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New member Username: Oatmeal12Post Number: 1 Registered: Oct-10 | I am looking for the best way to hook up 9 speakers to an amplifier. All speakers are in the same large room all on at the same time. Would like to get the most power possible from my speakers. |
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Platinum Member Username: PlymouthCanada Post Number: 15290 Registered: Jan-08 | oatmeal12 List the brand and model! |
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New member Username: Oatmeal12Post Number: 2 Registered: Oct-10 | Don't have the amp yet, need a suggestion of what is best. The speakers are all 8 ohm, 8" Ceiling speakers |
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Silver Member Username: SuperjazzyjamesPost Number: 146 Registered: Oct-10 | I certainly don't recommend connecting all 9 speakers to 1 channel. In terms of current limits and the resulting heat, no amp will stand up to that. What's wrong with running 1 speaker to each channel? If you're interested in loud (please think about your hearing), what you should do is see which speaker can produce the most volume with your amp. Check the efficiency/sensitivity rating (the higher the better) and the minimum recommended power for the speakers (the lower the better). Using more than 1 speaker per channel in a single room doesn't really make a lot of sense. A friend of mine used to run 2 pairs of speakers in a single room. till I showed him that he could get more volume from a single pair of speakers and that doing so was better for his amp (amp runs cooler) and the sound quality. |
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Silver Member Username: SuperjazzyjamesPost Number: 147 Registered: Oct-10 | It probably won't sound real good (depending on amp & speakers), but you might want to use PA amp with a 70 volt line output. The last time I looked into PA amps & speakers, many years ago, the 70 volt line was run to the primary of a transformer attached to each speaker. The secondary would be matched to and connected to the speaker. |
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Platinum Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 15439 Registered: May-04 | . You essentially have two good options in a home system. A 70 volt system is not one of them. #1 (Best); No matter the amp you choose you can connect through an autoformer based speaker switch box. The autoformers are similar to a transformer (not a 70 volt type) in that they have various impedance taps which will allow you to make a safe connection to the amplifier. You figure out the total (nominal) impedance on each combination of speakers and you attach the speaker leads to the appropriate tap on the autoformer. The amplifier will always be loaded to the tap you select. Not as complicated as it sounds and the shop where you buy the switch should provide assistance in making the correct hookups. You can also use autoformer type volume controls for each pair of speakers, they perform in a similar fashion. Same route, determine total impedance and make the right connection to the correct tap. If you don't know the impedance of each speaker, you can, pull one down and look for markings on the speaker's magnet, research the brand or just make a connection to the highest impedance tap. Knowing is better but guessing with some headroom is acceptable. The difference between the two (selector switch/volume controls) lies primarily in convenience, you need to consider how you will be using this system and go from there. You'll need to determine how the speakers are wired, in parallel, in series or a combination of the two or all individual pigtails hanging out of a "home" location. (If the speakers are already installed, seeing pigtails doesn't mean the speakers do not share a connection point, you need to make certain what you have before you start making connections.) With nine speakers this would appear to be a home theater system with four additional speakers. The single speaker which would not be fed a stereo signal will be an issue here. If this is a HT system and you intend to use it as a HT system, then you feed your center channel outputs to that speaker and you're done. If this is meant to be strictly a two channel, stereo only system, then you need to decide what to do with the single extra speaker. The best route would be to add a stereo/mono transformer to that line and mix the two stereo channels together into one speaker. Depending on the lay out of the speakers in the room you might get away with running just one channel (left or right) to that speaker. Figure out how you intend to use the system and get some on location advice from a competent audio shop. A centrally located speaker selector is often the most convenient way to do multi-speaker systems while in wall volume controls at the speakers are the most convenient for adjusting levels during a night of entertaining. Whichever way you decide to go, you only need the autoformers in one location; if you get the autoformer switches, you do not need autoformer volume controls and vice versa. "Would like to get the most power possible from my speakers." The autoformer switching is the best choice for this application no matter whether this system doubles as a HT or not. A lower quality (lower priced) speaker selector will have a simple load resistor for its "protection" circuit. This eats up power and does the amplifier little good in terms of real power delivery as a good portion of the amplifier's power is wasted as spent heat energy through the load resistor. Spend the money for the autoformers once rather than having to eventually buy them when the cheaper switch burns up or makes the amplifier very unhappy. 2 (Good); Your second choice for this system is a multi-channel amplifier intended for whole house speaker distribution. You can buy as many channels as required and each speaker then has its own amplifier channel. If this is a HT system with additional speakers, you'll need a HT receiver with Zone two outputs. Normally "zones" are useful for playing multiple sources (CD, TV, FM, etc.) in multiple locations. But you're going to need a way to make your speaker connections which provides full range sound, not the two front channels of a surround system. Look for two zone receivers and have the salestaff explain the hookups. The second zone will be feeding your additional speakers in the room - in other words, it will be feeding the multi-channel amp. Back to basics, if this is not a HT system but a stereo system with nine total speakers, then you have no need for the zone two operation. Sorry to make this so complicated but how you use the system will determine what you should buy. You really should be talking to a qualified retailer about all of this. Since few in wall/ceiling speakers are meant for ROCK'N'ROLL!!!!!! most multi-channel amps are not high wattage units. Doesn't matter, doubling the power doesn't get you anything of consequence anyway. The speakers are virtually always the limiting factor for how loud you can go. A fifty watt multi-channel amp should be fine. Are you intending to do the installation of the gear yourself? . |
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Silver Member Username: SuperjazzyjamesPost Number: 150 Registered: Oct-10 | Even if you use an autoformer http:www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0603/midmonth/zeroautoformer.htm remember, everything has limits! |
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Platinum Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 15440 Registered: May-04 | . James, do you not know how to make a link on this forum or do you just not care to do so? |
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Silver Member Username: SuperjazzyjamesPost Number: 152 Registered: Oct-10 | Not ignoring me again are we? |
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Silver Member Username: SuperjazzyjamesPost Number: 153 Registered: Oct-10 | If I want help posting links, I'll ask Plymouth! Thanks! |
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Platinum Member Username: PlymouthCanada Post Number: 15292 Registered: Jan-08 | Super Press the button on right side of emoticon, copy your link there. For video and other thing, check there: https://www.ecoustics.com/cgi-bin/bbs/discus.pl?pg=formatting. |
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Silver Member Username: SuperjazzyjamesPost Number: 154 Registered: Oct-10 | Thanks Plymouth! You're awesome! |
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Platinum Member Username: PlymouthCanada Post Number: 15293 Registered: Jan-08 | oatmeal12 Buy a 7.1 home theater receiver like a Yamaha then hook 2 speakers by channels. You will be able to set the volume on each channels separatly in the menu. If the receiver overheat in 4 ohms(parrallel) put your both speakers in serial, positive speaker 1 to positive output, negative speaker 1 to positive speaker 2, negative speaker 2 to negative output, do it for 8 speakers then the last directly on one output. http://www.nextag.com/Yamaha-RXV665BL-Home-Theater-652318056/prices-html |
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Silver Member Username: SuperjazzyjamesPost Number: 157 Registered: Oct-10 | That's a good idea Plymouth. Oatmeal 12, you could use an autoformer on the 2 channels that have 2 speakers connected to them. |
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Silver Member Username: SuperjazzyjamesPost Number: 158 Registered: Oct-10 | On 2nd thought, it might be better to use a 5.1 channel reciever and go through the receiver's 5.1 channel input. You will want to use 2 channels (left front and left rear perhaps) for the left and 2 others for the right. You want to mix left & right to mono for the center channel only. Then you can connect 1 speaker directly to the center channel and use autoformers to connect each of the other channels to 2 speakers each. The subwoofer channel won't be used. |
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Platinum Member Username: PlymouthCanada Post Number: 15294 Registered: Jan-08 | Super He does not need autoformer, he simply use a Terminals block like this one: http://img.himfr.com/1190697337952225_s/terminal_block.jpg |
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Platinum Member Username: PlymouthCanada Post Number: 15295 Registered: Jan-08 | Super You are right! I missed the center output! |
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Silver Member Username: SuperjazzyjamesPost Number: 160 Registered: Oct-10 | not to mention that autoformers will protect the channels with 2 speakers each from overheating. I recommend 5 instead of 7 because the surround channels are matrixed off the rear channels in a 7 channel amp. This way all channels are discreet. |
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Silver Member Username: SuperjazzyjamesPost Number: 184 Registered: Oct-10 | Also Oatmeal, don't take ANY advice from Jan! You'll find out why real soon! |
