Speaker connections

HomerJay

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I think this will work but I would like to hear from you guys what you think. All speakers are mounted in the ceiling.

I would like to connect x6 (or x3 stereo sets) of 8ohm speakers in 2 zones (x4 speakers in zone 1, x2 speakers in zone 2) to a 4ohm minimum stereo amp. Zone 1 would be wired with the speaker sets in series to provide a total impedance of 16ohms and be on the "speaker A" set, zone 2 would be wired directly to the "speaker B" set. So in A or B, A would see 16ohm and B would see 8ohm, in A+B the receiver would see 5.33ohms. The only negative, that I'm aware of, of putting the zone 1 speaker sets in series would be effectively reducing their power. If this is the only negative, I'm okay with that as the multiple speakers are for more even sound distribution only. All of these speakers are really just for ambient music.

Would this be ok? Is there anything I'm neglecting/missing?
 
Your theory is sound. The only other consideration, which you've kind of touched on, is that with both zones active, the volume will be greater in zone two. So you may have issues achieving a satisfactory level in both zones.

If that's an issue you can get wall mounted volume controls.
 
You will need to check in the amp manual to see if there are any restrictions in running both A+B together. Some amps state that they will be OK with 4 ohms into one speaker but restrict connecting two sets to 8 ohms. As already said there will be an in balance in the speaker volume between the two zones. If you amp is OK and you do not push it to party volumes then you could try parallel for the main zone (giving 4 ohms nominal) and see how it goes keeping an eye on the temperature of the amp and whether it goes into thermal shut down for the first few times you use it. Make sure the amp has a reasonable amount of space around it if you are running both sets at high volume.
 
Why not just run a 7 channel amp, like an AVR ? That is what i have done in my kitchen. I have run 4 in ceiling speakers for Zone 1 and then have 2 external speakers on Zone 2. I will run my amp in all speaker stereo 4 for 4 speakers, and in pure stereo for just 2 of the 4 speakers. Plus I get all of the additional befits, such as streaming music, DLNA, Spotify, airplay, google cast etc all in one box. Plenty of additional connectivity for other devices if needed.
 
Thanks for the info about the volume difference between the zones, I didn't take that into consideration. I'll have to add a volume control to the plans. As far as just using an avr, I dunno I kind of feel that not using the video portion is a waste and that a stereo receiver would deliver better audio because, well that's all it does. Call me crazy ...
 
Given that you are using in-ceiling speakers, I am not sure that you are going to reap the benefits of a stereo amp vs an AVR.
 
As far as just using an avr, I dunno I kind of feel that not using the video portion is a waste and that a stereo receiver would deliver better audio because, well that's all it does. Call me crazy ...

I have an Anthem MRX 500 in my office that I use as an audio only amp. I have a Denon AVR-X2400 in my kitchen that I use to listen to music on in ceiling speakers. I dont see that it is a waste. It is a pragmatic solution to solve a particular problem and it offers a degree of flexibility. i do also have a Gemini II for the kitchen as ceiling speakers don't deliver enough bass, especially when we are having parties. Again having an AVR makes it easy to integrate a sub.
 
Thanks for the info about the volume difference between the zones, I didn't take that into consideration. I'll have to add a volume control to the plans. As far as just using an avr, I dunno I kind of feel that not using the video portion is a waste and that a stereo receiver would deliver better audio because, well that's all it does. Call me crazy ...
Define waste?. I am a long time believer in AVRs . An old high quality second hand AVR is capable of excellent sound performance,and since it already exists, there is no waste in using it.
Sometimes ,in reading the postings on this forum, I get the impression of an old style Protestant work ethic ..unless it hurts it is not worthwhile. Unless it is expensive it is missing something. The notion that one might get more for less is athema. Unfortunately for that ethic ,the laws of mass production run contrary . The production runs of AVRs if they are greater than those of amplifiers,which contain less material can be cheaper.
 
Alright, alright, I submit. I initially didn't want to look into AVR's as a possible solution to an audio - only problem because that hurt my head, but between this thread and my other thread, I've been convinced now that an avr is the way to go. I don't have to take extra considerations for external impedance matching volume controls or a speaker switch, just all speakers going to a wall plate. I've picked up a Denon 3313ci and it looks like it will fit the bill perfectly with network capabilities and its 3 source, 3 zone capabilities as well. Thank you everyone for your time and input!
 

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