Channel problems

[jcriggs]

Ok so I have a kenwood stereo synthesizer tuner kt-45 with a kenwood stereo integrated amplifier ka-75. It has 4 speaker channels. A-left right and b-left right. Well indevidually the a and b sides work, Was just curious and only having one speaker hooked up I turned both a and b sides on and the speaker stopped. So my question is do I have to have a speaker on Atleast one channel of both a and b to make them both work or is there an issue with the amp

 

[WaynePflughaupt]

I can’t tell from your post if everything quit after you connected the second pair of speakers, or if just the left or right side quit with both A and B.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[jcriggs]

I figured out what it was after I connected more speakers. One other thing can I use 2 channels on one speaker with no bridging

 

[WaynePflughaupt]

One other thing can I use 2 channels on one speaker with no bridging

No, that will blow the amplifier.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[jcriggs]

Ok so my best bet will be to get a fourth speaker. I did figure out that if u are running both a and b then u have to have a speaker connected to channel a and another connected to the same channel on channel b. In latency terms if u connect a speaker to a-left and have both a and be active u must connect a speaker to b- left or it will have any sound. Thanks for answering my second question.
Guess I better start browsing for one more sub

 

[KenM10759]

No. Your best bet would be to find or download the owner's manual for that unit and read it. Twice.

 

[jcriggs]

Why is that. My only other option is to get tower speakers but I don't have the room for those. I know a lot about this stuff. Just never had that channel shutdown issue

 

[lovinthehd]

Just what are you doing here? You're connecting speakers to A and subs to B?

 

[KenM10759]

That stereo integrated amp has outputs for two pairs of speakers and no powered subwoofer pre-out. Two channels at 80 watts per channel. If you run two pairs of speakers it's still 80 watts per channel, now divided by the two pairs. If you "know a lot about this stuff" why are you describing it so cryptically?

I can't figure out what the heck kind of wiring you are doing.

Start with a matched pair of speakers. Red terminal of the receiver's "speaker A" left channel to red binding post of left speaker. Black terminal of receiver's "speaker A" left channel to black binding post on left speaker. Now do the same thing with the right speaker, connect red to red and black to black. Put speaker selector A in the "ON" (in) position. Leave speaker selector button B in the "OFF" (out) position. Try it, the music should play.

Now if you have a second pair of speakers you can hook them up the same way to terminals B on the back of the amp. If you have a subwoofer to use, that's a whole new thing to discuss.

 

[jcriggs]

Basically yeah. I don't have any money to invest in standered speakers for the system so I'm using what I have, unfortunately I can't get the balanced sound I'm wanting because I'm using a basic unpowered surround sound sub and it's hard to place it in a position where it will give me equal bass. I figure if I get a second sub to match I can balance it better

 

[jcriggs]

That stereo integrated amp has outputs for two pairs of speakers and no powered subwoofer pre-out. Two channels at 80 watts per channel. If you run two pairs of speakers it's still 80 watts per channel, now divided by the two pairs. If you "know a lot about this stuff" why are you describing it so cryptically?

Because all the technical stuff is of no importance to my questions. Watt output and all that is not important. I know about all of that. I have grown up around systems and I have even went as far as replacing amplifier chips in amps to boost power. I just needed a little advice on speaker hookup cause it's the first time I ran into the issue of not having a full system to work with.

 

[KenM10759]

Well if you're "replacing amplifier chips in amps to boost power" you must know far more than I do because I have no clue what an amplifier chip is. I have no more to offer you.

 

[jcriggs]

That stereo integrated amp has outputs for two pairs of speakers and no powered subwoofer pre-out. Two channels at 80 watts per channel. If you run two pairs of speakers it's still 80 watts per channel, now divided by the two pairs. If you "know a lot about this stuff" why are you describing it so cryptically?

I can't figure out what the heck kind of wiring you are doing.

Start with a matched pair of speakers. Red terminal of the receiver's "speaker A" left channel to red binding post of left speaker. Black terminal of receiver's "speaker A" left channel to black binding post on left speaker. Now do the same thing with the right speaker, connect red to red and black to black. Put speaker selector A in the "ON" (in) position. Leave speaker selector button B in the "OFF" (out) position. Try it, the music should play.

Now if you have a second pair of speakers you can hook them up the same way to terminals B on the back of the amp. If you have a subwoofer to use, that's a whole new thing to discuss.

An I do know how to hook speakers up. My point was that I have 3 speakers one being a sub I was trying to figure out if I could use all 4 channels with only 3 speakers cause I don't like running 2 speakers off one channel but until I get a second sub to balance it I have no choice but to run 2 speakers off the same channel cause otherwise I have to either sacrifice the bass witch I would rather not do or sacrifice one of 2 speakers witch will make the sound even more unbalanced

 

[lovinthehd]

So you know in an amp like this A/B speakers may not work well simultaneously? The A/B is more for providing for two sets of speakers in different rooms, not necessarily simultaneously, and depending on the impedance of your speakers, may be too much of a load for that amp. What are the impedance ratings for your speakers? You only have two channels, not four. Amps like this aren't very well suited to driving most subs, let alone using a B speaker terminal to do so.

 

[jcriggs]

It actually has 4 channels. My amp is designed to use a, b, or both. I figured out that if I turn on a and be and have a speaker hooked up to a1 but not to b1 the speaker won't work but if I hook a second speaker to b1 then both work. I would guess this is kenwoods original way of giving a surround option. It is an older setup. I know the channels are 8~16ohms. I'm assuming that this means it is compatible with speakers within that range. And my 2 speakers and my sub are all within that range.

 

[lovinthehd]

It actually has 4 channels. My amp is designed to use a, b, or both. I figured out that if I turn on a and be and have a speaker hooked up to a1 but not to b1 the speaker won't work but if I hook a second speaker to b1 then both work. I would guess this is kenwoods original way of giving a surround option. It is an older setup. I know the channels are 8~16ohms. I'm assuming that this means it is compatible with speakers within that range. And my 2 speakers and my sub are all within that range.

No, it has two channels. It's a 2.0 unit. It has four speaker terminals, though and not for surround purposes. Or are you claiming you can have four discrete channels input to the amp somehow? If you hook up two sets of speakers nominally rated at 8 ohm that would be at least part of the time a 4 ohm load on the amp when run A/B at the same time, and likely even lower than that for part of the speakers' range. What speakers/sub are you using?

ps The amp may be conservatively rated or it may not work well at lower impedances, hard to know, all I could find was a service manual. The A/B thing you deduced I've not run in to (where you need to have a pair of speakers hooked up on B rather than just one).

 

[jcriggs]

Oh. Well u know when it comes to technical terms I fail so I'm guessing the a and b are the channels. I am very smart when it comes to systems but when it comes to technical terms I suck. I thought each indevidual speaker output was a channel

 

[lovinthehd]

Oh. Well u know when it comes to technical terms I fail so I'm guessing the a and b are the channels. I am very smart when it comes to systems but when it comes to technical terms I suck. I thought each indevidual speaker output was a channel

Keep at it, you'll learn the terminology. That is a two channel unit, i.e. a left and a right channel; it has two pair of L/R speaker terminals, though. That integrated amp is not suited for surround at all and not likely a good candidate for running subs on the B set of speakers.

 

[jcriggs]

I figured it would be ok cause the speaker outs are rated at 8~16ohms while the sub is rated as 6ohms. It sounds good for what I have on hand but it's exactly balanced. Because of the kind of sub I am using and the only possible position I can put it, more of its bass aims tword the left side of the room then the right

 

[lovinthehd]

I figured it would be ok cause the speaker outs are rated at 8~16ohms while the sub is rated as 6ohms. It sounds good for what I have on hand but it's exactly balanced. Because of the kind of sub I am using and the only possible position I can put it, more of its bass aims tword the left side of the room then the right

Subs are mostly active these days; modern receivers outside of HTIB sets do not provide an amp channel for them at all. Most bass is mono in the sub range anyways due to recording practices but subs don't really fill one side of the room or the other, they're more omni radiators; you are likely merely encountering room modes. You are likely overtaxing the amp but if kept to moderate playback levels may work, just not the best tools for the job....