Looking for physical switch for amp outputs to speakers

[HarryK]

I want to A/B/C several pairs of speakers using a single amp.

Is there a device that takes one amp input and can physically switch to several outputs?

It doesn't have to be pretty, and I'm not concerned with effects on the cable signal, assuming it has good conductivity at the switchbox.

Thanks for any suggestions.

[XEagleDriver]

Any speaker switch should be able to handle the task. You may need to deselect the first pair as you select the next pair to get your desired result, but that is not difficult.

For instance: this one

Cheers,
XEagleDriver

[HarryK]

Hey thanks. I wasn't very clear (it was late and I was tired). I'm looking for a purely physical switch if possible where you move something and it connects one set at a time. I need to push 500W RMS with peaks much higher, and I also don't want any electronics in the path that may alter the amplified signal.

Is this something so strange nobody sells anything like it?
:-)

[j_garcia]

Your question was already answered. Pretty much all speaker selector switches do exactly what you are asking.

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/show...number=300-970

[XEagleDriver]

Hey thanks. I wasn't very clear (it was late and I was tired). I'm looking for a purely physical switch if possible where you move something and it connects one set at a time. I need to push 500W RMS with peaks much higher, and I also don't want any electronics in the path that may alter the amplified signal.

Is this something so strange nobody sells anything like it?
:-)

The 500W RMS requirement may severly limit your choices-- be sure to check the specs of any switch you choose carefully.

May I ask what application requires such a high power spec?

Most speaker switches allow you to bypass (i.e. not use) the protection circuitry if you so desire.
- Depending on the resistance rating of your speakers, be careful to deselect the 1st pair, before selecting the 2nd pair to avoid a potential bad result for your amp if you disabled the protection circuit!

XEagleDriver

PS. Neither the switch I nor j_garcia suggested will handle 500W RMS.

[HarryK]

Pushing some old ADS speakers that can handle that type of power rating, although in all honesty I don't really like it that loud very often, but sometimes with some music I do. And ADS recommends 10 times the power for headroom so even at 50W I want at least 500W capacity to handle that.

I went back and checked j_garcia's post (thanks for pointing me back there), and I must have looked at 20 different boxes and none of them even come close to that level of power.

Also, I am too ignorant to know, but I don't want anything in the signal path - just copper to copper in a switch. ADS mentions that even passive components alter things like damping factor, and I especially don't want anything electronic that could alter the signal.

Also that Monster box required that you use their special connector. Ideally I would use a banana plug or stranded wire or spade lug (not sure what experts here think of those three, but that's a separate topic).

And yes you are right to point out that if you activate more than one set at a time, the impedance will drop with each set activated and that will put my amps at risk.
But I only want one set at a time active, so I'm ok there.

Thanks again!

[j_garcia]

I think you are REALLY over thinking this. 500W is ridiculous. You won't need that much, and the speakers likely won't actually be able to handle it anyway, realistically. A/D/S speakers are nice (my uncle has a set of floorstanders), but few speakers actually require that kind of power, even during peaks. You'd more likely be looking at 5 figure speakers for that kind of power handling.

[XEagleDriver]

I think you are REALLY over thinking this. 500W is ridiculous. You won't need that much, and the speakers likely won't actually be able to handle it anyway, realistically. A/D/S speakers are nice (my uncle has a set of floorstanders), but few speakers actually require that kind of power, even during peaks. You'd more likely be looking at 5 figure speakers for that kind of power handling.

+1 on all the above!

[HarryK]

I think I'm actually under-thinking it. I just want a simple physical switch. I don't need or want any passive or active components in the physical path.

I also don't think it's ridiculous. I owned a pair of 810s, and used to routinely run 100W Avg levels into this speaker for hours at a time. So this is not a theoretical discussion, I am in the practical realm. Since SPL increases on a logarithmic scale, and ADS points out in their manual that musical peaks routinely are 5 to 10 times average levels, I don't think 500W or even 1,000W capability is "ridiculous".

Also, I think you are overlooking the primary cause of driver failure. It's in using an under-rated amp, not an over-rated amp. That's why clipping is my number one concern, not an "over-rated" amp.

I would suggest a look at the power ratings recommended by ADS themselves:
L910; amp rating of 150W to 300W RMS
L2030: amp rating of 300W to 1200W RMS
L1590: amp rating up to 500W RMS
Those are not speakers in the tens of thousands of dollars.

Finally, one of the reasons ADS recommends biamping is to remove more of the passive components from the physical path. I don't think they were that ignorant of the issues involved when they make such a recommendation.

Please provide practical and factual issues and evidence before calling me "ridiculous".
Thank you.

[j_garcia]

Cerwin Vegas say they can handle 500W too and they can be had pretty inexpensively. Get my point? People still blow them, yes usually with too little power because they don't grasp the concept of clipping.

It is a PEAK rating and does not mean you will damage them if you don't have 500 or 1200W on hand (unclipped), because no manufacturer realistically expects you to have that available. Your speakers likely use 10W or less for typical listening, so that 10X peak means 100W of CLEAN (unclipped) peak demand power even for a decent speaker. What the headroom buys you is the ability to turn them UP and hit peaks without clipping, but unless you are listening at deafening levels, yes your request is a bit beyond reality. I am definitely not one to say that more power is a bad thing, but there's a point at which it doesn't get you anything more just like a 1000hp street car. You can drive it, but unless you are at the track, that extra power just isn't doing anything. 500W may mean you will never clip, ever; however for the levels that the average person listens, one probably would not clip even with 200-300 solid watts.

You've put the carriage before the horse, so to speak. If you are using the manufacturer's rating to determine how much power you need, you've probably started in the wrong place. There are plenty of other factors that come in to play. You'll notice that the manufacturer's rating didn't specify the size of room the speakers will be in, whether or not you have treatments or an "active" room, what type of audio you will be playing on them at what level, etc... Which is exactly why their ratings are so broad.

You didn't say anything about biamping. Active biamping requires you to remove the passive crossover completely and thus is unrelated to what you are asking about.