2 Speakers, 1 Speaker output

[Soybean]

I have a bunch of Optimus Pro LX5 speakers that were handed down to me, and I was inquiring at another board about which center speaker to use with them. One guy suggested to just use 2 LX5's for the center. I then asked about how I should wire that up, but my thread dropped off the front page and nobody's replying anymore

Anyway, I'm here now to ask how one would connect 2 speakers to one center channel output. Is it as simple as cramming 2 sets of speaker wire into one post, or is there more involved?

 

[Shinerman]

Not familiar with the Optimus LX5 speakers but I would just use one for the center. Not sure what the benefit of two centers would be. Maybe someone can enlighten me? Seems like they would be getting the same signal and have the exact same sound coming from them. Depending on what receiver you have this might also cause some load issues.

Shinerman

 

[Soybean]

I have an Onkyo TX-SR501 by the way. Actually, the guy just responded with information on how to do it. But now that the advice to use 2 speakers is in question itself, here's what he had said:

i use an array of 3 modded LX5's for my center (and 2 each for right/left).
i would suggest using 2 (side by side) for your center. it handles 80% of the ht sound.
check ebay and try and match the models. there are 3 different incarnations of this design. different people like different models. i favor the original PRO LX5's circa 1997. they were on Stereophile's recommended component list.
be sure to cross them over to the sub at 80-120hz. the tweeters are superb, but below 80hz. the woofers drop off quickly.
best,
eric

and then

to drive multi speaker arrays you can wire them in parallel (if your amp can handle a 4 ohm load), series (16 ohm load) or do what i did:
i split the preamp out and use a separate stereo power amp (hk pa2000) to drive the extra speakers. i can minimize load issues and keep the amps and speakers working in the lower distortion range. it's more expensive this way, but the speakers are so cheap that it helps keep costs down.
i've experimented with different xover points. in the end it comes down to individual room/sub interaction issues. don't be afraid to try different things and trust your own ears.
dsclark has a lot of experience with lx5 set ups, perhaps he'll chime in.
good luck.
eric

With regard to the second half of his post, I had asked about whether I should cut my main speakers off at 80Hz or 100Hz for the subwoofer to pick up the rest. The LX5's are supposed to go as low as 80Hz, but I'm not sure how well they handle frequencies down there.

I sure as hell don't want to buy a separate amp. I forget what my receiver's ohm load ranges are, but I can look that up in the manual. But if there's minimal or no benefit, I won't bother with multiple speakers.

 

[Shinerman]

The 501 is rated at 6 Ohms so running speakers at 4 Ohms "may" be an issue. Still can't really see any reason for 2 centers though. Maybe if your trying to fill a huge room? If you have a bunch of the LX5's, I would just try it and see. With just the Onkyo, I would run them in parallel. Is the guy you quoted saying that he is running one center speaker from a receiver and the other center from a seperate amp? If so, that sounds like a not so good solution. Different amps drive speakers differently. It would seem like it would be very hard to match the two speakers with seperate different power sources, if not impossible.

I would just stick to a standard setup with one center. There is a reason it's considered standard. Without knowing who the person is who told you this info, I can't vouch for his credibility but it sounds like more trouble than it's worth. Many times, simple is better. Especially in Audio.

Shinerman