Need help with speaker selector+amplifier (In-Ceiling Speaker setup)

[NewGuy2.0]

Hello all. Best place I could think of to post this in. I bought a new home that came with a home sound system.

The general bullet points.
-Have a total of 9 speakers. 2 pair in Kitchen, 2 pair in LivingRoom, 2 pair in Dining Room, 2 pair on patio outside, 1 single in master bathroom. Each room has their respected volume switch.
-All 9 speakers connect to a Niles SS-6 speaker selection unit. Protection was ON.
-Niles connects to an Integra adm 20.4 Amp.
-I use the Amps RCA audio in to connect it to my Apple express base station for AirPlay support.

Now the issue. Yesterday I played a song and turned on all speakers on the Niles box when the AMP decided to kick it 2 seconds in. Now the amp won't power on after pressing the power button. It makes a double click sound when I try to power it on. This system came with the house thus I assume it worked fine while the previous owners were living there.

Any ideas why the AMP would have kicked it? I want to purchase the same model as before but am afraid a similar thing will happen if I play all the speakers at once.

Thanks for your help

 

[everettT]

I'd get a pro amp like from Crown QSC etc
https://www.amazon.com/Crown-XLi800-Two-channel-Power-Amplifier/dp/B00AR0A3V4/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?crid=3PCLMYA7JKL2S&keywords=crown+amplifier&qid=1551737148&s=gateway&sprefix=crown+am&sr=8-4

 

[NewGuy2.0]

Would that be compatible with Niles watt limitations?

 

[everettT]

Would that be compatible with Niles watt limitations?

It isnt an issue and those amps have good protection on their end.

 

[NewGuy2.0]

Do you recommend turning off the protection on the Niles for better sound quality with this amplifier?

 

[everettT]

Do you recommend turning off the protection on the Niles for better sound quality with this amplifier?

No, and remember its background music so it's not meant for critical listening. It should sound the same as before unless your old amp was clipping.

 

[NewGuy2.0]

No clipping that I could hear although the volume at max was loud but not what one would expect at max volume. Would that be due to the Amplifier? Sorry for this many questions. Im trying to figure out what this systems limits are and if a lower or higher watt amplifier would be a better or lesser choice.

 

[everettT]

No clipping that I could hear although the volume at max was loud but not what one would expect at max volume. Would that be due to the Amplifier? Sorry for this many questions. Im trying to figure out what this systems limits are and if a lower or higher watt amplifier would be a better or lesser choice.

What are the speakers your using? The amp I linked is inexpensive and sufficient for your needs. If you look at distribution amps, they usually are sold as 40wpc or 60wpc units.

 

[NewGuy2.0]

No way of knowing really. No writing on any of them. They all meet to this wall plug and from there to niles speaker selector to dead amp

 

[everettT]

That's a look I haven't seen for inceiling speakers, the look recessed with a can light trim.

 

[NewGuy2.0]

Believe me i was looking for the light switch to turn the extra lights on in each room during the open house to only be told they were speakers.

This is the old dead amp. Simply take these 4 wires and correctly pair them on the xli800? Then use the RCA input for my apple base station for airplay.

 

[everettT]

Believe me i was looking for the light switch to turn the extra lights on in each room during the open house to only be told they were speakers.

This is the old dead amp. Simply take these 4 wires and correctly pair them on the xli800? Then use the RCA input for my apple base station for airplay.
View attachment 28530View attachment 28531View attachment 28532

Yes and set the sensitivity switch to.775.

 

[NewGuy2.0]

Perfect thanks. I’ll give it a try. The mode should be on stereo correct?

 

[everettT]

Yes use in stereo mode.

 

[TLS Guy]

Not so fast here.

That Niles unit is rated at 100 watts per channel total.

Now the protection is not really what most of us understand by protection. What it is, is switched auto transformer impedance compensating switches. It prevents the impedance dropping lower than slightly under four ohms if all speakers are selected.

Now the power of your amp is rated at a low distortion point. By over driving it you might have over driven it and pushed over 100 watts.

If that happened it could have over heated the wire in the auto transformers and shorted out turns causing a near short to the amp.

So before you connect another amp you need to make sure that the switch is not damaged. You can do this by checking the resistance of the inputs. If it shows a low DC resistance then this likely is the cause of your amp failure. Using an amp over 100 watts into 4 ohms voids the warranty of that unit.

Also that unit is designed to work with Niles auto transformer impedance matching controls. Is that what you room volume controls are?

 

[NewGuy2.0]

Not sure I fully understand, Im learning as I go. if you are talking about the room volume control knob, it has no other functionality other than turning to lower the volume up or down. I could turn each set of the speakers off on the niles switch. What happened exactly I was turning on each room separately until all were on about a few seconds and it all stopped and then the amp died. The volume was a bit high but not sure that had anything to do with it.

 

[TLS Guy]

Not sure I fully understand, Im learning as I go. if you are talking about the room volume control knob, it has no other functionality other than turning to lower the volume up or down. I could turn each set of the speakers off on the niles switch. What happened exactly I was turning on each room separately until all were on about a few seconds and it all stopped and then the amp died. The volume was a bit high but not sure that had anything to do with it.

Speaker volume controls come in two types. There is the cheaper variable resistance types and the more expensive impedance matching auto transformer types.
Your speaker selector is specifically designed to work with Niles auto transformers. Auto transformers should pretty much always be used for wall room volume controls.

We get numerous posts about really messed up whole house installations. I have come to the conclusion more likely have serious errors than are done correctly. I think more installers are idiots than experts. This is true to the effect that these total home installations have a negative value on the price of a home.

 

[NewGuy2.0]

No idea which type they are. No writing or documentation left behind. You may be correct that it was designed to work with Niles. The music has worked fine a few times I have used it before the other day.

This is the wall switch. What are your recommendations now? Do I buy the same Amp as before or is there a better solution to work with this setup?

 

[everettT]

You can open the switch up. I assumed they installed matching VCs and if that's the case the amp I linked will work fine. I know this because I have done this setup before (multiples) and havent had any issues.

 

[NewGuy2.0]

Here it is