Connecting BX5 monitors

[lasagne]

I'm very new to home recording. I've just ordered some M-audio BX5 monitors on e-bay. I think that they accept both xlr and jack inputs. I'll need to buy leads for them, so my question is should I buy leads with xlr or jack input at the monitor end (from a sound quality point of view) or doesn't it make any difference ?

Also (and bear with me on this, I am new to this as I said), if I buy a sub how do I connect it ? Does a lead go from each monitor into the sub ?

I'd appreciate any advice.

Cheers

 

[altitude909]

The sub has all the connections you need for connecting it (monitors plug into that)

For your monitor leads use the XLRs (to TRS or XLR depending on what they are connecting to) they seem to stay in better

 

[jeffree]

909's right that any sub you buy will allow you to plug the BX5s into it. Be aware, though, that some home-stereo subs use speaker wire rather than audio cables, which can mean some adapters. If you search, there are some subs below $200, though, that have cable inputs rather than speaker wire posts. The Wharfedale Powercube is one such model, but I've seen others.

By the way, one nice feature of the BX5s is the cut-off swtich for the low freqs. When you add a sub, set this switch to 80 or 100Hz and then set your sub's freq control to about the same. With some trial and error, you won't have both the speakers and sub producing the same low freqs. (I have no idea why the new BX5"a" model dropped these helpful switches.)

J.