# Low level to High level?



## clint357 (Mar 20, 2016)

I picked up a cheap old Mirage sub on craigslist for $40 until I have time to build my own, but I don't know how to hook it up to my system. I have a subwoofer cable running to my living room and no way to run any other cables since they are all about 50' runs from another room where my receiver is hidden. The sub has a right and left low level inputs which do not respond when I put my sub cable into them. There are also high level right and left inputs and low level right and left outputs. Is there any way I can do this with some kind of adapter from my sub cable to a high level input?


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## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

High-level inputs come from an amplifier’s speaker outputs. The only way to utilize a line-level signal into a high level input is to feed it to an amplifier first. Assuming your subwoofer cable is the type with RCA plugs on each end, you’d have to figure out a way to connect a speaker wire to the end near the amplifier.

Regards, 
Wayne


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## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

What type of "sub cable" are you referring to? For the most part people hook up their subwoofers using an RCA cable into the low level connections, but from what you're saying it almost sounds like the Mirage doesn't have those inputs. Can you post a picture of the cable and amplifier on the sub?


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## clint357 (Mar 20, 2016)

I am running an rca from my "sub out" on the receiver. I have never seen a sub with this set of inputs though and cannot figure out how to get sound out of it. The guy I bought it from said that he just had his left and right front speaker wires in the high level inputs.


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## Kal Rubinson (Aug 3, 2006)

clint357 said:


> I am running an rca from my "sub out" on the receiver. I have never seen a sub with this set of inputs though and cannot figure out how to get sound out of it. The guy I bought it from said that he just had his left and right front speaker wires in the high level inputs.


You should be able to simply plug in the subwoofer RCA cable you have using either the left or right (low leve) input jacks.

I hesitate to ask: 
1. Is it plugged in?
2. Are you certain that your subwoofer output is active?


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## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

I'm with Kal; either of those low level inputs should suffice. Is it possible the cable run is damaged?


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## clint357 (Mar 20, 2016)

I unplugged another sub (which worked fine) and plugged this one in...


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## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

And? What's the other half of that sentence?


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## clint357 (Mar 20, 2016)

theJman said:


> And? What's the other half of that sentence?


Nothing happened, so I posted on this forum for some expert advice. I'm wondering if the Low Level Input is defective. I just took the amp out and looked for obvious signs to cause malfunction such as a blown fuse or a broken connection, but saw nothing. I plugged into the high level input with a modified headphone jack out of my phone and got sound out of it (very quiet of course), but still shows me that the high level does in-fact work. I will probably just end up getting rid of it, but I'm really curious to hear how it sounds and play with it.


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## Kal Rubinson (Aug 3, 2006)

That's curious. In subs like this, the high level output feeds the same amp as the low level input but through a filter/attenuator. This suggest that a physical connection between the low level inputs and the amp interrupted.


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## Tonto (Jun 30, 2007)

Kal wrote:



> In subs like this, the high level output feeds the same amp as the low level input


. 

You guys are confusing me. I only see High Level inputs & Low level outputs.
What am I missing here?


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## willis7469 (Jan 31, 2014)

Tonto said:


> Kal wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> ...




I see what you're saying here. I see low level ins AND outs, but high level ins only. Could the high level outs be on a different part of the plate amp?(not likely but...)


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## Kal Rubinson (Aug 3, 2006)

willis7469 said:


> I see what you're saying here. I see low level ins AND outs, but high level ins only. Could the high level outs be on a different part of the plate amp?(not likely but...)


There is no separate high level out; it goes to the driver.


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## willis7469 (Jan 31, 2014)

I see. So the split happens at the main speaker then? 


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## Kal Rubinson (Aug 3, 2006)

willis7469 said:


> I see. So the split happens at the main speaker then?


I do not know what you mean by "split."


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## willis7469 (Jan 31, 2014)

Kal Rubinson said:


> I do not know what you mean by "split."




What I mean is the speaker outs feed the mains and then the sub. So the speaker cable goes from the avr to the speaker and then finally the subwoofer. The "split" I meant was at the speaker. 


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## Kal Rubinson (Aug 3, 2006)

willis7469 said:


> What I mean is the speaker outs feed the mains and then the sub. So the speaker cable goes from the avr to the speaker and then finally the subwoofer. The "split" I meant was at the speaker.


I guess that is one way to do it.


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