I know this sounds silly, but I am looking to have an "adult" system and a "kids" system. Unfortunately, I do not have a separate room for what will be my system so I have to have the family room as my playground as well as my teenage daughters. What I would like to do is have a receiver and CD player for them and the same(except much better) system for me. I don't want them messing with my stuff but I don't have room for two separate sets of speakers. Is it possible to play either receiver through the same set of speakers? I know I could probably get a A/B speaker switch of some kind but won't that degrade the sound. Is there one available of audiophile quality? Or is there another alternative?
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Can I run two receivers through one set of speakers? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter EdNichols
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Mifr44
Screenwriter
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- Michael
Well, with teenage girls, it would seem you should be able to trust them with the "good" system. My 10 year-old knows how to run our system (she's more capable than my wife is), so it is possible to teach them.
While I think you can get a switcher for the speakers, your speakers will be driven by the "lower quality" system. I would be more concerned with them blowing your speakers using a lower quality receiver than I would using the main setup.
If your concern is you don't want them using a very expensive CD player you might own (you haven't stated specifics, so I am guessing here), why not connect two different CD players to the system, one for you and one for them? Just a thought.
Michael
While I think you can get a switcher for the speakers, your speakers will be driven by the "lower quality" system. I would be more concerned with them blowing your speakers using a lower quality receiver than I would using the main setup.
If your concern is you don't want them using a very expensive CD player you might own (you haven't stated specifics, so I am guessing here), why not connect two different CD players to the system, one for you and one for them? Just a thought.
Michael
About the only way I know of to use two receivers and a single set of speakers is to use a speaker selector switch, connected backwards (i.e., the leads that would normally go to the receiver would go instead to the one pair of speakers.
The problem with this in your situation is that you would have to rely on the girls to put the switch in the correct position whenever they use the system. If not, and you end up with both receivers online at the same time, you run the risk of ruining them both.
I tend to agree with Michael. Our kids have all used the main system, and it has never been damaged. In fact, my 12-year-old daughter (my baby - that last one in the house
) is easier on it than I am – she typically listens to DVDs at much lower levels than I do. She’s been using the system for years with no supervision (except for maybe needing help getting everything up and running).
Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt
The problem with this in your situation is that you would have to rely on the girls to put the switch in the correct position whenever they use the system. If not, and you end up with both receivers online at the same time, you run the risk of ruining them both.
I tend to agree with Michael. Our kids have all used the main system, and it has never been damaged. In fact, my 12-year-old daughter (my baby - that last one in the house
) is easier on it than I am – she typically listens to DVDs at much lower levels than I do. She’s been using the system for years with no supervision (except for maybe needing help getting everything up and running).Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt
Nick L
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If your speakers are able to be biwired, you could plug in one reciever to one input and the other into the other. As long as you left in the connector that runs one signal to both sets of inputs. Hope that makes sense...
Nick L
Nick L
Wayne and Micheal
You are right, my daughters do know more about the system than my wife. She is also why I would like to have separate systems. I think she knows enough to run the receiver that we have now. It is fairly simple, but with the new reciever I want to get it will have on screen commands and I don't want to have to try to explain to her how to use it. It has taken me year just to show her how to use the one I have now. With my daughters, they have their friends over and when they want to listen to some music and they start changing CD's every 5 minutes. I just don't want my good stuff messed up.
Nick,
My main speakers are bi-wirable. So if I can be sure that both receivers aren't on at the same time, will I be safe?
You are right, my daughters do know more about the system than my wife. She is also why I would like to have separate systems. I think she knows enough to run the receiver that we have now. It is fairly simple, but with the new reciever I want to get it will have on screen commands and I don't want to have to try to explain to her how to use it. It has taken me year just to show her how to use the one I have now. With my daughters, they have their friends over and when they want to listen to some music and they start changing CD's every 5 minutes. I just don't want my good stuff messed up.
Nick,
My main speakers are bi-wirable. So if I can be sure that both receivers aren't on at the same time, will I be safe?
Nick L
Second Unit
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Ed, as long as both receivers aren't on at the same time you should be fine. Your basically using the receivers as a selector switch. It is not a fool proof system though. Might be a work around until you could get a good selector switch that is teenage girl proof.
Won't be long and you'll want to get the girls a room of their own. That way you have somewhere to go when they are using your stuff
Won't be long and you'll want to get the girls a room of their own. That way you have somewhere to go when they are using your stuff
AndyDC
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Ha, I can return an old favor from "Brucer" on avsforum, or at least pass it along. I had the same question.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...hreadid=288992
The bottom line: there are switch boxes designed for this, not just reverse speaker selector boxes. I got the one suggested in this thread and it works fine. (One little warning: the first one they sent was wierdly defective (physically -- the face plate just woudn't screw on right -- but they sent another that works fine. Cool. I'm using it all the time happily.) Note: I also have a local source CD player for the second set of speakers, but sometimes I want to run from the main receiver (mainly because it's also connected to my HTPC where I have lots of music).
Here's the link to the product in question:
http://www.hometech.com/audio/spswitch.html
Makes sure that both receivers aren't going through at once.
Andy
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...hreadid=288992
The bottom line: there are switch boxes designed for this, not just reverse speaker selector boxes. I got the one suggested in this thread and it works fine. (One little warning: the first one they sent was wierdly defective (physically -- the face plate just woudn't screw on right -- but they sent another that works fine. Cool. I'm using it all the time happily.) Note: I also have a local source CD player for the second set of speakers, but sometimes I want to run from the main receiver (mainly because it's also connected to my HTPC where I have lots of music).
Here's the link to the product in question:
http://www.hometech.com/audio/spswitch.html
Makes sure that both receivers aren't going through at once.
Andy
Marty Neudel
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- 223
Ed,
it sounds as if your daughter should have her own completely separate system (to ensure the safety of your speakers.) Have you considered a mini-bookshelf stereo for her. It should meet her needs, and the speakers should fit readily on top of your l&r mains. Many of these units come with small but boomy subwoofers that make the sound teens love.
If this approach is acceptible the only problem you'll have is finding a system that fits, cosmetically, with yours.
Marty
it sounds as if your daughter should have her own completely separate system (to ensure the safety of your speakers.) Have you considered a mini-bookshelf stereo for her. It should meet her needs, and the speakers should fit readily on top of your l&r mains. Many of these units come with small but boomy subwoofers that make the sound teens love.
If this approach is acceptible the only problem you'll have is finding a system that fits, cosmetically, with yours.
Marty
MannyE
Stunt Coordinator
Ed,
I'm with Marty here. You can go to Radio Shack and pick up whatever the equivalent of the Minimus 7 is these days (too bad they don't sell the Minimus 7 anymore) for cheap, get a wall mount kit for each one and hook them up to the old receiver. You're done and spent less than 100 bucks.
I'm with Marty here. You can go to Radio Shack and pick up whatever the equivalent of the Minimus 7 is these days (too bad they don't sell the Minimus 7 anymore) for cheap, get a wall mount kit for each one and hook them up to the old receiver. You're done and spent less than 100 bucks.
