Configuring the X-Ref 10 for use with a combined stereo and home theater system
There are several ways you can configure a combined stereo and home theater system to work with your X-Ref 10.
Separate stereo preamp and home theater pre/processor
If you have entirely separate stereo and home theater systems, both with bass management, and intend to share one X-Ref 10 (or one pair) between them, then the best option is to simply connect the subwoofer outputs of each to one of the X-Ref’s input connectors. (Connect one to the balanced input and one to the unbalanced input. If one source component is physically closer, use the unbalanced cable for the shorter cable run if possible.) Set the X-Over (crossover) to Direct on the X-Ref 10 to allow the preamp and pre/processor to each handle their own bass management.
The X-Ref 10 also offers a feature which automatically adds a little extra punch when you’re watching a movie (it increases low bass by about +6 dB at 45 Hz). This feature is enabled by connecting the Movie EQ Trigger input on the X-Ref 10 to the trigger output on your home-theater pre/processor. (Assuming you have a stereo music source connected to one input on the X-Ref, and a home-theater pre/processor connected to the other input, the Movie EQ Trigger input is typically configured to activate the bass boost when the home-theater pre/processor is turned on).
If you have a pre/processor (like Emotiva’s UMC-1) which has programmable trigger outputs, this allows the Movie EQ boost to be turned on by the pre/processor for just certain types of program material.
This configuration should also work well if you have a separate preamp and pre/pro but use “HT Bypass” or “Direct Mode” on either to allow both to share one power amp and set of speakers for the front channels.
Stereo preamp (without bass management) and home theater pre/processor
If you have a separate stereo preamp and home theater pre/processor, and your stereo preamp does not have bass management (but you use your stereo preamp as a phono preamp), the easiest solution is to connect the Tape Output of your stereo preamp to one of the high-level inputs (Aux In) on your home theater pre/processor. This will allow your pre/processor to control most aspects of playing music, including bass management, yet allow you to play records via your stereo preamp.
Another option is to purchase an external line-level crossover to provide bass management for your stereo preamp (passive or active) and then configure everything as described above.
