Center Channel Speaker to 2 channel amp

[RT Fan]

If my center channel speaker has dual binding posts, could I hook up a second strand of speaker wire to either the available right or left output of the speaker "B" on my 2 channel amp? I am only using a single strand of wire (Pos/Neg) into the Right output of speaker system "B" of the amp.

I currently have center channel speakers hooked up to two of my 2 channel stereos for watching movies. The first setup is directly into the amp and the second one runs through a Niles speaker switch box. There seems to be a considerable drop-off in volume between the CC speakers and my mains, far in excess of Sensitivity/DB Output ratings.

Thanks for any answers provided to an old 2 channel guy.

 

[Duane]

What are you trying to do by adding a center channel to a 2 channel system?

 

[RT Fan]

Just for watching movies, to have the dialogue, seemingly, come from the middle of the sound stage.

 

[KrisM]

Are they dual binding posts with a bridge between them? Or is there an actual left and right input? A make/model number and maybe a picture of the posts would help.

 

[RT Fan]

Hey Kris, one of the CC speakers is a Klipsch Reference RC-25;
which has according to the Klipsch site: "2 sets of binding post terminals (connected via brass strap jumpers.)

I am just looking to avoid frying the CC speaker by hooking it up to both the right and left channel of the "B" speaker output. I just didn't know if this could be done. (I don't want to end up like one of Stereorob's experiments.) P
Perhaps I just need to buy a CC with a Sensitivity rating closer to my mains.

 

[saea501]

Well, I'm more than a little confused.

But reading your last post, if you hook both the left and right channels of one amplifier to a single speaker with the straps in place you will probably see sparks and smoke out of the back of the amp.

I guess my question is: what's the input signal for this amplifier? Is this a surround system or a 2 channel that you are trying to insert a center speaker? If the latter is the case, again what would be the input?

I am not sure why you would want to do this. And please don't misunderstand. I am so much questioning your motive as I am trying to figure what you are trying to accomplish.

 

[KrisM]

I think he is just trying to "fill in" the center channel spot with a two channel system. Not really possible to do correctly. You really need a 5.1 receiver/amp to do this.

I don't know that center channel speaker, but I'm guessing the dual binding posts are there for bi-wiring or bi-amping. So if you take out the straps(you have to take out the straps!) and hook the left wire to one set of posts and the right to other set it would work. But you will just end up with one channel playing through the tweeters and the other channel playing through the mids/woofers. It won't sound right. This is assuming my take on the dual binding posts is correct. You would get better sound by just running 2 channels and going with a phantom center channel.
You are close with the sensitivity thing, but your biggest problem is you have no way to adjust your levels. With a proper surround amp you sit down with a decibel meter and play test tones through all of your speakers. The receiver will have the ability to adjust the levels for each channel. This makes everything "balanced".
You are also not getting the benefit of a surround decoder. With a well-mixed 5.1 soundtrack the dialogue is (usually) just coming from the center. You don't have that because the left and right speakers are also getting that information.

Hope that wasn't confusing, I kinda rambled on a little.

 

[Duane]

I am just wondering why you need a center channel speaker for a 2 channel setup.Remember the KISS principle.

If you have your two main speakers set up with proper imaging, the voices will come from the center. Even though I have a 5.1 system,it's also used as a 2ch stereo. I will often leave it in the 2 ch configuration for TV and the dialog comes right from center of the screen. If I use it in the multichannel mode, the dialog drops down to where the center channel resides.

 

[jt45]

I am just wondering why you need a center channel speaker for a 2 channel setup.Remember the KISS principle.

If you have your two main speakers set up with proper imaging, the voices will come from the center. Even though I have a 5.1 system,it's also used as a 2ch stereo. I will often leave it in the 2 ch configuration for TV and the dialog comes right from center of the screen. If I use it in the multichannel mode, the dialog drops down to where the center channel resides.

Proper placement and imaging will help . Although if you have mutiple sources you may run into some bugs. Of course your components should allow you to downmix sources to stereo to help with a lack of center channel. Try angling your speakers in so that your tweeters cross at a point just behind or in front of your sweet spot. This was suggested to me and I now run my AVR in stereo most of the time unless Im playing a Blu-Ray movie. Where I like to run my sub and use multichannel processing to kick in the effects.

 

[RT Fan]

Well judging from the responses it seems like I should leave well enough alone. I am aware of the limitations of 2 channel amplification in recreating a realistic multi-channel soundstage experience. My main speakers image quite well, the idea of adding a CC speaker was to bring more of the dialogue front and center. I already had a pair of bookshelf speakers that I used along with my mains when watching dvd's, which helped expand the 2 channel soundstage.


Since the CC speaker is hooked up through only the right channel of speaker B, I wondered if by using the bi-amping posts I could hook up the left channel into the CC speaker as well. Apprently not, Thanks for the info.

 

[Duane]

Proper placement and imaging will help . Although if you have mutiple sources you may run into some bugs. Of course your components should allow you to downmix sources to stereo to help with a lack of center channel. Try angling your speakers in so that your tweeters cross at a point just behind or in front of your sweet spot. This was suggested to me and I now run my AVR in stereo most of the time unless Im playing a Blu-Ray movie. Where I like to run my sub and use multichannel processing to kick in the effects.

Thank you, but I am not having any sonic issues with my setup,whether it's 2ch or multichannel.

The original post was related to using an existing 2 channel system and adding on a center channel to it using the speaker B output for that channel,at least from what I understood.

 

[whoaru99]

Some people have put a speaker connected this way to use for a makeshift center/ambiance channel.

Amp R+ to speaker +, amp L+ to speaker -. This is, I think, called a Hafler circuit/Hafler connection. I've seen some people say this can cause problems for some amps but I tried it a couple times back in the day and never had a problem. YMMV.

Sometimes a rheostat of around 25 ohms is put in series with the ambiance speaker to vary the level of the speaker.

 

[jt45]

Thank you, but I am not having any sonic issues with my setup,whether it's 2ch or multichannel.

The original post was related to using an existing 2 channel system and adding on a center channel to it using the speaker B output for that channel,at least from what I understood.

My post was meant to be an agreement to what you said and not about your setup. I think the OP might get get better Dialog trying some of these things. I dont think I would try hooking a speaker up by splitting channels