i am thinking about buying a new powered subwoofer and am wondering how to go about the speakers. do i just buy any speakers to plug in the back or are there certain speakers most home subs take?
ANY speaker can be subbed. generally, the smaller a speaker is, the more it NEEDS a subwoofer, but even most full range speakers (unless they're HUGE) can stand a little more bass from a sub.
when you get a sub, DO make sure to get one with adjustable level and CONTINUOUSLY adjustable crossover frequency.
different speakers will have different bass rolloffs. getting a sub that lets you PRECISELY set crossover frequency and volume level will best let you match to your satellites AND ROOM seamlessly.
if your speakers roll off at 80Hz and your sub only has a switch for 50Hz, 100Hz & 150Hz, then you won't be able to properly integrate it to your satellites (speakers)
if you have a control that lets you dial in your crossover frequency, then you could tune in to exactly 80Hz.
as to in/outs with subs, that varies from sub to sub. some subs only take line level inputs from your AV reciever and never interact directly with your speakers while others also accept speaker level signals from amps that don't have line level subwoofer outputs and others have both type inputs and either type could include speaker outs to send signals to your satellites.
the "best" way to use a sub is line in from a subwoofer out from a reciever without adding extra distortion inducing circuits to your satellites. if you don't have access to a sub out, or even preamp out, then you'd need to look for a sub that can work with what you have which might only be the power output of a stereo amp.
really, you'd need to look MORE at the subwwofer features depending on what options you have for connecting one. speakers are pretty much speakers. there really isn't such a thing as a "subwoofer friendly speaker" but some speakers need to be subbed more than others.
you definately need to make sure that the sub has the right inputs for whatever your amplification needs. TRY to stay line level in if possible. try NOT to run your speakers through the sub if possible, but you might have to.
i hope this "techy" reply helps and tells you what you need to know.
ya deffinitely helps. i dont really want to HAVE to buy a reciever though, i just want a powered sub with speaker inputs and an input for an mp3, computer, etc. im just trying to get the best sound for cheap, am i going about this the right way. i have a acoustic authority $70 powered sub that came with 2 speakers, a control knob, and inputs for anything ide need. I just figured there would be the same thing but better out there for around $250, this way i wouldnt need a reciever or anything