switching out your center and surround speakers with models that match your front towers. Using a medley of different-brand speakers in a multichannel system can result in tonal mismatches as the sound travels across the various channels.

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