I have 5 M22ti's (and a sub) setup for use as SACD/DVD-A multi-channel music. For the room, when I'm sitting in the critical listening spot, this works great, and it's the only layout that works for this room. However, it's not so great for the rest of the seating in the room. I want to retain this particular speaker layout, but be able to switch the speakers such that the ones that are the Front Right and the Rear Right channels, during multi-channel use, become the Left Front and Right Front, respectively, for Stereo only use, rotating the focus 90 degrees to the right. Obviously I don't want to pull the wiring off all the time, neither at the amp or the speakers. Does any one know of a speaker switch that I could use to accomplish what I want, without degrading the sound quality? My amp, a lowly Denon 1803, does not have A/B switching. I would be willing to upgrade the amp if it would simplify the solution.

Thanks!

Carol

Boy I wish I had your problem!

All kidding aside, I think I found a way to solve your problem with a single A/B speaker switch. The most basic switches handle 2 stereo pairs of speakers (4 speakers). Here's the switch I'm using for this example:


Niles DPS-1

To figure out how to connect things, it helps to break down your situation into states:

State A:
FL = FL
FR = FR
RL = RL
RR = RR

State B:
FL = off
FR = FL
RL = off
RR = FR

So the FR and RR speakers have two different roles to fill, meaning that each will need two cables running to it, meaning that each will need to be on a switch.

To the FR speaker, you need to run an additional cable from the FL output. To the RR speaker, you need to run an additional cable from FR output. This is where the speaker switch comes in. Below is a diagram of the connections:



Notice that you'll need an additional length of cable to go between each speaker and the switch box.

Setting the switch to Speaker 1 corresponds to State A, for surround listening. Setting the switch to Speaker 2 corresponds to State B, for stereo listening. Having multiple cables connected to your receiver's binding posts won't be a problem since the switch acts as a barrier between the two. It may also be safest to switch your receiver to stero mode before using the switch box to activate State B, and similarly, switching back to State A before activating surround mode.

NOTE: On review, I caught that the RR speaker will already have a cable running to it from the RR speaker output on the receiver. Just attach it directly to the speaker along with the cable coming from the switch box. (Again, the switch will prevent any undesirable effects from attaching multiple cables.)

So, WHAT time did the first train leave Los Angeles again?

Peter, I'll bet you got about 780 on your math SAT. You're scaring me. Obviously, you're getting too damn much sleep and have upset the balance of the universe.

WOW! Nice, thorough response to Carol's question. How do you have time to do that when there is a newborn in the house?

I don't think I got a 780, but I know my math was higher than my verbal.

Why, because I'm at work, of course.

You stole that from your IT system architecture diagram. FRM22 and RRM22 are clients such as IVR and CTI desktop client talking to the Middle Tier "speaker switch" business logic units. As both FRM22 and RRM22 talks via java to the Middle Tier switch. The "receiver speaker outputs" is the DMZ where XML functions FL RR and RR is sitting on the DMZ which houses the firewall. Which mean FLM22 is a web browser/user just accessing the function. State B is accepting SOAP documents and State A is generic XML documents going through a standard XML parser.

Did I get that right Peter?

OK. What prevents FL from playing at all times? I've figured out the rest of it.

why is it that the 5 speakers dont offer good sound to the rest of the room?

what are the dimensions and specificiations of the room? I am also thinking of going with 4 M22s, but i want good sound across the room-Just Wondering where your problem is...

Ahhh, you got me there, Ken. A rather large oversight. It looks like it will take two switches to conquer the problem, with the extra switch being used just to turn the FL speaker on and off.

Yay! I was right for once!