Doubtless answered befoe, but I couldn't find the thread... I 'm looking to share my main stereo speakers with my Home Cinema amp. My main stereo is of the $30-50k price range, my home cinema ~$3k range. Anyone have any view as to whether they can be both wired in parallel? The Stereo driving the speakers when it's working, or the cinema amp when it is...?
RP - This will undoutedly seem ungracious to a new member, but how did you acquire $50,000 worth of audio equipment without a better source of information than a bunch of audio geeks on a forum?
To answer your question, yes, it can be done. You will either have to make the physical disconnect/connect each time you change or you will have to provide positive switching capable of handling the type of voltage and current that should exist in a $50K system along with the needs of the HT system. In either case, if you mess up with one connection or one switch, you could smell both systems as they go up in smoke.
This is not the wisest idea you've had lately; is it, PR?
I knew I'd get a response along the lines of the 1st line of yours! Always been an audiophile, no real interest in video. Even now, it is all being driven by other members of the family. I would rather not have anything else driving my beloved speakers, but needs must...
Well, sir, I have no idea what your current financial status might be; but I would assume anyone who can gather together more than $50k for home entertainment can get together a few more bucks for some decent HT speakers and not risk sending both systems to the repair shop or worse. If this is being operated by other members of the family, the chance a connection or a switch gets put, or left, in the wrong location increases expotentially to how many other people are operating the system.
So, my argument (voiced to my wife) that this couldn't be done without putting some nasty switching into the stereo speaker cable sounds like it was correct. She wants the stereo to be more accessable (I have it in it's own room) and doesn't understand why we'd need so many speakers if it and the AV were together. Your response is ammunition enough to keep to the status quo. I like having it in a separate room anyhow... tnks
My system is not of the same caliber as yours but this is how I do it.
Use the AVR (or pre/pro) as yet another source component hooked up to the video or aux on your pre and to power the center and rears. Leave the AVR off completely when listening to 2 channel. I go from the L/R front pre outs on the AVR to the video in on my NAD C162 pre. The C162 pre has 2 sets of pre outs. I use 1 set to go to the power amp and the other to go to the sub so that I have use of the sub for both 2 channel and home theater. I have to set the pre amp volume control to a set mark when I calibrate the home theater and return it to that setting every time I listen to it. It's key to remember to turn it back down before returning to 2 channel use or you can blow your fronts. It's a bit of pain but well worth it to me for better 2 channel music performance.
"If this is being operated by other members of the family, the chance a connection or a switch gets put, or left, in the wrong location increases expotentially to how many other people are operating the system."
Obviously Jan is correct, I am the only one operating my system. I'm building another system for my wife.
RP - Somewhere a voice is telling me your wife is not going to catch on to why a (stupid little)switch will affect the performance of your (big old) two channel system. I'm not you, but I would opt for a diplomatic solution to this problem. If you are not interested in the video system, let her pick out what speakers are used in that area. Maybe some built ins or small satellites. Explain the complexity of sharing the speakers with switches and connections, how convenient it will be to push one button on a self contained AV system instead of ten on a shared system and let her win a bit also.
Just a thought. Digging in your heels on this could cause problems down the road.
Guys these are great responses. Making me think. I had rather hoped that i could just use them both plugged into the speakers at the same time, so at least I now know not to do that! Jan, the problem is that my wife really likes my stereo, but feels it's too remote (being in it's own room), so she wants to make it more central (most wives want the reverse, so I can be thankful for that). So having a separate set of speakers for AV in the main family room is actually what we have at the moment. Art's idea is a good one and definitely worth considering, a route I hadnt considered at all. Problem is definitely going to be having to rebalance the AV every time as the signal will be split and going through different power amplification. Blowing the main speakers is not a risk.