Lack of knowledge

Alfaman

New Member
Can anyone tell me if there is a safe way I can share my main speakers between my Denon HT receiver and my Sansui 9090 without having to switch speaker wires around. I have Paradigm Eclipses I would like to use for both but not sure if I can. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thank You
Alfaman
 
There are a few different speaker switches available that would do what you want, although most of the ones I've seen were designed for mounting in a wall box. Actually, in theory any medium to heavy duty double-pole-single-throw switch would work for your purposes as long as you remembered not to turn on the wrong amp (or both of 'em at once :eek: ).
 
Having a switching box next to your amps is the way to go. Extra pairs on long runs can turn into radio antennas.
 
Thanx for the replies. Will the switch make a diffrence in sound. Any idea where I could pick one up.

Alfaman
 
you need only a simple elektricity switch you don't have to buy it. get it from an old computer or machine or something many power switches everywhere ;)
 
You need to be somewhat careful using a switch without a load. If you have both amps on one will have no load. Not good, espesially if its up very high.
 
I just purchased the Niles amp switch box from JR.com http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=23405


I have my Pioneer SX-950 and my Kenwood home surround receiver hooked up to it. I can't disern any differece in sound. It is really nice to be able to switch to my vintage system so easily. I have my turntable, RTR, and a CD player hooked up to the Pioneer. The Kenwood is hooked to another Turntable, the DVD player and the VHS player. Use the Kenwood for watching movies (remote volume and all). The Pioneer for most all music listening. Could'nt be happier. As an added bonus, I can try out another receiver by just unscrewing one of the existing amps from the Niles box, and hooking up the "new" receiver. Much easyer then luging a 47 pound vintage amp out to unplug/plug back up. The little black Niles box sits off to the side of one of my recievers. Hard to see, but easy to use the swithc button for changing amps.

Now the switch box Bolly showed...... :yes: .... would love it, but probably a lot more then the little 2 amp Niles unit.
 
I run a ADCOM GFS-6 Speaker Selector. It will run 6 set of speaker's if you use the Protection switch. Or you can run one pair at a time.

Do a search on E-bay for Adcom. There are ADCOM GFS-3 and 4's that will run 3 or 4 sets of speakers for around $50.00 used.

I have hammered on mine with hard to drive DQ 10's, KEF Q75.2's and lesser speakers for the loud of it. Did get the GFS-6 warm when I cranked 4 pairs of speakers powerd my 600 watt's a side but nothing meleted and sound, well loud? Well it was Hell's Bell's by AC/DC and loud was all I was looking for. :thmbsp:

Add's no color to the sound. Most GFS-6 go for around $80.00 to $110.00 on E-stupid. I stole mine of a buy it now for $49.95.

Cuda Ken
 
Well... this may seem a bit off-the-wall, but believe me, I wouldn't suggest it, if people hadn't DONE it, and it WORKED:

What about taking one of the un-used inputs on the 9090 (aux in, etc... anything but a phono in would work), and assigning it to the pre-outs for the left and right front channels of your HT receiver? Then, just disconnect the speaker wires for left and right front from the HT receiver completely... use the Sansui AS the amp for the front left and right speakers, EVEN in HT mode.

All you really have to do, is to determine what "reference" volume control level, on the Sansui, that you would need to set, to get the gain right to match the rest of the home theater speakers. Once you set the right input and set the volume control to the right place, then the Sansui would just be acting as a "glorified outboard power amp" for the HT receiver.

I've not met a home theater receiver, YET, that didn't perform BETTER without having to drive ALL the channels at the same time... if you're only running 3 out of 5 amp channels, the power supply will do a MUCH BETTER job of supplying those, due to the decreased total load. And I bet, the Sansui amp section, is considerably more potent than the HT receiver. The system will probably be more dynamic and probably will generally just sound better...

I've even done this with "exotic" 2-channel setups, to "expand" them to home-theater... stuff like Aragon and Conrad-Johnson stuff, and the like. Exactly like described above... just using the 2-channel rig as an outboard amp and pair of left and right front speakers, for the HT rig, and running the center and the rest directly from the receiver. Other than having to remember to set the 2-channel rig to the right settings (volume and input), it's no harder than running the HT rig by itself, once you get everything plugged in and figure out where your volume control need to be set, to match gains...

Regards,
Gordon.
 
Is this picture worth a thousand words?

Dunno, but I thought it might make the idea clearer:
 
I like the idea Gordon. I think I may try that.Im thinking I would loose out on the tuner section of 9090 in that setup is that correct. Thank's everyone for all the input I do appreciate it.

Alfaman

PS The pic is most def. worth it thank you.
 
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The tuner would only play through the speakers hooked up through the 9090, naturally. Wouldn't be able to run the tuner through the HT receiver, except by ONE way:

For your input from the HT receiver LF and RF out to the Sansui, use a TAPE MONITOR "play in" input. Take the "record out" from the SAME tape input, and run a cable, into any of the "aux" inputs of the HT receiver. Basically, you're putting the HT receiver "into the tape monitor loop" of the Sansui.

Simply put the Sansui into tuner mode, hit the appropriate tape monitor switch for the HT receiver connection on the Sansui, and hit the proper input on the HT receiver, for the input from the Sansui "record out" connection. You should, at that point, be able to play the Sansui tuner THROUGH the HT receiver, while STILL being able to use the Sansui preamp/amp section to drive the main left and right speakers, as described above...

Regards,
Gordon.
closet wiring fiend... :D
 
I cant believe the wealth of knowledge in this forum. Not just from this post am I making that statement but reading through the others it is truly unreal.
Am I ever glad to have found this place. Thanks to all who have helped.
Gordon the drawing is great my ten year old daughter could follow it and do it correctly.

thank you
Alfaman
 
Hey Gordon, stupid question but how would it change things if the non-HT unit used had pre/main jacks instead of using the aux jacks. If I connected the Pre-outs L/R from the HT to the main L/R of a H/K 730. The adjustment to the volume on the H/K wouldn't matter correct? How would this affect making adjustments to the R/L speakers using the HT's speaker setup...or would it affect it at all?

It sounds confusing after reading it but you know what I mean. :thmbsp:
 
You'd lose the ablility to "fine tune" the gain of the 2-channel stereo receiver/amp, and the dealie with the tuner being available on "record out" would be complicated as well. Also, you wouldn't be able to use the stereo receiver/amp in normal stereo mode by itself, that way... not without going behind the unit, and re-patching the preout/main in jumpers every time you wanted to change modes.

I'd think, in this case, using it through the tape monitor in/out jacks, makes more sense... you can operate the whole system through JUST flipping switches on the front. No more re-connecting wires/cables, whatsoever...

Regards,
Gordon.
 
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