(Topic ID: 209995)

Subwoofer connection advice needed

By frankmac

6 years ago


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#1 6 years ago

I need advice regarding the hookup of this pre powered sub to my Stern GOTG pin.

Sub does not have a speaker wire hook up only red/and white.

Please see photo and thanks in advance for the help!!

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#2 6 years ago

The simplest would be run your RCA plug ground (shield) for both channels to the node 0 line out CN27 pin 2, and then each center pin for your RCAs to CN27 pin 1 & 3.

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#3 6 years ago
Quoted from wayout440:

The simplest would be run your RCA plug ground (shield) for both channels to the node 0 line out CN27 pin 2, and then each center pin for your RCAs to CN27 pin 1 & 3.

Thanks for the info! Do you know if anyone sells this?

#4 6 years ago
Quoted from frankmac:

Thanks for the info! Do you know if anyone sells this?

No, sorry. That's something I would DIY, personally. Perhaps try contacting stern to ask for a line out to RCA cable? That's about all I can tell you.

#5 6 years ago

check with Pinnovators

#6 6 years ago

This is what you need if you don't want to make your own cable and connector. It taps into the speaker level output of the Spike board, converts it to a low level signal suitable for input to a sub without speaker level inputs. The kit includes all the cables you need to run from the adapter board down to the sub inputs.

http://www.pinnovators.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=48&osCsid=c666t4blejjj4si3oc8kqajaq4

There is a 3.5mm output on the GB Spike boards but the volume of this jack is not tied to the speaker volume (it is considered a headphone jack with its own volume control) so if you try and use that, you end up with a fixed subwoofer volume that doesn't adjust with the main speaker volume. Its worth spending the $35 to get the pinovators kit in this case.

2 months later
#8 5 years ago

Hi guys I'm also trying to hookup a line out to a Spike-2 game and having issues. The info above is for the Spike CPU board, not Spike-2. I can't find a CN27 on the Spike-2 CPU boards on my Batman or Star Wars machines.
The weird thing is that the feature matrix for all the Spike-2 games lists the "CPU mounted line-out audio connector for external amplification" and the manual states that there SHOULD be a CN27 for this but its not there. I called Chas at Stern about this when Star Wars came out and he said he thinks that the manuals and feature matrix info are all wrong and that the line-out feature was cost-removed for Spike-2... yet they still list the line out connector on all new Spike-2 games.
Can anyone confirm if they have a line out on their Spike-2 CPU boards? Or another way to get Line out without buying headphone upgrades would be good too...
Thanks!

#9 5 years ago
Quoted from ShinyNick:

Hi guys I'm also trying to hookup a line out to a Spike-2 game and having issues. The info above is for the Spike CPU board, not Spike-2. I can't find a CN27 on the Spike-2 CPU boards on my Batman or Star Wars machines.
The weird thing is that the feature matrix for all the Spike-2 games lists the "CPU mounted line-out audio connector for external amplification" and the manual states that there SHOULD be a CN27 for this but its not there. I called Chas at Stern about this when Star Wars came out and he said he thinks that the manuals and feature matrix info are all wrong and that the line-out feature was cost-removed for Spike-2... yet they still list the line out connector on all new Spike-2 games.
Can anyone confirm if they have a line out on their Spike-2 CPU boards? Or another way to get Line out without buying headphone upgrades would be good too...
Thanks!

I can confirm it is not there on Aerosmith and SW. I tried using the line out jack on GB but never liked it as it was fixed output. The sub volume wouldn't adjust as you raised and lowered the volume on the machine. I just use speaker wire connected to the cabinet speaker with alligator clips. Cheap, simple and reversible.

#10 5 years ago

I'm using the speaker clips now as well but getting strange audio feedback when connecting two games to one sub. I'm looking to connect 4+ games to each sub and need line out...
I feel like Stern owes us all headphone adapter kits due to false advertising...

#11 5 years ago
Quoted from ShinyNick:

I'm using the speaker clips now as well but getting strange audio feedback when connecting two games to one sub. I'm looking to connect 4+ games to each sub and need line out...
I feel like Stern owes us all headphone adapter kits due to false advertising...

Sounds like you are having a ground loop issue which I have not had connecting to the cabinet speaker.

You can use one of these: http://www.pinnovators.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=58

Or a speaker level to low level adapter like this one: https://www.parts-express.com/metra-ibloc01-40w-high-to-low-adapter-with-female-rca--265-026
Use left for one pin and right for the other. You will need a short stereo RCA male to male cable to connect between the adapter and the sub.

Benefits of both is they isolate ground loops and give you individual gain controls on each channel so you can adjust the relative bass volume from each pin.

#12 5 years ago
Quoted from ShinyNick:

I'm using the speaker clips now as well but getting strange audio feedback when connecting two games to one sub. I'm looking to connect 4+ games to each sub and need line out...
I feel like Stern owes us all headphone adapter kits due to false advertising...

Connecting more than one game to a sub is not really such a good idea, unless you use the line outs to a mixer.

3 months later
#13 5 years ago

As a complete newbie, I can say to other newbies that the Pinnovators subwoofer connector is an extremely easy way to add a subwoofer to your machine. Since I have no electronic skills, I have intense paranoia about screwing something up if I have to strip wires or clip things to wires I don't understand. The good thing is that with the Pinnovators connector, no electronic knowledge is necessary - if you can plug and unplug things, then you have the requisite skills. I added them to both a Stern SAM system (AC/DC Pro Vault Edition) and a Stern Spike system (Guardians of the Galaxy Pro). The first one took maybe 10 minutes because I was extremely tentative and kept looking at the instructions. The second one took 5 minutes.

Just unplug the existing speaker connection from the board (this was the only part that made me nervous, because I didn't want to accidentally yank anything off, but if you just rock the connector as you pull, it'll disengage), plug Pinnovator adaptor into the board, and plug the existing speaker connection into the Pinnovator adaptor (i.e. you're essentially adding the Pinnovator adaptor in between the speaker connection and the board). You then plug the included 3.5mm subwoofer cable into the Pinnovator adaptor, and then guide it into the lower cabinet and out one of the vent holes. If you have RCA inputs on your subwoofer, there's an included 3.5 mm-to-RCA adaptor.

On the product description page on the Pinnovators site you can actually get a PDF of the instructions. They have photos to help you along.

Highly recommended! (I don't work for Pinnovators or anything - just like recommending things that have made life easier for me!)

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