# How can I hook two home stereo receivers together to run 4 speakers



## rentonhighlands

I would like to know how can I hook two home stereo receivers together to run 4 speakers? What jacks on each receiver would I use?


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## yustr

The answer is yes ... and maybe.

First, most receivers have this capability built in = A/B speaker switch. Just wire up 4 speakers and press the button to have the set you want play - or both play.

If your units don't have that or if they're not powerful enough to drive 4 speakers, there are ways to get 4 speakers using 2 amps:

Recommended: 

Connect the "Pre-Out" jacks of one receiver to an input on the second. Then adjust the volumes of each. (If one has a tape loop that will work too.)

Will work:

Split the incoming feed signal using Y type cables.

What you cannot do is run wire from the speaker binding posts of one to any input on the other.


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## rentonhighlands

This is my main reciever Pioneer SX 950
http://www.discountdaddysurplus.com/ebay/atomic/PIONEER-SX950-5.jpg
and my other receiver is some one I can not remember right now. Have to dig it out. 
This SX 950 has the ability to run 4 speakers as it does have A B C but the channels are fuzzy and right now I have Left channel hooked up to A Left and right channel hooked up to B Right. 
This does have Tape 1 REC and PLAY and Tape 2 REC and PLAY Is this what you refer to as "tape loop"?


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## yustr

That unit has pre-out plugs right in the center of the back - shown with jumpers to pre-in. Just pull the jumpers and connect the pre-out to an input on the other receiver. If that doesn't work, try using Tape REC to the other amp. Switch the Tape Monitor swich to on.

BTW: I have its bigger brother SX1050 - so sweet. But it too has a problem with one of the speakers cutting out.


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## rentonhighlands

I see the jumpers. What is "power in" used for?

Thanks yustr I will give this a try. This amp sounds great. The old stuff is some of the best stuff!


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## yustr

That circuit can be used to drive a separate power amp or for an equalizer. An equalizer I can see. You'd send the pre-amp(lified) signal to the equalizer, it would modify the sound, then it would come back to the Pioneer which would then amplify it and sent that modified sound out to the speakers.

I don't know why you'd want to have your power amp signal back.


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## rentonhighlands

on the back of my pioneer reciever it states 
a,b,c 4 ohm or more speaker or
a+b, a+c, b+c 8 ohm or more
does thsi mean that I can use any of the combo a+b, a+c, b+c as long as the speakers are a 8 ohm drivers and tweeters?

What I have is 4 boxes each with 1 tweeter and 1 driver each speakers are 8 ohms? 
Would this combo stress the amp?


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## yustr

rentonhighlands said:


> on the back of my pioneer reciever it states
> a,b,c 4 ohm or more speaker or
> a+b, a+c, b+c 8 ohm or more
> does thsi mean that I can use any of the combo a+b, a+c, b+c as long as the speakers are a 8 ohm drivers and tweeters?
> 
> Yes
> 
> What I have is 4 boxes each with 1 tweeter and 1 driver each speakers are 8 ohms?
> Would this combo stress the amp?
> 
> Not at all


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## rentonhighlands

I now want to hook up a EQ and looking around to find one to purchase. 
I have found this one DBX 215 Dual 15-Band Graphic Equalizer 
http://www.amazon.com/DBX-Dual-15-B...8&s=musical-instruments&qid=1265140675&sr=1-4

It has XLR and TRS Inputs and Outputs. 
How to I hook this up to my reciever? 
My reciever has RCA

I have attached a picture


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## yustr

You'll need 2 of THESE

(Make sure to get the correct male/female XLR ends.)

You'll remove the jumpers connecting the pre-out and pre-in on the back of the amp an dconnect these cable there.


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## rentonhighlands

I am a bit confused about Equalizers. For example in windows media player the eq will change bass mid and treble in both channels. I want to have more controls so I am thinking of purchasing a hardware unit equalizer. With this unit to eq both channels you need a dual channel EQ. Do they make hardware units for example a 15 or 30 band eq that will adjust both channels at once like windows media eq does? With using a dual channel eq how would a person adjusting the left channel get the right channel exactly the same?


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## yustr

Sorry for the slow response - I've been away.

In reality you don't want the two channels to be set exactly the same; you want them to sound exactly the same. The whole point of a two channel equilzer is to let you adjust the levels differently, otherwise there'd be no need for separate L/R adjustments.

I think the best you'll be able to do - short of renting sophisticated audio measurement tools is: set the levels the same on both then use your ear to make minor changes from those settings.

(BTW: this is one cool thing about modern receivers - most have the capability to do this internally and automatically. Sweet :smile: )


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## amerillove

Switch the Tape Monitor swich to on..


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## rentonhighlands

I would like to know how I can run this sub and eq together. How would I hook the the RCA's? 
SUB
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=300-633
EQ
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=246-144
I play my music from my computer

Would the EQ need to have seperate inputs to plug my computer into?


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## yustr

The basic way to hook it up is to connect the PC to the receiver (the headphone jack works fine) then the "pre-out" of the receiver to the equalizer, then from the equ back to the receiver, then speaker wire from the receiver to the "high level in" on the sub, then from the "high level out" of the sub to your L/R speakers.

Another way is: PC same, from the pre-out of the receiver to the "low level in" of the sub, then "low level out" to the equ, then equ back to the pre-in of the receiver, then normal speaker wire from the rec to your speakers. With this setup you'll use the filter adjustments on the sub to separate the low frequencies and be sending only the mids & highs to the equ>rec>speaker chain.


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