• Registered: 2012-04-12
  • Posts: 43

Topic: Connecting Fireface 800 to Regular, Passive Stereo Speakers?

Hi everyone,

I have a pair of regular, passive stereo speakers that I would like to connect to my Fireface 800. I say 'regular stereo speakers' because these speakers connect via speaker wire to a receiver, just like any traditional stereo unit.

Unless I'm mistaken, I cannot connect these speakers directly to the Fireface, since I would need some kind of adapter that takes the speaker cables and converts them to a 1/4 connection. (Unless this exists?)

So I need an amplifier that can perform this conversion (i.e., take signal from the Fireface via 1/4 connection, and output it through speaker wire to the passive speakers). (I also note that I am currently using the SPDIF connections on the Fireface for another purpose).

Can anyone recommend a good, basic unit that can do this? I am not relying on these speakers for recording. They're not even my B pair. They're a C pair for doing final mix checks. So I do not need anything fancy here. But I would prefer a unit that is rack mountable, if possible.

Can anyone point me in the right direction?

  • mkok
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2020-11-04
  • Posts: 629

Re: Connecting Fireface 800 to Regular, Passive Stereo Speakers?

Can’t you output to the receiver you have with the speakers. Does it have a spare input? Seems a waste to by another amplifier to do the job.

Babyface Pro Fs, Behringer ADA8200, win 10/11 PCs, Cubase/Wavelab, Adam A7X monitors.
  • Registered: 2012-04-12
  • Posts: 43

Re: Connecting Fireface 800 to Regular, Passive Stereo Speakers?

mkok wrote:

Can’t you output to the receiver you have with the speakers. Does it have a spare input? Seems a waste to by another amplifier to do the job.

Thanks for chiming in. Perhaps I was being unclear. Right now I do not have an external receiver. I have my Fireface 800, my regular studio monitors, some other reference monitors, and now this third pair of speakers which I want to connect.

This third pair of speakers, unlike the other two sets of monitors, do not connect via 1/4 cable, but rather via speaker cable. That's why I'm trying to figure out my options for a device that will connect to these speakers from the Fireface.

  • mkok
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2020-11-04
  • Posts: 629

Re: Connecting Fireface 800 to Regular, Passive Stereo Speakers?

Sorry misread. I thought you had those attached to a receiver. If there not anything special then I would be tempted by a cheap class D amp or a 2nd hand hi fi amplifier. Both can be had cheaply.

Babyface Pro Fs, Behringer ADA8200, win 10/11 PCs, Cubase/Wavelab, Adam A7X monitors.
  • cyrano
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • From: Belgium
  • Registered: 2015-04-28
  • Posts: 701

Re: Connecting Fireface 800 to Regular, Passive Stereo Speakers?

What speakers do you intend to connect?

A simple amp like this one:
https://www.thomann.de/be/the_tamp_ta50.htm

Might do if you don't require high volume levels and the speakers are reasonably efficient.

If the speakers are very inefficient, you might need a lot more, though.

MB Pro - 2 X FireFace 400, FF800 & DigiFace USB
ADAT gear: Korg, Behri, Fostex, Alesis...

cyrano's Website

  • Registered: 2012-04-12
  • Posts: 43

Re: Connecting Fireface 800 to Regular, Passive Stereo Speakers?

cyrano wrote:

What speakers do you intend to connect?

A simple amp like this one:
https://www.thomann.de/be/the_tamp_ta50.htm

Might do if you don't require high volume levels and the speakers are reasonably efficient.

If the speakers are very inefficient, you might need a lot more, though.

Thanks for chiming in. I'm looking to connect these: https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_libra … -130.shtml

Thoughts?

  • Registered: 2012-04-12
  • Posts: 43

Re: Connecting Fireface 800 to Regular, Passive Stereo Speakers?

*Friendly bump*

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
  • Posts: 9,751

Re: Connecting Fireface 800 to Regular, Passive Stereo Speakers?

This won't work without amplifier.

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website

  • mkok
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2020-11-04
  • Posts: 629

Re: Connecting Fireface 800 to Regular, Passive Stereo Speakers?

Just a hi fi amplifier. Or a simple class d amplifier which can be had cheap on eBay or Amazon. No real secret here. These are old hi fi speakers so just a simple amplifier if your not using it for anything else. You don’t say if you want one with a remote or any other features

Babyface Pro Fs, Behringer ADA8200, win 10/11 PCs, Cubase/Wavelab, Adam A7X monitors.
  • ramses
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • From: UTC+1
  • Registered: 2012-10-14
  • Posts: 13,104

Re: Connecting Fireface 800 to Regular, Passive Stereo Speakers?

Miscreant wrote:

*Friendly bump*

https://www.thomann.de/gb/onlineexpert_ … _amps.html
https://www.thomann.de/gb/amplifiers.ht … ilter=true

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub13
  • Registered: 2012-04-12
  • Posts: 43

Re: Connecting Fireface 800 to Regular, Passive Stereo Speakers?

Thanks a lot, everyone. I appreciate your help.

  • cyrano
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • From: Belgium
  • Registered: 2015-04-28
  • Posts: 701

Re: Connecting Fireface 800 to Regular, Passive Stereo Speakers?

The Celestion Ditton 130 has a reasonable efficiency and deserves a decent amp.

I think something like the Samson Servo 120A (2X60W) or 200 (2X100W) should fit well.

http://www.samsontech.com/samson/produc … servo120a/

There aren't that many studio power amps around these days. Most monitors are active, with a built-in amplifier. So looking at the "used" market is also an option.

MB Pro - 2 X FireFace 400, FF800 & DigiFace USB
ADAT gear: Korg, Behri, Fostex, Alesis...

cyrano's Website

  • mkok
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2020-11-04
  • Posts: 629

Re: Connecting Fireface 800 to Regular, Passive Stereo Speakers?

I personally would not be looking at studio type amplifiers. These are old and efficient speakers which worked on low powered amplifiers. I would be looking for 2nd hand hi fi amplifiers by marantz, denon, pioneer. I wouldn’t want to spend much to power these. I’ve gone through buying retro hi fi and you may find the speakers need the bass unit cone rotating 180 degrees as they can sag and cause the voice coils to scrape. Also be careful as these are not designed for studio use. A mistake resulting in a large transient could easily destroy them.

Babyface Pro Fs, Behringer ADA8200, win 10/11 PCs, Cubase/Wavelab, Adam A7X monitors.