speaker wires

[imamartian]

not sure where to post this one....
but can i wire two radios/stereos to one set of speakers? and what will happen when they're both on?

 

[WDIK]

thinking about no.

 

[libby lou lou]

Yes, you'll get both stations coming through,also run any 240v stereo system at the same time on your car battery. true!

 

[jefoss]

may i ask what woudl be the point?

 

[breezer]

presumably so he does nopt have to have 4 speakers on the wall

 

[joe-90]

You'll most likely get impedance problems that will either cause distortion or blow the output stage.

 

[Space cat]

Joe is correct. You might have got away with it back in the days of valves but solid state amplifiers have a very low output impedance. This means that each one will see a virtual short circuit across it's speaker terminals. You are unlikely to get anything useful coming out of the speakers and you'll be lucky of you don't blow up either or both amplifiers.

If you want a quick and dirty solution, you need to put a resistor in series with each amplifier's output (one terminal only) then connect the speaker to the junction of the two resistors. If you have 8 ohm speakers (a typical value) 5 ohm resistors will be about right. (Use a pair of 10 ohms in parallel.) You'll need resistors big enough to handle your amplifier's output power - and two points should be noted:

1) Only try this with amplifiers of roughly equal output power.

2) Don't EVER let an audiophile see what you've done.

 

[WDIK]

You'll most likely get impedance problems that will either cause distortion or blow the output stage.

Joe is dead right.

the power amp stage would see it as a dead short, and damage would result.

besides it pointless

 

[megawatt]

Only if you want to damage the power amps of the radios.

 

[WDIK]

Only if you want to damage the power amps of the radios.

 

[imamartian]

i have speaker wires (via a switch box) from a stereo on the ground floor to speakers in most ground floor rooms, plus the landing. Upstairs i want to have a stereo and send it to two bedrooms plus the landing speakers...

 

[Deluks]

You can do anything you like....provided you have good cabling


(some really good reviews on there too)

 

[Space cat]

Your best option is to use an extra switch at the landing speakers so that they connect to one source or the other but never both at once. You'll need break-before-make switch contacts. If you want to switch them remotely, your simplest option is probably a toggling (bi-stable) relay operated by momentary push button switches (which can be duplicated at the speakers if you like).