70W reciever to 3W computer speakers?

[giant016]

So now that I probably have your attention, yes, I tried to hook up a large receiver to my crappy computer speakers. I bought the receiver used and unheard (ancient Denon AVR-1500 and a Denon 5 disc changer for $75, seemed perfect for my budget build) and wanted to test them out in the dorm before I went home and lugged larger speakers back.

So I plugged my laptop into the AUX in jack, spliced my computer speaker wires, and plugged them into the center-speaker jacks. Keep in mind I don't care about the speakers being blown. Anyways, no sound at all, at any volume. Was this a futile exercise or would you guess my receiver is broken? The speakers don't have an impedance printed on them, but the channel for the receiver is 6-16 ohms.

Also, when I spliced my computer speaker cables, I had two lines, which I expected (for stereo I assume), but there was another wire wrapped in each wire, one red, and one white. Upon touching them I could only get static when I touched the red and white inner wires, not the outer wires.

I appreciate any input.

 

[highfigh]

So now that I probably have your attention, yes, I tried to hook up a large receiver to my crappy computer speakers. I bought the receiver used and unheard (ancient Denon AVR-1500 and a Denon 5 disc changer for $75, seemed perfect for my budget build) and wanted to test them out in the dorm before I went home and lugged larger speakers back.

So I plugged my laptop into the AUX in jack, spliced my computer speaker wires, and plugged them into the center-speaker jacks. Keep in mind I don't care about the speakers being blown. Anyways, no sound at all, at any volume. Was this a futile exercise or would you guess my receiver is broken? The speakers don't have an impedance printed on them, but the channel for the receiver is 6-16 ohms.

Also, when I spliced my computer speaker cables, I had two lines, which I expected (for stereo I assume), but there was another wire wrapped in each wire, one red, and one white. Upon touching them I could only get static when I touched the red and white inner wires, not the outer wires.

I appreciate any input.

"Center speaker jacks"- what does this mean? Computer speakers usually have an amplifier in them and if you turned the speakers' power button on, it can damage the speakers or in some cases, send voltage to the receiver's amplifier and damage that. Never think an amp's output should see voltage from another source.

Don't use speakers like this and yes, it was futile. Use real speakers or if you don't have any, regular headphones. The headphone jack is after the power amp but it's padded so the phones don't blow up.

 

[yepimonfire]

i did this once just to see what would happen, first it got very loud, then it got very smoky, then my receiver shut off and i had to replace the fuse. but i also bypassed the amp in the comp speakers.

 

[lsiberian]

So now that I probably have your attention, yes, I tried to hook up a large receiver to my crappy computer speakers. I bought the receiver used and unheard (ancient Denon AVR-1500 and a Denon 5 disc changer for $75, seemed perfect for my budget build) and wanted to test them out in the dorm before I went home and lugged larger speakers back.

So I plugged my laptop into the AUX in jack, spliced my computer speaker wires, and plugged them into the center-speaker jacks. Keep in mind I don't care about the speakers being blown. Anyways, no sound at all, at any volume. Was this a futile exercise or would you guess my receiver is broken? The speakers don't have an impedance printed on them, but the channel for the receiver is 6-16 ohms.

Also, when I spliced my computer speaker cables, I had two lines, which I expected (for stereo I assume), but there was another wire wrapped in each wire, one red, and one white. Upon touching them I could only get static when I touched the red and white inner wires, not the outer wires.

I appreciate any input.

Some folks just aren't made to handle electronics. I think you may be one of them. This sequence of events could have easily gotten you hurt. When messing with electronics always ask first then shoot later. Otherwise you'll learn the hard way to ask first.

Computer speakers are active and have their own amplifier built in to power the speaker. They are designed to be connected directly to a computer and connecting them to a receiver is just not worth the effort.

 

[Seth=L]

I'd suggest finding a different speaker, one meant for being connected to a receiver (even if it's junk) then try connection it to the left and right front outputs on the receiver. If you had connected the speakers to the center channel output and surround was not engaged or set up in phantom mode there would be no sound. Make sure not to allow the positive and negative wires touch while they are connected to the receiver, doing so may result in damage to the receiver.

 

[jonnythan]

You have two speakers hooked up to just the center channel output on the receiver?

You need signal and ground for each speaker - four connections total.

And if you're feeding the receiver a stereo signal from your laptop, there would be no output on the center channel anyway unless you set the receiver to 5-channel stereo or something similar.