Audio Splitters 1-4 and Watts (1 Viewer)

[Donny Boy]

Hello All,

system wattage
AMP - 100 watt audio out per channel

I would like to split my b channel from 1 set (1 pair) of speakers to 4 sets (4 pair) but do not want to lose wattage. I was told that if I turn 1 pair on I will have 100 watts but a 2nd pair would reduce this in half to 50 watts and a third set to 25 watts ect. Is this true??

Why would I want to do this?? you may ask.

I have an open floor plan in my home but with the stereo (home theater) in the family room the sound in the kitchen and living room is inadequate. So I would like to have the B channel power at least 2 rooms example; Kitchen, Living room, Front Porch or Backyard (for parties and all that). The A Channel will obviously power the Family Room, but there is a chance that I will need to power 2 additional areas. Now the system will probably never power all 4 pairs at the same time but it will probably power at least 2 at the same time.

I was wondering if there is a 1-4 splitter that has an amplifier built in that could take the audio out from the B channel and pump it to the speakers at the same 100 watts regardless of whether 1 pair is selected or all 4 pairs are selected. I have been looking for a splitter that can handel 100 watts input and a 4 channel output at 100 watts per channel out. All of the splitters I have seen just split the audio in signal and no amplification to the outputs.

Thanks for any help or recommendations on how to setup this type of a request.

Donny Boy

 

[John Garcia]

Either use an impedance matching switch, of which there are a number of 4 speaker ones, or use impedance matching volume controls for each pair of speakers. You can also use a preamp output from the receiver to an external amp to power the other zones (it would be nice to have a receiver with dual zone capability too).

B is not a separate channel in nearly all cases, it is simply running off the A channel, so what you are thinking will not work anytime you have both A and B on at the same time - it will most likely drop the impedance too low and draw too much current for the amp.

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

You won’t loose any wattage. The receiver still puts out the same power. However, the situation is that your 100 watts gets divided between all those speakers. If you want each of the four pairs to maintain 100 watts, then you’ll have to add amplifiers, as John mentioned.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt