[stickboy2k]

Hi all.



Here comes my stupid "I am too cheap to buy imported beer question"



I have an old 2.1 powered speaker system from Cambridge Soundworks.
http://www.cambridgesoundworks.com/p...soundworks.pdf


It was a pretty decent sounding system. NOW, I have a 7.1 surround receiver and I was thinking of using the two satellites as my front channel.


Please don't tell me they would sound like crap, I know that might be true, but I am looking for a theoretical set up here.


My question is, would the receiver overload the speakers and/or would/could it damage my receiver? I don't know what impedance and ohms and such to look for with this stuff.


These are pretty good quality, and if usable they may not be good for front channel, but the light duties of rear might work.



Here's the kicker.

Would there be a way to turn the sub into a passive sub for use on my receiver as well?



I apologize for being a miserable hack.

 

[Ratman]

Why buy a 7.1 receiver and not be financially positioned for at least 5.1 speakers?


That system (speakers) is not designed to be directly connected to an A/V receiver. Direct connect of the satellite speakers will most likely result in damage. As for the sub... it's not really a "subwoofer", so the same applies.


Sell the 2.1 system and get new speakers and a sub.

 

[stickboy2k]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Ratman /forum/post/15441166


Direct connect of the satellite speakers will most likely result in damage.

To the speaker or to the receiver?

 

[Ratman]

Possibly both.


Like Bose AM systems, the bass module (subwoofer?) is meant to work in conjuction with the speakers. In other words, a proprietary matched system. It is only meant to be used with a single "line level" input (I.E. Audio out from TV/PC or headphone jack) and as a complete system.


Experiment if you like... but you've been warned.

 

[stickboy2k]

Ok, so forgetting the subwoofer, I am just asking about the satellites.


I was thinking that I would be at minimal risk of damage if the volume was low and test them by degrees.

 

[Ratman]

Knock yourself out and good luck. Hope it works out for you.

 

[stickboy2k]

Ok, so you have no idea. Anybody else?


Let me refine the question.


Will wiring the satellites (in question) onto a real receiver potentially damage the receiver.


If the answer is "maybe", could someone explain why it may or may not?


I can understand why the amp may blow an under rated speaker, but I do not get why the amp would be at risk.


Is there anything about speaker impedance rating that would cause the amp to blow a channel? The amp is rated at 6 Ohm, lets say the speakers are 4 does that matter?

 

[Ratman]

WHAT???


I tried to give you an answer. You don't like it, so you say I have no idea?


C'mon, if anyone has no idea...........

I stated some reasonable facts. You can possibly damage the receiver, speakers and the sub.

 

[stickboy2k]

You are not really addressing my question. Read #7 again, I am asking for more specific advise and you are generalizing.


Just go away if you don't want to be a good helper.

 

[Ratman]

LOL!

Sorry I'm not a "helpy helper".


Get the spec's from Cambridge. Try them out and hope for the best. If you don't want anyone to tell you that they will sound crappy, won't damage the speakers or the receiver... why do you ask?


Don't crap on me because I'm giving you sound (no pun intended) advice for your "theoretical setup".


Anyone else?

 

[stickboy2k]

what about "go away" do you not understand.


Your last post proves my point about you not being able to READ.

I said you weren't being a GOOD helper, you read "happy helper"


That must be why you wont go away, because you only read every third word.


Go tree the car hell boat away.

 

[jarrod1937]

Rtaman is correct here actually.

Speakers are built with a group of circuits called crossovers. These are designed to filter the signal going to the speakers so that each speaker driver (the cone devices), which are capable of a certain chunk of the sound frequency range, only deal with their respective chunk.These crossover circuits can also act as a high/low pass filter, a filter that filters out certain frequencies that may damage a driver. Then you also have a certain wattage range and ohm rating for each driver. Drivers are driven by voice coils (basically an electromagnet piston), which is made up of a thin coated wire wrapped into a cylinder shape. Electricity is then run through the wire to create a magnetic field which creates the piston action in conjunction with the alternating current of the signal. Now, this coil can only take so much power (watts) at once while trying to cool itself. If it gets more power, and therefore more thermal energy created, than it can dissipate, then it will burnup, plain and simple.

Now, with that simple and short explanation, let go into the problems.

1.) The speaker set looks like the crossover electronics are more than likely built into the "sub" unit. This means that the satellite speakers are more than likely directly wired, so the speakers themselves do not contain any crossover circuitry. This will have the effect of allowing the full frequency range, which the drivers obviously cannot handle, being sent to them. This will more than likely damage the speakers.

2.) The power/watts being sent to the speakers from the "sub" unit is probably not nearly as much as your receiver will send to them. This will either make the drivers over-excursion or it will fry the voice coils pretty fast as they will be getting more power than they can dissipate.

3.) If you manage to wireup the sub directly to your system, it will more than likely fail for the same reasons as 1 and 2 for your two satellite speakers.


Now, i hope this is "addressing my question"

Though, i must say i really see no real ill effect it could have on the receiver. IN which case if you care nothing about the 2.1 cambridge speaker system, go knock yourself out. However, it will more than likely damage the speakers and sound like crap until they are. After all those satellites probably can't produce much of the frequency range, which is why they were coupled with the "sub" unit which is probably meant to produce the mid and moderately low portions.

 

[Ratman]



Quote:
Originally Posted by stickboy2k /forum/post/15443674


Your last post proves my point about you not being able to READ.

I said you weren't being a GOOD helper, you read "happy helper".

No... re-read. I did not say "Happy Helper".

People in glass houses...

 

[stickboy2k]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Ratman /forum/post/15446153


No... re-read. I did not say "Happy Helper".

People in glass houses...

LOL , ya got me.

Just playing. thanks for the input.