AMPs and Speakers - is this normal?

[AEW]

Hi - all. I have started splitting a single audio source via a Y splitter into 2 separate amps each connected to and powering a pair of independent speakers. I did this because I inherited an amp and speakers and found I liked both the warmth of one set up and the clarity of the other and decided to try 'blending' them together. The obvious (naive?) approach I took was to use a Y splitter from the audio source and feed it through both amps. I'm not looking for surround sound as the speakers are stacked. The 2 amps need their volumes independently adjusted to get the right mix of warmth and clarity. I like this blending as different types of music benefit from one or other of the systems being dominant or indeed equal. I now find I have a really full and tonally rich sound that I love. However I have been looking on the internet to see if this approach is common / what the pitfalls and benefits are and I can't find anything. I may be using the wrong terms to search perhaps? Either way is this a common / normal thing to do and from an audiophile perspective what are the pros / cons of the approach? For info my two set ups are a Marantz Integrated PM6005 amp through a pair of Celestion Ditton CS7s (rather like CD 44s) and a Rogers A75 Series 2 amp through a pair of KEF Coda 2s. Sources range from an iphone and MP3 player to a Marantz CD6005 and a Rega Planar 2 (though I haven't tried splitting either of these latter 2 outputs yet). Thoughts and advice would be much appreciated. Thanks - Adrian

 

[pyrrhon]

Hi - all. I have started splitting a single audio source via a Y splitter into 2 separate amps each connected to and powering a pair of independent speakers. I did this because I inherited an amp and speakers and found I liked both the warmth of one set up and the clarity of the other and decided to try 'blending' them together. The obvious (naive?) approach I took was to use a Y splitter from the audio source and feed it through both amps. I'm not looking for surround sound as the speakers are stacked. The 2 amps need their volumes independently adjusted to get the right mix of warmth and clarity. I like this blending as different types of music benefit from one or other of the systems being dominant or indeed equal. I now find I have a really full and tonally rich sound that I love. However I have been looking on the internet to see if this approach is common / what the pitfalls and benefits are and I can't find anything. I may be using the wrong terms to search perhaps? Either way is this a common / normal thing to do and from an audiophile perspective what are the pros / cons of the approach? For info my two set ups are a Marantz Integrated PM6005 amp through a pair of Celestion Ditton CS7s (rather like CD 44s) and a Rogers A75 Series 2 amp through a pair of KEF Coda 2s. Sources range from an iphone and MP3 player to a Marantz CD6005 and a Rega Planar 2 (though I haven't tried splitting either of these latter 2 outputs yet). Thoughts and advice would be much appreciated. Thanks - Adrian

Are you using a mono splitter or a left/right ? You may need to go to a music instrument store to find a splitter that sends both left and right to each amp.

Its not an audiophile approach but if you like it !

 

[AEW]

Hi Pyrrhon - I'm assuming it's a L and R i.e. Stereo splitter as it's for adding 2 sets of headphones to a single 3.5mm jack so that you can both listen to the one device. Does that make sense?

 

[pyrrhon]

I also want to point that without phase alignement 2 speakers can cancel each other too. You can invert speaker wire at one binding post and move around the middle of 2 speakers. youll notice a zone of silence where bass is gone.

 

[pyrrhon]

Hi Pyrrhon - I'm assuming it's a L and R i.e. Stereo splitter as it's for adding 2 sets of headphones to a single 3.5mm jack so that you can both listen to the one device. Does that make sense?

Y its ok then !

 

[AEW]

Thanks for the replies Pyrrhon - much appreciated. I'll see about the phase alignement tonight. Is this why this type of set up isn't normal? Thanks - Adrian

 

[davedotco]

If you connect all your sources to the PM6005, then simply take the output from the Recorder/Audio Out connections into any line input on the A75, then whatever is selected on the PM6005 will play through both amps and speakers without issue.

 

[pyrrhon]

If you connect all your sources to the PM6005, then simply take the output from the Recorder/Audio Out connections into any line input on the A75, then whatever is selected on the PM6005 will play through both amps and speakers without issue.

*good* best answer !

 

[AEW]

Thanks davedotco for the advice.