Question Hooking up additional speakers to a standard Hifi

[Tombassjunkie]

I have a brilliant old Panasonic SA-AK630 that still provides superb sound.

I recently had the clever idea to try and install a ceiling speaker in the bathroom and run it from the hifi. I took apart an old tv and salvaged one of the speakers. I have ran the wire from the hifi into the bathroom and hooked it up by putting the red and black wires from the tv speaker in with the red and black wires from the original speaker. There is no volume loss or anything different. The speaker in the bathrrom is a crappy tv speaker so the sound isnt great but the volume is consistent with the original speakers.

So, I decided to buy some designated ceiling speakers for the bathroom and thought I could just hook them up the same way. Problem is, if I hook them up using the same method, the original speaker still works as normal but the ceiling speaker hardly makes a noise. I noticed that when I remove all the other speakers, then the ceiling speaker gets louder.

I understand I might need to buy a seperate amp for the bathroom speakers but the hifi is in the kitchen (apartment) and when having kitchen parties, I like the idea of the same music playing in the bathroom too.

Speakers were cheapo ones bought from vidaXL. Link below. https://www.vidaxl.co.uk/e/8720286044452/vidaxl-built-in-wall-and-ceiling-speakers-2-pcs-80-w

So my question is, is there a simple way to get these speakers to work off my hifi and if so how?

And also, why is it that the crappy tv speakers works by just chucking the wires in the back of the hifi with the other speakers yet the ceiling speaker doesnt work the same?

 

[Gray]

.....why is it that the crappy tv speakers works by just chucking the wires in the back of the hifi with the other speakers yet the ceiling speaker doesnt work the same?

The speakers you've bought are for 100 volt line systems.
This means that you're connecting to a transformer on each of them....which explains your problem.
To use them as 'normal' speakers (like your TV one), you need to bypass the transformers and connect directly to the speakers themselves.

Ideally too, you should avoid any harm to your old Panasonic by checking it's impedance requirements.
Because when you connect speakers in parallel as you're doing, you lower the overall impedance.
This may or may not be a problem for the Panasonic.
If you're bothered, see if your Panasonic has record outputs and I'll show you a little £20 amp that would nicely drive ceiling speakers.

 

[Tombassjunkie]

Thanks for the help.

I tried hooking up one of the ceiling speakers in series with one of the original speakers and it made both speakers quiet. I then tried hooking up both ceiling speakers in series and removing all other speakers. I turned the volume right up and the speakers worked great. Problem is, as soon as I put the original speakers back in the terminals, they will be far too loud compared to the ceiling ones.

So do the transformers restrict the speakers? Is there a way to just remove the transformer? I literally want to hook alittle passive speaker into the bathroom from the hifi just like with the tv speaker, except using a better sounding speaker.

Thanks once again for replying.

 

[Gray]

So do the transformers restrict the speakers? Is there a way to just remove the transformer?

Yes and yes.
For your use, the transformers are not required.
To use them as standard speakers you must electrically remove the transformer (up to you whether you physically remove it too, by undoing its 2 screws).
Red and black wires from the springclip terminals need to go direct to the speaker terminals (which are marked for + and -).
Best to solder them direct - otherwise cut all 4 wires to the transformer, connect red to blue,
black to black, then insulate both.

Before you do that
You mentioned pairing up with the red and black Panasonic speaker wires.
In your case, that's not such a good idea.
I've just found a picture of the back of your Panasonic online - and it's bi-amped!! (No surprise it sounds good, I've still got a great sounding bi-amped Technics stack system).

You forgot to mention the 4 core cable you've got going to each speaker , grey/blue (HF) and red/black (LF).
So when you pair to red /black, you're only putting LF to your ceiling speakers.
Pairing to grey/blue would only put HF to them.....no you can't pair to both .....

....which brings me back to my question about a line output from the Panasonic.
(I could just about see a line (aux) input in one picture - but I doubt it has an out).
I expect its headphone socket mutes the speakers when used, does it?

As things stand, you can easily modify the ceiling speakers to work, but connecting them to Panny speaker outputs is not viable.....unless you're OK with no HF coming out of them.
(I wouldn't be).