Could a person do this.....

[derekwwww]

Say someone had two pairs of identical towers that were 8 ohm each speaker. And they had an amp that was 250x2 @ 4 ohms. Would it sound good two hook two in parallel to one side of the amp, and the other two to the other side? Totalling a 4 ohm load on each, so each speaker would be getting about 125 watts each. Then used all 4 as their fronts, and just put the two on the left side by side and same thing on the right side? Or would this somehow sound bad even though all 4 speakers are the same? I don't see how this would be a bad setup but maybe I don't know something you guys know about this situation! Let me know what you think! Thanks...

 

[zumbo]

Say someone had two pairs of identical towers that were 8 ohm each speaker. And they had an amp that was 250x2 @ 4 ohms. Would it sound good two hook two in parallel to one side of the amp, and the other two to the other side? Totalling a 4 ohm load on each, so each speaker would be getting about 125 watts each. Then used all 4 as their fronts, and just put the two on the left side by side and same thing on the right side? Or would this somehow sound bad even though all 4 speakers are the same? I don't see how this would be a bad setup but maybe I don't know something you guys know about this situation! Let me know what you think! Thanks...

It would have to rock. Expensive idea, but not a bad one.

 

[3db]

I dunno

I would think that imaging and room interaction would be come a real mess with two speakers side by side playing the same thing in pairs. All I can say is try it. Your amp should be OK as long as you don't push the volume to high.

 

[zumbo]

I would think that imaging and room interaction would be come a real mess with two speakers side by side playing the same thing in pairs. All I can say is try it. Your amp should be OK as long as you don't push the volume to high.

The amp will be fine. All five of my speakers are 4ohm. If an amp is 4ohm stable, it's 4ohm stable.

 

[derekwwww]

Yeah I wasn't worried about overloading the amp, more concerned with what you said about the speakers interacting in a bad way and not sounding good. But I am hoping that your right zumbo when you say this setup should ROCK!!

 

[soniceuphoria]

Speaking from experience, check out my system "The Evictor", as long as the speakers are close to or are the same resistance you should have no problems. The resistance values that most speaker companys state that their speakers are is just a disconnected resistance value, and the speakers in actuality fluctuate resistance under load. In cases such as how you are wanting to set up your speakers I would personally reccomend an amp that is stable down to 2 ohms because it will run cooler and it will be less stressed at higher volume levels. If you are going to use the 4 ohm amp I would suggest that you gradually increase the volume level during your first listening session frequently checking how warm the amp is getting. If it gets hot while listening at moderate levels then you might just have to buy a heftier amp. But if your amp is well made it should easily be able to power the speakers with no problem. Happy Listening.
Greg

 

[zumbo]

Yeah I wasn't worried about overloading the amp, more concerned with what you said about the speakers interacting in a bad way and not sounding good. But I am hoping that your right zumbo when you say this setup should ROCK!!

Just remember. I said would/should. Don't know til you try. But, I bet.....

 

[Audioholics]

In a medium sized room, I'd have to ask WHY?

For a larger room, you could potentially recreate a sound reinforcement system using multiple but identical speakers... Again, this is not for fidelity, so WHY?

Certainly no physical harm in doing it, but I always opt for simple and acoustically less complex.

Take a look at your local theater or cinema and see what they are doing with the fronts. There are likely only three speakers - unless you're in an iMax room.

More is not better. I doubt you cannot hit the SPLs you desire with just one pair... Why not sell the other pair and upgrade something?

 

[mulester7]

"The resistance values that most speaker companys state that their speakers are is just a disconnected resistance value, and the speakers in actuality fluctuate resistance under load"

.....excellent, Sonic....yes, the ohmage seen by the amp fluctuates at different levels of the full range of the frequecy response of the signal....thus, the industry standard of measuring the ohmage presented to an amp section with a tone signal of 1000 hz was established....Derek, you're fine paralleling two pairs of identical speakers, one pair to each side of the amp....the amp should not overheat to the point of thermal cutout if the amp is of any quality at all....Clint, I'm beginning to think about all I do is give you an Excedrin headache....I'll be the first to agree my head should roll....please carefully detail the method to put myself on ignore....""FORBIDDEN TERRITORY"", hahaha.....

 

[Audioholics]

Clint, I'm beginning to think about all I do is give you an Excedrin headache....I'll be the first to agree my head should roll....please carefully detail the method to put myself on ignore....""FORBIDDEN TERRITORY"", hahaha.....

Actually, you're starting to endear yourself to me, though for an 'old fart' you should know some punctuation by now.

 

[derekwwww]

Another question about this setup..... Ok as it is right now I listen to alot of old rock from the 60's and a little from the 70's. Now they didnt have the best recording equipment back then to say the least. When I listen to most any of the music at a high volume (say -10 to -5 on my Yamaha RXV1500) there is alot of fuzz in the background that you can hear easily. I know its not the speakers or signal or anything because if I listen to anything new I can turn it up to -5 or even 0 and there is no hiss or fuzz, so I know its just the music. So say I had this setup of 4 towers for my fronts instead of 2..... when I listen to it at say volume -20, there would be less hiss and fuzz, but the music would actually be as loud as listening with two towers at volume -10, which has more fuzz. I'm not exactly sure if those are the right volumes that would work out but you get the idea I am aiming at. If you don't understand what I'm trying to say I guess I'll try to explain better. Thanks guys.....

 

[zumbo]

Another question about this setup..... Ok as it is right now I listen to alot of old rock from the 60's and a little from the 70's. Now they didnt have the best recording equipment back then to say the least. When I listen to most any of the music at a high volume (say -10 to -5 on my Yamaha RXV1500) there is alot of fuzz in the background that you can hear easily. I know its not the speakers or signal or anything because if I listen to anything new I can turn it up to -5 or even 0 and there is no hiss or fuzz, so I know its just the music. So say I had this setup of 4 towers for my fronts instead of 2..... when I listen to it at say volume -20, there would be less hiss and fuzz, but the music would actually be as loud as listening with two towers at volume -10, which has more fuzz. I'm not exactly sure if those are the right volumes that would work out but you get the idea I am aiming at. If you don't understand what I'm trying to say I guess I'll try to explain better. Thanks guys.....

Actually, there would be more. When you half the resistance 8ohm to 4ohm, you increase the distortion. I am sure someone will provide a standard scale.

 

[derekwwww]

Ok I guess I didnt really explain it right, but it isnt distortion from the speakers, or the signal, its just the recording of the 60's.

 

[zumbo]

Ok I guess I didnt really explain it right, but it isnt distortion from the speakers, or the signal, its just the recording of the 60's.

Yes, but add that poor quality recording into the mix of the added distortion that will be created when you half the resistance of the signal. It will allow more of that poor quality recording with a higher distortion level to make it too the speakers.

Not exactly a technical description, but you get the idea. No?

 

[jeffsg4mac]

Then used all 4 as their fronts, and just put the two on the left side by side and same thing on the right side? Or would this somehow sound bad even though all 4 speakers are the same? I don't see how this would be a bad setup but maybe I don't know something you guys know about this situation! Let me know what you think! Thanks...

If you did that, I would stack them on top of each other with the top one upside down. That way at least you would have some sort of a DiAppolito arrangement. Side by side would not be good.

 

[gene]

Would it sound good two hook two in parallel to one side of the amp, and the other two to the other side? Totalling a 4 ohm load on each, so each speaker would be getting about 125 watts each.

It doesn't work that way. Ideally the voltage output of 2 speakers in parallel will be the same as having one, but in return the current demand on the amp will be double. This assume the amp behaves like an ideal voltage source, which few do. Thus an amp that can deliver 250wpc into 8 ohms, if its a really good one may be able to deliver 2x that or 500wpc into 4 ohms which will inturn increase the spl by 3dB. IF the amp craps out, then you may wind up delivering less power to the two speakers than you would have to a single speaker. If it doesn't than each speaker will infact be amplified by 250watts and again your amp will work double duty to deliver 500wpc.

Also placing two speakers next to each other, even if identical, like you suggest may actually hamper high frequency response, imaging and overall system fidelity. You are better off running all of your surrounds in 7CH stereo mode if you desire more output, or running an additional pair of front channels at a different location off a separate amp during parties or high SPL applications.

 

[jeffsg4mac]

Like Gene said, overall it is just not a good idea. You are introducing all sorts of problems and the resulting sound would likely be much worse.

 

[cam]

If I was running seperates that could deliver at 4 ohms, I would be more inclined to run two identical centers side by side on top of a big screen tv then double up on the mains. I have never done it before so I'm not sure if it would work. But I'm thinking it would help with the width of the center channel soundstage.

 

[zumbo]

Well, I just do what I am doing. All five of my speakers are 4ohm.