My current set up is a Pioneer SX-780 reciever with Bose speakers connected. I use the reciever so that I can use the one set of speakers for two inputs. The inputs are both RCA (Red/White). I am looking for a set of speakers that can eliminate the need for the reciever or some type of switch.
What kind of a final setup do you want? Five speakers or two? How much power?
There are self-powered speaker systems available with two inputs such as the Bose companion2. However, they will not provide the kind of sound that a receiver with speakers will.
Most self powered (active) speakers are designed to only accept one input, normally taken from the pre amplifier outputs. This is done to allow volume adjustments and source selection. There is no facility to switch between inputs on active speakers. You will still have a problem of switching sources if you decide to go this route. You can wire up a double throw switch or you can add an A-B switch from somewhere like Radio Shack. But, that seems to be defeating the purpose of what you wish to have happening.
Explain what you have against a receiver being in the system.
What he is asking for is just not feasible. What he wants is source direct to the speakers, so you press play on the CD player and it plays the cd music, you press play on the dvd player, and it plays the DVDs. First off, you cannot do this without some type of switch, or else what would happen if you had both sources running at the same time? The same problem would occur hooked into a power amp.
The mechanics behind it are not impossible. There is probably some form of RCA splitter out there (as Jan pointed out), so you could have 2 sources plugged into a single input, but those splitters themselves would probably come with a switch you would then have to bypass, or just hand wire the split yourself.
BUT, I do not see what possible advantage this would provide. You are just trading one box for another (receiver for amp) and/or a morass of wires running all over hells half-acre (if you have active speakers or separate amps located at each speaker).
Now that I think about it, you may want to find your nearest white van, they sell cheap crap, but with integrated amps that you can plug your iPod into directly... I bet there is a way to convert and split the inputs, and if you mess them up who cares... your only out 250$... you still have that morass of wires though...
I decided on using a switch for this, the switch has four inputs for video and audio (yellow,red,white) and outputs only one. this is what i wanted. thanks for the advice