Hi there, I'm moving into my first house with my fiance and we're currently having the place remodeled before we move in. I would like to put in a relatively low cost, non-obtrusive audio system for us to play music in the living room when we are home or entertaining. I have been commanded to use ceiling speakers as they will not intrude on the design/space. I have already purchased the speakers and they will be wired in shortly, as part of the civil work. Now I have to design the rest of the system, so I am turning to you guys for your wisdom . I am a struggling entrepreneur so at this point I have to try and stick to the tightest budget I can.
Speakers: Monoprice 4103 6-1/2" 2-Way In-Ceiling Speakers - 60W Nominal, 120W Max. x2 pairs (total 4 speakers). 8 ohm impedance, 89 dB sensitivity. Already purchased, along with 5" back cans/rear cases to improve bass response. Total for 4 speakers with back cans = ~$140.
Amp: For years now, I have always wanted to buy a Class T amp, because they seem to have revolutionized the DIY audio community by providing high quality at a low cost. I'm hoping that this is my chance to go this route versus traditional big box big brand amps. I am looking at the Dayton Audio DTA-120 which provides 40 WPC continuous into an 8 ohm load, 60 WPC continuous into a 4 ohm load. It goes for around $100. I would've liked to buy a cheaper T-Amp, but the $30-60 amps mostly provide lower output (~15-30 WPC).
Bluetooth receiver: a BT 4.0 receiver with Apt-X
I plan to have the speakers wired in parallel so that both pairs can be driven by one amp. I will be using only stereo sources. We will mostly be streaming via bluetooth on our phones or laptops, so no CDs, home theater, radio etc. switching to an aux in for better quality if we're turning the volume up. There's a chance we might swing for an airport express so we can use airplay, if I make the switch from android to apple in the future. If so that will replace the bluetooth receiver but would also just aux in to the amp like before.
My questions are:
- Will the DTA-120 amp provide sufficient power to drive these speakers, not to crazy loud, but high enough for the occasional civilized grown up party (the living room is ~18x8 feet). Should I be looking for more powerful amps (or less powerful)? My main concern is that the speakers shouldn't start clipping when I turn up the volume.
- Will running the speakers in parallel create a dangerously low impedance for the amps? If so, should I purchase an inexpensive 4 way speaker selector with impedance matching to present a uniform 8 ohms to the amp?
- In case the bass response turns out to be too low, and I want to add a powered subwoofer in the future, what is the best way to future proof the system so I can easily add the sub? I thought maybe I should purchase a 6 way speaker selector, that will then give me the option to divert the 3rd output (the first 2 going to the speakers), to the high level input on the sub. Thoughts?
- Anything else that stands out as a potential problem?
I am buying my gear here in the US and moving it back to India so I have to try and get it right the first time.Thanks so much for your inputs!!
