Series or Parallel Setup

[glibz]

I recently upgraded my current PSB system to include a more powerful center speaker. I was thinking about hooking both of the centers up, one high and one low.

I have been researching Series or Parallel but have trouble determining if my AMP is fit to power both these speakers in either setup (it is not the greatest AMP).

I have a PSB Imagine C and PSB Image C. They are both 8ohms nominal and 4ohm minimal, The Imagine is Recommended 20-150 watts and the Image is 10-80 watts.

The AMP i own is a Sony SDR-DN1010 and the output specs are : 110 Watt - 8 Ohm - THD 1.0 % - 7 channel(s) ( Surround ).

For a series I understand that the impedence would be 16ohms and parallel would be 4ohms. Would an AMP rated for 8ohm be able to handle 16ohms or would I have to connect in parallel? I believe it is the series but I do not want to risk being wrong and causing damage to anything.

If someone could help me out that would be great.

Thanks,
Kyle

 

[markw]

If you connect them in parallel, combined they would be four ohms nominal and two ohms minimal. Do you think your amp could safely handle that?

I don't.

You're better off connecting them in series, although it may have some unexpected audiable effects.

A higher impedance is always better for an amp than a lower impedance.

 

[3db]

I wouldn't even try to connect them together either parallel or in series. As others pointed out, the parallel connection will give you impedance problems and the series connection will give you extremely bad phase/time response smearing your soundstage. Pick one speaker and stick with it.

 

[glibz]

I wouldn't even try to connect them together either parallel or in series. As others pointed out, the parallel connection will give you impedance problems and the series connection will give you extremely bad phase/time response smearing your soundstage. Pick one speaker and stick with it.

Okay I will just use the new one, I figured the amp is not powerful enough to power both. Oh well. Thanks for you help.

Kyle

 

[j_garcia]

Without the ability to level match the two of them, you would basically have one of them overpowering the other, so there wouldn't be a lot of benefit. With an external amp you might be able to do it, but then you're talking about additional gear and cost.

 

[slipperybidness]

Without the ability to level match the two of them, you would basically have one of them overpowering the other, so there wouldn't be a lot of benefit. With an external amp you might be able to do it, but then you're talking about additional gear and cost.

There are 2 problems here, nobody has addressed the other big problem yet. 2 center channel speakers is NEVER recommended.

Search the forum, there has been a thread or 2 discussing this recently here.

In general, a series connection is a "safer bet" than parallel, as that would tend to be least risky to the amp.

 

[3db]

There are 2 problems here, nobody has addressed the other big problem yet. 2 center channel speakers is NEVER recommended.

Search the forum, there has been a thread or 2 discussing this recently here.

In general, a series connection is a "safer bet" than parallel, as that would tend to be least risky to the amp.

Except that the output of the 2nd will have its time/phase mucked up because of the in series phase delays added by the first speaker. Adding to speakers in series is just a bad practise in this kind of exercise. Not recommended.

 

[slipperybidness]

Except that the output of the 2nd will have its time/phase mucked up because of the in series phase delays added by the first speaker. Adding to speakers in series is just a bad practise in this kind of exercise. Not recommended.

I did not say that 2 series speakers was a good idea in this application.

I'm just saying in very broad terms that a series configuration draws less power from the amp and is less likely to fry the amp than a parallel wiring scheme.

 

[3db]

I did not say that 2 series speakers was a good idea in this application.

I'm just saying in very broad terms that a series configuration draws less power from the amp and is less likely to fry the amp than a parallel wiring scheme.

agreed