adding a 3rd speaker ;)

[broket]

Hi all,

Back in the day I used to wire a 3rd speaker to the stereo by taking one wire from each existing speaker to the new one :

+ from one and - from the other. It used to sound great on the type of stereo available then such as phillips and alba etc. I did it for a few mates and it (sort of) made a surround sound. We didn't care/notice the impedence of the components and nothing ever died 8)

Was I dumb? Does it still work with more modern kit? Can I add a subwoofer to a simple stereo amp in this manner.

I have half decent bookshelf speakers but they lack bass - so I would like to add in a woofer that I can get v cheap v soon. My setup is a toshiba sa-v10 with their matching linear turntable and diamond 9.1 spkrs from wharfdale. I know it's basic but the match between the deck and amp is perfect and used to sound great with mordaunt-short pageant spkrs (now dead and too big for current shelf space anyways).

http://www.hifi-pictures.net/amplifiers-home/Toshiba%20SA-V10/back.jpg

Simple like me.

I would love to kow how best to add a subwoofer to this system.

Thanks in advance

 

[BigH]

I can't see the point to be honest. I can maybe see the point on poor hifi gear to get a more fuller sound but what about the soundstage and stereo effect?

Yes I believe there are ways of adding a sub but I'm not sure how you do it.

 

[broket]

Thanks BigH

Yeah, the steroes were really bad anyway.

But - they were still stereo and the sound became more seperated and cleaner somewhat.

My current problem is not knowing if I can wire up a sub to a plain stereo with just the two channels. I am new to subs but so many have just one input ....

 

[Petherick]

Yes it was quite the done thing to do this to get pseudo surround sound effects in the 70s and 80s. Without a thought for what it may be doing to the poor amp. Life was simpler then!
If you search for 'sub speaker level' you'll get the information you need and also some links to suitable subs. If you are looking to do this at a budget look at eBay etc. Just make sure they have speaker level input as well as the more usual line level.

 

[broket]

Thanks Petherick,

I got it explained to me on the way home from Pink Floyd at Knebworth. That was the first time I had experienced a quadraphonic system and even outdoors it blew me away. It helped being almost central to the entire rig tho. Godber was there.

"sub speaker level" - that's a damn fine search string. Thanks again.

The sub I am watching has a stereo pair of speaker level inputs as well as L/R line in - I still wouldn't know where to run the cables from/to haha. I have the diamond 9.1s bi-wired from the only outputs on our amp at the mo'

Do we replace the jumper sets on the spkrs and run that second set of cables to the sub?

 

[Petherick]

Normally you would run speaker cables from amp to sub then from sub to speakers. It sounds more complicated than it actually is. If you use the same search string you should find some images which will make it clearer. You will only be able to use single wiring not bi-wiring this way so yes you'll need to replace the jumpers.
Re: going home from Knebworth - I'm surprised you could hear the explanation for the ringing in your ears

 

[broket]

I was so much younger then ...

and camping there with a Russian girl so it was the next day

... I am older than that now - and confused and tired so will pursue this bear again tomorrow. Thanks again.