Receiver Output Question (1 Viewer)

[Matt_Whitehorn]

I've got a media room with surround sound and then I've got 6 pairs of speakers in other rooms around my house. I've got impedance matching volume controls and all the wires run. I recently bought a receiver that happens to have a front A output and a front B output. There are also outputs for center, surround and sub. My question is a simple one, I just want to get some experts agreeing with me!

Does the fact that this receiver has 2 "front" outputs mean that I can hook up the 1 pair of fronts from my media room to the A outputs while hooking the rest of my house speakers into B and that way I wouldn't have to buy a speaker selector? I know I don't have to have a speaker selector since I have impedance matchin controls, but I'd like to be able to turn off my media room fronts at times and just have the ambiance around my house. Is that what these 2 outputs are for?

 

[Matt_Whitehorn]

I've got a media room with surround sound and then I've got 6 pairs of speakers in other rooms around my house. I've got impedance matching volume controls and all the wires run. I recently bought a receiver that happens to have a front A output and a front B output. There are also outputs for center, surround and sub. My question is a simple one, I just want to get some experts agreeing with me!

Does the fact that this receiver has 2 "front" outputs mean that I can hook up the 1 pair of fronts from my media room to the A outputs while hooking the rest of my house speakers into B and that way I wouldn't have to buy a speaker selector? I know I don't have to have a speaker selector since I have impedance matchin controls, but I'd like to be able to turn off my media room fronts at times and just have the ambiance around my house. Is that what these 2 outputs are for?

 

[Johnny_M]

It sounds like you have 1 output for 5.1, and a 2nd (B) output for stereo only. Most modern receivers seem to have this, I have just never seen them labeled this way. What receiver do you have?



Johnny

 

[Johnny_M]

It sounds like you have 1 output for 5.1, and a 2nd (B) output for stereo only. Most modern receivers seem to have this, I have just never seen them labeled this way. What receiver do you have?



Johnny

 

[Matt_Whitehorn]

It's the Sony STR995. I assume that's what this other set of outputs is for, but the owners manual doesn't say much about them. So I just thought somebody else might have a setup like this and be able to give me some peace of mind.

 

[CalvinCarr]

Yes that is exactly what you want to do.

 

[BrianWoerndle]

Speakers A and B are not meant to be used at the same time. They are both hooked up to the same front amp channels. You can switch between the 2, but can not (or should not) use them at the same time.

Many receivers now have 2 Zones, but they are marked as Zone 2.

 

[Johnny_M]

Actually, many recievers do handle multiple rooms simultaneously. I think this was the original idea behind it. My kenwood has A + B, I can choose A only, B only, or A and B. While I agree that they share the same amp and the sound quality suffers slightly when using both, I disagree that you should not do this. Your not going to hurt a receiver by running too many speakers off of it. If your Sony doesn't support 2 zones at once it won't allow you to turn them both on. If it does let you enable both at once then you should be fine, happy listening!


Johnny

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

Matt,

They can be used that way, as long as the A and B have separate switches. In other words, you select which one you want to use. As Brian noted, you don’t want to have them both operating at the same time. It is bad for the receiver.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[Matt_Whitehorn]

Thanks for the info!

This receiver does have the Zone 2 output as BrianWoerndle said, would using that output instead of the B output be safer? Also, as long as I have the impedance correct with the speakers I'm putting in parallel matching the receiver specification, would there be any problem with the receiver powering all of them? I assume I shouldn't crank it up real high, but I don't plan on doing that either.

Wayne, if it's bad for the receiver to play both why is there an A or B or A and B option like Johnny_M sayed about his Kenwood? Just asking.