• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

2 amplifiers and 1 set of speakers

H

Hawkeye 87

New Member
Hi everyone, I need your help in solving my problem. I have 2 integrated amps, a new Marantz PM 6007 and an old Dynaco SCA 35 tube amp. I have 1 pair of speakers. Right now I have everything hooked up to the Marantz: turntable, CD player, tuner and Bluetooth receiver. Question: is there a switch box or something that I can use that will allow me to switch between either amplifier while still being able to utilize all 4 sources mentioned above?? From what I've seen on YouTube videos and Amazon, there are speaker switch boxes that allow you to use 2 different amps, but you can only use a specific source off each amp, e.g. #1 amp has a CD player hooked up and #2 amp has a turntable hooked up. Is there some switch box available that will allow me to listen to the turntable on either one of those amps with a flick of a switch?
 
Register to hide this ad
Cademan, that appears to be something I'd use for multiple speakers. I only have 1 set of speakers and I need to use all of my 4 sources off either amp at any given time, without unplugging and plugging wires back and forth. I contacted crutchfield and they said I may need a preamp, but my amps are integrated and already have preamps but no pre-out option.
 
This gets asked about here every couple of months. If you search the forums I'm sure you'll find all the info you need. If I remember right, the Niles box can be hooked up either way. Some cheap boxes can't be used backwards. I built my own from a computer switcher.
Welcome to the Forum.
OIP.8Mrg3ptl_Qrq8vlMTSlhQQHaHa.jpeg switch.jpeg
 
Hawkeye 87 said:
Cademan, that appears to be something I'd use for multiple speakers. I only have 1 set of speakers and I need to use all of my 4 sources off either amp at any given time, without unplugging and plugging wires back and forth. I contacted crutchfield and they said I may need a preamp, but my amps are integrated and already have preamps but no pre-out option.
Click to expand...
I have heard people say that you can use these boxes in reverse however I have never had the need for any type of switchbox so I can't say if it works or not. :no:
 
cademan said:
Look up "Niles switch box".
Click to expand...

Huh ... ??
Seems like you would need two boxes .. one to switch sources from amp to amp, or a preamp with two outputs, plus a backwards speaker selector ..
Too much hardware in the signal path for my preferences either way ..
No matter how it's done it's going to negatively affect the sonics ..
 
Akustic said:
Huh ... ??
Seems like you would need two boxes .. one to switch sources from amp to amp, or a preamp with two outputs, plus a backwards speaker selector ..
Too much hardware in the signal path for my preferences either way ..
Click to expand...
Refer to post #6.
 
Hawkeye 87 said:
Hi everyone, I need your help in solving my problem. I have 2 integrated amps, a new Marantz PM 6007 and an old Dynaco SCA 35 tube amp. I have 1 pair of speakers. Right now I have everything hooked up to the Marantz: turntable, CD player, tuner and Bluetooth receiver. Question: is there a switch box or something that I can use that will allow me to switch between either amplifier while still being able to utilize all 4 sources mentioned above?? From what I've seen on YouTube videos and Amazon, there are speaker switch boxes that allow you to use 2 different amps, but you can only use a specific source off each amp, e.g. #1 amp has a CD player hooked up and #2 amp has a turntable hooked up. Is there some switch box available that will allow me to listen to the turntable on either one of those amps with a flick of a switch?
Click to expand...

About the only thing that I can think of is those custom build switchers that you see in audio stores ...
Putting all of those switches in the signal path is going to negatively impact the sonics of your system ..
 
Thanks everyone. I agree with a little too much going on back there which will mess with the signal and sound quality. It was worth a try.
 
Guess it could be done with y-cables on the sources and one multi speaker box ..
Don't know if you can Y a turntable though .. not much drive there ..
 
Hawkeye 87 said:
Thanks everyone. I agree with a little too much going on back there which will mess with the signal and sound quality. It was worth a try.
Click to expand...

The effects would be subtle but they're there ..
Depends on the system and the ear ..
Every time i put one in, I ended up taking it back out ..
People do it ..YMMV ..
 
use these for the sources, wired backwards (one source three amps) and the Niles box between the amps and speakers. I had my system like that for a while just to evaluate the sound of various amps. It was a mess of wiring, but helped me decide that my Yamaha AVR didn't sound good.
s-l1000.jpg
 
Last edited:
Hawkeye 87 said:
Hi everyone, I need your help in solving my problem. I have 2 integrated amps, a new Marantz PM 6007 and an old Dynaco SCA 35 tube amp. I have 1 pair of speakers. Right now I have everything hooked up to the Marantz: turntable, CD player, tuner and Bluetooth receiver. Question: is there a switch box or something that I can use that will allow me to switch between either amplifier while still being able to utilize all 4 sources mentioned above?? From what I've seen on YouTube videos and Amazon, there are speaker switch boxes that allow you to use 2 different amps, but you can only use a specific source off each amp, e.g. #1 amp has a CD player hooked up and #2 amp has a turntable hooked up. Is there some switch box available that will allow me to listen to the turntable on either one of those amps with a flick of a switch?
Click to expand...

The thread title mentions 2 amplifiers and 1 set of speakers, but in your post you ask about using all your sources with both integrateds.
If you use the Marantz's "audio out" into one of the Dynaco's inputs you should be able to use it with all sources.
Use short pigtails from both integrateds to switch speaker wire.
See RTally's post with a picture here:
https://audiokarma.org/forums/index...eded-quick-disconnect-for-speaker-amp.977459/
 
Yes opnly, I want both of my amplifiers to feed into some sort of switch box that will allow all of the sources to be connected in to the switch box and speakers, thereby allowing me for example to use amp #1 to play a CD, then switch over to amp #2 to play the turntable, then use the same amp #2 to play a CD, etc. But my amps do not have a pre out, they just have the standard aux, tape, phono, etc.
 
Hawkeye 87 said:
Yes opnly, I want both of my amplifiers to feed into some sort of switch box that will allow all of the sources to be connected in to the switch box and speakers, thereby allowing me for example to use amp #1 to play a CD, then switch over to amp #2 to play the turntable, then use the same amp #2 to play a CD, etc. But my amps do not have a pre out, they just have the standard aux, tape, phono, etc.
Click to expand...

See the first part of my post about switching sources and get a second pair of speakers.

Your desire reflects at least 0.00000000000000000001% of people with stereos, so I doubt there is a plethora of devices to accomplish it.
 
opnly bafld said:
The thread title mentions 2 amplifiers and 1 set of speakers, but in your post you ask about using all your sources with both integrateds.
If you use the Marantz's "audio out" into one of the Dynaco's inputs you should be able to use it with all sources.
Use short pigtails from both integrateds to switch speaker wire.
See RTally's post with a picture here:
https://audiokarma.org/forums/index...eded-quick-disconnect-for-speaker-amp.977459/
Click to expand...

Using the preout from the Marantz sounds like a cleaner idea for the sources, but having the Marantz live on the speaker selector switch might just be a clear and present Danger ..
No problem as long as it's switched with the system powered down .. but ..

I know I'm way more forgetful than not .. and it depends on the switch ..
Oh, and less danger with the pigtail idea too .. but still switch them with amps powered down.
 
Last edited:
Akustic said:
Using the preout from the Marantz sounds like a cleaner idea for the sources, but having the Marantz live on the speaker selector switch might just be a clear and present Danger ..
No problem as long as it's switched with the system powered down .. but ..
Click to expand...

It is a record out.
I don't follow on the speaker selector switch, what I suggested doesn't include one, I used "switch" as in change wire from one amp to the other by hand.
Didn't realize he wants to change it up so often.
 
Last edited:
Hawkeye 87 said:
Yes opnly, I want both of my amplifiers to feed into some sort of switch box that will allow all of the sources to be connected in to the switch box and speakers, thereby allowing me for example to use amp #1 to play a CD, then switch over to amp #2 to play the turntable, then use the same amp #2 to play a CD, etc. But my amps do not have a pre out, they just have the standard aux, tape, phono, etc.
Click to expand...

Even a pre out doesn't achieve what you're trying to achieve ..
Not sure that it can be done short of some custom built signal routing device ..
Like Bafld said, it's not exactly a common set up ..

Only time I've seen such a thing is in an audio store, but all of those connections and switches are a recipe for signal deterioration ..
At best ..you could use the backward speaker selector with the sources Y'd to the two different amps ..
Look into Y cables on a turntable tho .. that might not work.
 
Last edited:
I appreciate all the help. But I really don't think what I'm trying to accomplish is a "weird desire" or something no one else in the history of audio has ever thought of doing. What if I'm listening to a CD on the solid state Marantz and it sounds a little too bright and fatiguing. Then I could just switch over to my tube amp to see how that same CD sounds. This doesn't seem like some obscure desire, at least not to me. There's a YouTube video addressing this same topic but the person in the video only desired to use one source with each receiver (he liked one receiver for surround sound movies and the other receiver just for 2 channel CD listening - that's solved with a simple speaker switch). Again, thanks for all of the input but I think I've beat a dead horse on this topic
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom