series connection for speakers

[Marcus58]

Hi there, I have an older Panasonic receiver rated 16 ohms. My speakers are 8 ohms. I connecters the speakers in series so the impedance would match. Everything seems to work ok. However, now I notice the balance control does not function correctly. If I turn it to the right no sound is heard. When turned to the left I get audio. Am I just listening to one channel? Thank you.

 

[3db]

Hi there, I have an older Panasonic receiver rated 16 ohms. My speakers are 8 ohms. I connecters the speakers in series so the impedance would match. Everything seems to work ok. However, now I notice the balance control does not function correctly. If I turn it to the right no sound is heard. When turned to the left I get audio. Am I just listening to one channel? Thank you.

To understand this better, you took two 8 ohm speakers, wired -ve terminal of one speaker terminal to the +ve terminal of the 2nd speaker...connected the -ve terminal of the 2nd speaker to the -ve terminal of the rcvr and the +ve terminal of the 1st speaker to the +ve terminal of the receiver?

If this what you did, you did wire your speakers in series as you said but you wired it to only the left channel, hence no sound on the right.

What is the model number of your receiver? I want to know if you have misread its specs?

 

[Marcus58]

speakers in series

Yes, the speakers are wired in series. I double checked the specs and the receiver is 16 ohms. It is a Panasonic RE-7671. I realize this is an ancient low end receiver. I got it for my pool deck. I did hook up the speakers normally just to check. Everything worked as it should. Thank you.

 

[markw]

Without seeing how you've wired it, it sounds like they are connected to only one channel.

 

[markw]

Recheck your wiring

Without seeing how you've wired it, it sounds like they are connected to only one channel. Either that, or you miswired the other channel.

Have you recently/ever heard this receiver work correctly?

 

[Marcus58]

speakers in series

To understand this better, you took two 8 ohm speakers, wired -ve terminal of one speaker terminal to the +ve terminal of the 2nd speaker...connected the -ve terminal of the 2nd speaker to the -ve terminal of the rcvr and the +ve terminal of the 1st speaker to the +ve terminal of the receiver?

If this what you did, you did wire your speakers in series as you said but you wired it to only the left channel, hence no sound on the right.

What is the model number of your receiver? I want to know if you have misread its specs?

This is how I have my speakers hooked up. I tried reversing the connection. This reversed the issue. Then I would get no sound when the balance is turned to the right. This must be a normal thing when speakers are connected in series but I don't know why.

 

[markw]

You do have speakers connected to both channels, don't you?

 

[Marcus58]

speakers in series

Yes, I do.

 

[TLS Guy]

Yes, I do.

You can't have.

It is impossible to have two speakers connected in series to two channels.

Just forget about the impedance.

Connect one speaker to the left channel and the other to the right.

I think things will be fine. If it blows up, the you need a new receiver anyway.

 

[Marcus58]

Thanks for the info. I'm the kind of person that likes to do things right. I have been told the newer receivers can handle mismatched impedance. I am not so sure about older receivers. I quess I'll let it go with that.

 

[TLS Guy]

Thanks for the info. I'm the kind of person that likes to do things right. I have been told the newer receivers can handle mismatched impedance. I am not so sure about older receivers. I quess I'll let it go with that.

Far more likely than not, the older ones can handle it better than the older ones. I would just make normal connections. The ohm rating of a speaker means next to nothing anyway, and impedance wanders all over the place with frequency, to say nothing of phase angles, which are rarely specified.

So connecting your speakers normally is much more likely to be correct than your series connection, which is definitely wrong!b

 

[3db]

Wire one speaker each to the left and right channels respectively and start off with the volume control set to low and listen carefully. Play it for a while and put your hand over the receiver's vent to see if it gets hot. If it doesn't carefully turn the colume up louder and louder peridiocally checking to see how warm the receiver gets. Also listen to make sure you are NOT over driving the speakers...the woofer will sound like its banging up against its excusrion limit. If the receiver is warm, thats OK. If its too hot too touch, then turn it down. Under NO circumstamces should you turn the volume control past the 1 0'clock position even if the amp remains warm or cool to the touch as you may drive the receiver into clipping which will destroy your speakers.

According to this weeb page it only puts 5 watts..

http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/panasonic_re_7671bre7671.html

What I would do is go to a used electronics store and pick up a more capable receiver for $50 which will do a much better job than this unit.