Speaker Outputs to Outboard Amp?

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Speaker Outputs to Outboard Amp? #248376 02/22/09 10:02 PM
Joined: Jan 2002 Posts: 3,270 Toronto/New York/parry Sound alan OP connoisseur
OP alan connoisseur Joined: Jan 2002 Posts: 3,270 Toronto/New York/parry Sound	Q. I have a pair of Axiom M80's that I am very happy with. I am using a Sony receiver that powers the speakers and has had no problems with the 4-ohm load. The problem with my Sony receiver is that it does not have enough power and it does not have any preamp-out connections. I was considering using the high-level output (from the speaker outputs) into a separate amplifier. I have done this before with a car stereo where I run the speaker wires of the head unit to the amplifier preamp-in connectors. Obviously I had to put RCA plugs onto one end of the speaker wires from the head unit. Do you think that this would be OK to do and would I have good quality sound?-- Grant A. I wouldn't try connecting RCA plugs directly to the Sony's speaker output cables as it would be very easy to overload the input secton of an outboard amplifier, causing gross distortion or damage. However, you can do this with a speaker-to-line-level converter, which will reduce the amplified output signal from your Sony receiver to a low-level signal suitable to feed into a separate amplifier. These adaptors typically reduce signal strength by about 30 dB. There is link to one below that has good power handling. For high-quality music reproduction, I don't really recommend doing this. I think you'd be better off to sell your Sony receiver and get a Denon or Sherwood Newcastle AV receiver (Axiom sells Sherwood Newcastle on-line), either of which will drive the M80's 4-ohm loads without difficulty. Make sure your new model has preamp outs so you can add a big amplifier later on if you wish. When you say your Sony receiver doesn't have enough power, it may be that the 4-ohm load is causing the Sony to go into current limiting, which will severely limit the Sony's output power to about 30 watts per channel. Some AV receiver's protection circuits do this automatically. You wouldn't know if your Sony did this except there wouldn't be much power for clean loud playback. The problem with using an attenuator pad is that you are taking an already amplified signal with residual distortion and running it through another amplifier. While this may be OK for uncritical uses like car audio, I don't really recommend it. You'd be better advised to use one of these: http://www.crutchfield.com/p_543ADP12/Russound-ADP-1-2-Speaker-level-to-Line-level-Adapter.html Alan Lofft, Axiom Resident Expert (Retired)