Possible to use same speakers for zone 2 audio AND surround back but NOT at the same time?

[jaydee77ca]

Hi,

I'm hoping someone out there can help me with a conundrum.

I ordered a Yamaha RX-V675 AV receiver. I have a 5.1 speaker setup in the family room. Right behind the family room I have a galley bar with a single stereo speaker in the ceiling and a volume control on the wall. The speaker is going to be connected to zone 2 on the receiver.

I'm wondering two things:
1. Can I use use the bar speaker as the rear surround channel in a 7.1 configuration? Would the rear surround sound be ok from a single stereo speaker?
2. Is there a way to use the bar speaker as BOTH zone 2 AND rear surround but NOT at the same time?

I know I could do this if I went to the receiver and disconnected the bar speaker from the zone 2 outputs and connected it to the rear surround outputs when I want to use 7.1 and then switch them back again. But I don't want to have to do that every time. Is there an automated way?

I know the Yamaha supports dynamic switching between 7.1 and zone 2 but it seems that it only does it when you have both a set of rear surround speakers AND separate zone 2 speakers.

The reason I want this is that normally I'd have the bar speaker on zone 2 so we can have music at the bar and the tv on playing 5.1. When we happen to be watching 7.1 content we wouldn't need the music at the bar so they can become the rear surrounds.

Any ideas? Is this possible with the RX-V675? Is it possible at all with any AV receiver?

Thanks!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Nestor]

Wouldn't you find it to be a bit of a cacophony with music and 5.1 happening in the same room?

 

[Adam]

I'm wondering two things:
1. Can I use use the bar speaker as the rear surround channel in a 7.1 configuration? Would the rear surround sound be ok from a single stereo speaker?
2. Is there a way to use the bar speaker as BOTH zone 2 AND rear surround but NOT at the same time?

Welcome to the forum!

Your system explanation is a bit ambiguous as you state a "single stereo speaker," but stereo implies two. My interpretation is that you have a single speaker in the bar area.

Also, what type of input does the bar speaker system take? Speaker-level or line-level? I ask that because it has a volume control on the wall, and I'm wondering if it has its own amplifier built in.

As to your questions, first - you can run a 6.1 system no problem with that receiver (and many others). On the back panel, you'll see where the SURROUND BACK/BI-AMP speaker terminals have the word "SINGLE" next to the left terminal - that's to indicate that you'd use the left terminal for a 6.1 (versus 7.1) setup.

Second, yes, you can use the bar speaker as either Zone 2 or as a surround speaker - but how you do that will depend on your answer to my first question above. As a heads up, you can only play sources connected to the analog inputs through Zone 2. In other words, you can't playback anything connected to an HDMI port or other digital input through Zone 2.

 

[Hi Ho]

Your system explanation is a bit ambiguous as you state a "single stereo speaker," but stereo implies two. My interpretation is that you have a single speaker in the bar area.

Also, what type of input does the bar speaker system take? Speaker-level or line-level? I ask that because it has a volume control on the wall, and I'm wondering if it has its own amplifier built in.

Adam, I bet he has a dual voice coil (DVC) speaker like THIS one. I will also bet that he has a standard volume control in the wall that takes input from an external amp and simply attenuates the signal. This is the most common setup.

As to jaydee77ca's question. Yes, you could use that speaker both as a zone two speaker and a surround back speaker. However, because the zone 2 output is separate from the surround back outputs, you will either need to physically change the connections on the back of the receiver every time (not practical) or use a switch like THIS. With that switch you would connect the surround back outputs from the receiver to input "A". Then you would connect the zone 2 outputs from the receiver to input "B". The speaker would connect to "Common". With this setup the speaker will act as a surround back speaker until a signal is sensed from the zone 2 output on the receiver at which point it will switch to zone 2.

 

[jaydee77ca]

Thank you for the quick response! This is great help! Sorry for the confusion on the setup. Here is some more detail.

The whole open area is L shaped with the entertainment area in the corner, the bar on one leg (behind the entertainment area) and a games area beside the entertainment area.
The bar speaker is a TruAudio XDP-6 which is a 2-way in ceiling speaker like Hi Ho mentioned (http://www.pacifichifi.com.au/products/ceiling-speaker-truaudio-ceiling-x-series-xdp-6). There are four wires running to that speaker centered over the bar counter.
In the games area are two RBH VA-815 in ceiling speakers (RBH VA-815 In-ceiling Speaker).
The games area speakers and the bar speaker are controled each by a Niles SVC100R volume control which I'm told are impedance matching. (Niles Audio Corporation)

Side note: I am debating whether to split the wires for the bar speaker and put two speakers there instead of one.

That Niles ABS-1 looks like it does exactly what I need! Thanks! That would be much better than having to try to run wires for two more speakers at the rear. The bar area ceiling is quite busy with pot lights, pendant lights, and the speaker so adding another two speakers would not be ideal. Plus, running the wires may not even be possible now. Plus the auto switching will make it super easy for the rest of the family to use

As for cacophony (LOL!) it'd be in situations such as having a poker game going on in the games area with background music in the games area and bar and then having a sports game on the big screen for those that are already knocked out I suppose if both the music and the game were turned up it could be quite hectic!

Thanks for the welcome! I have read this forum for quite some time and always found it very informative and helpful!