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From: sjc@mordor.UUCP (Steve Correll)
Newsgroups: net.audio
Subject: Re: Wiring Your House for Sound
Message-ID: <5131@mordor.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 2-Aug-84 18:09:18 EDT
Article-I.D.: mordor.5131
Posted: Thu Aug  2 18:09:18 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 4-Aug-84 02:21:22 EDT
Organization: S-1 Project, LLNL
Lines: 23

W. Mitchell cited one disadvantage of wiring multiple speakers in series.
Another, and more drastic, problem with wiring speakers in series occurs
when the speakers are different models and therefore do not have identical
impedance-vs-frequency characteristics. For example, suppose speakers A
and B both present a 4 ohm impedance at 400Hz, but A rises to 6 ohms at
2kHz while B rises to 12 ohms at 2kHz. Then A and B will share the voltage
equally at 400Hz, but B will get twice as much as A at 2kHz, and therefore
B will sound too bright while A sounds too dull.

Nonetheless, AR used to recommend series connection provided the speakers were
identical models. I never tried it myself.

Running the signal from the preamp through the walls to a separate amplifier
at each set of speakers seems sensible compared with searching for exotic
kinds of speaker cable. Some preamps can actually drive fairly low
impedance loads (the old Dynaco PAT-4, for example) and, if you're nimble
with a soldering iron, Signetics NE5534 opamps can supposedly be made to
drive 600 ohm loads.
                                                           --Steve Correll
sjc@s1-c.ARPA, ...!decvax!decwrl!mordor!sjc, or ...!ucbvax!dual!mordor!sjc
-- 
                                                           --Steve Correll
sjc@s1-c.ARPA, ...!decvax!decwrl!mordor!sjc, or ...!ucbvax!dual!mordor!sjc