Need simple mod help

[giantjoebot]

I think I'm in the right section. I've been working on a simple project to make my own 2.1 computer speaker system using a pair of bookshelf speakers and a powered sub. I need to separate the base from the satellite speakers. I was thinking about adding a resistor to the drivers, but have no idea where to start, or if its even a good idea.

Here is the story. I got a pair of polk audio T15 book shelf speakers, which I might replace with something better, and polk audio psw10 powered sub. I had to get a a amp to power the bookshelf speakers and ended up getting a TK2050 Class-D Audio Amplifier off ebay. Its just a simple small 2 channel amp. See this thread Need a cheap amp, and my brains about to explode, help!

It sounds great, but someone warned me that my speakers were going to have limitations, and I can now see why. I've had these bookself speakers connected to a 5.1 receiver as the rear speakers in my living room for a while. They sounded great as rear speakers, but on my setup I have the base (I keep wondering is it base or bass?) separated to the sub and my front speakers. I have a pair of old monkey coffins up front with 12 inch woofers.

I think thats the problem. The book shelf speakers are getting full range audio, but when they try to produce base the quality seems to drop. I think it would sound a lot better if I could let the sub handle the base, and the bookshelves handle the mids and the highs. I already tried using the software that came with my audio card, but that didn't work. I know that when I took apart my old monkey coffins the speakers had resistors, and I was thinking that maybe if I added some to my book shelf speakers it would solve the problem. Its either that or buy an old receiver off ebay, and mount it under my desk.

So I was wondering if someone could tell me

Is this a good or bad idea?

How hard would this be?

Do I have to do some calculations or something to figure out the correct resistor, or is this a one size fits all deal?

Where do I buy resistors?

[pedroskova]

Connect your amplifier to the subwoofer, and from there, to your satellites. The SW should have a switch for this ("speaker level"). It will act as x-over for your main speakers.

Don't own it, never seen it, but that's how most are configured.

[giantjoebot]

Yes it has a low pass adjustment, but that just adjust the way the sub sounds, and has nothing to do with the output to the other speakers.

There is no difference between the running the speakers through the sub, or directly connecting them to the amp.

They don't sound bad. In fact my old computer speakers sound like poop in comparison. It just seems like, I don't know, they would sound better if I could filter some of the lower frequency. It just seems like to me that the speakers can't produce much base, but at higher volumes they try to, and it messes up the mids. Maybe its just me, maybe I just need better speakers. Maybe some Monitor40's or TSi100's