Is it safe to run two surround back channels into one speaker?

[iceman0124]

Hi, new guy here, semi well versed in HT setups (I know just enough to be dangerous) in the midst of upgrading my reciever and front speakers.

The reciever I'm upgrading to is an Onkyo HT-RT360, I upgraded the main speakers to Cerwin Vega XLS 6 series, L/R/C , and planning on using my old CV E706'es for the L/R surrounds. I'm thinking that if possible with no major risk/audio quality issue is to repurpose my old CV V5C center speaker as the surround back speaker for both L and R channels.....is this a bad idea? If so how? Any advice or suggestions is most welcome.

Thank in advance, if the center speker idea is a bad one I do have an unopend set of CV VE5'es that I could use as the backs....but if the center will work without issue I might send those back.

 

[Cruise Missile]

If you run the center as the rear don't run two amps to it. Simply "tell" your receiver that there is only one rear speaker in the speaker set up/amp assign menu.

Most 7 channel recievers will have this option as DTS 6.1 is exactly what you described.

 

[sawzalot]

If you run the center as the rear don't run two amps to it. Simply "tell" your receiver that there is only one rear speaker in the speaker set up/amp assign menu.

Most 7 channel recievers will have this option as DTS 6.1 is exactly what you described.

I was just looking through my old manual from the Pio 1015 and you described it perfectly if you only want one rear center simply hook up just the RS Rear and let the receiver do the rest through mac or aud. This is most likely the norm for most set-up.
To the OP I would not hook the left and right into the same speaker, could lead to some problems.

 

[sawzalot]

A quick look at your manual says to never never connect two channels to one speaker as an AVR failure would occur. I did see where it says to use either the front high left channel to run one rear center speaker or to use one rear surround to run a rear center , did not specify left or right for that one, hope this helps some.

 

[jonnythan]

From the manual:

"If you’re using only one surround back speaker, connect it to the SURROUND BACK or FRONT HIGH L terminals."

When you run Audyssey, it will automatically figure out which speakers you have connected. It'll know you only have one SB speaker and automatically configure to run as 6.1 instead of 7.1.

 

[iceman0124]

Thanks guys, the reciever should get here today, I tried downloading the manual a couple times the last few days but I always get a 404 error or the page just sticks in the loading phase.

 

[TLS Guy]

You have received the correct advice.

Never connect to speaker outputs together to drive one speaker. If you do both amps hooked together will be destroyed in a split second, and quite likely damage beyond that. Your warranty would certainly be null and void.