Does Anyone Use A Pair Of Speakers As Their Centre ?

[funkybits]

Howdy all,

I'd like to use a Pair of speakers as my Centre instead of the conventional One Speaker.

I recall some older Yamaha Receivers had 2 sets of speaker posts for the Centre speaker but I just checked the current 1800 & 663 Yamaha models and they only have one.

If I wire my pair of speakers in parallel or series my nominal amp load will be either 4 or 16 ohms (each speaker is 8 ohms nominal).

As my amp is rated to handle 8 ohm loads, I assume the 4 ohm load could fry the amp. I assume the amp will be happier with a 16 ohm resistance, however more amp power will be required to produce the same sound volume (the 50 watts into 8 Ohms will most liekly translate into only around 25 watts rms into 16 ohms)

Has anyone experimented with wiring 2 speakers into the 1 x centre connection and if so, how did you go?

Cheers

Johnny

Edited June 20, 2008 by funkybits

[freakygeek]

Howdy all,

I'd like to use a Pair of speakers as my Centre instead of the conventional One Speaker.

I recall some older Yamaha Receivers had 2 sets of speaker posts for the Centre speaker but I just checked the current 1800 & 663 Yamaha models and they only have one.

If I wire my pair of speakers in parallel or series my nominal amp load will be either 4 or 16 ohms (each speaker is 8 ohms nominal).

As my amp is rated to handle 8 ohm loads, I assume the 4 ohm load could fry the amp. I assume the amp will be happier with a 16 ohm resistance, however more amp power will be required to produce the same sound volume (the 50 watts into 8 Ohms will most liekly translate into only around 25 watts rms into 16 ohms)

Has anyone experimented with wiring 2 speakers into the 1 x centre connection and if so, how did you go?

Cheers

Johnny

If the amplifier is worth its salt it should have little trouble with a 4ohm load.

Most modern receivers have protection circuits to prevent damage if the impedance is too low, but I couldn't imagine 4ohms being a problem.

[-geejay-]

Howdy all,

I'd like to use a Pair of speakers as my Centre instead of the conventional One Speaker.

I recall some older Yamaha Receivers had 2 sets of speaker posts for the Centre speaker but I just checked the current 1800 & 663 Yamaha models and they only have one.

If I wire my pair of speakers in parallel or series my nominal amp load will be either 4 or 16 ohms (each speaker is 8 ohms nominal).

As my amp is rated to handle 8 ohm loads, I assume the 4 ohm load could fry the amp. I assume the amp will be happier with a 16 ohm resistance, however more amp power will be required to produce the same sound volume (the 50 watts into 8 Ohms will most liekly translate into only around 25 watts rms into 16 ohms)

Has anyone experimented with wiring 2 speakers into the 1 x centre connection and if so, how did you go?

Cheers

Johnny

Sound quality is likely to be severely impacted due to lack of damping if the speakers are wired in series.

A parallel connection is the much preferred option if your amp will allow it.

Cheers

[Hydrology]

I dont use a second speaker myself but when my theatre renovation is compete in over a week's time, I will be connecting my second REL sub up to the centre output of my RXV3800 to improve centre channel dynamics.

[Jeditempledropout]

I have though about this idea a few times, let us know how it sounds when you get it sorted.

[Roderick]

Many centres are 4 Ohm anyway, so wiring two of these in series would get around the 8-Ohm restriction of your amp.

Of course, this would affect calibration, but your receiver should be able to compensate. Each speaker would have half the output, but the two centre speakers would be louder than one .

If the two speakers are symmetrically placed wrt the screen -- i.e., above and below, or left and right -- then the net affect will be centralisation of the sound.

What's this about damping?

Rod

Edited June 27, 2008 by Roderick

[The Prof.]

I have centre speakers above and below the screen..connected to an earlier Yamaha RX-V757

They are 8 ohm speakers wired in parallel..

I just adjusted the centre volume trim to match the L&R speakers..

To me they sound fine, with good centralization and greater impact , particularly with things like explosions that seem to come right off the screen into your face..