Please help Two amps to one pair of speaker?


Hi,

I have a tube system for music and solid state for home theater. The problem is that I have to merge two systems in same room and my room can not have two pairs of speaker (small room).
I'm thinking of connecting two amps to one pair of speaker, turn on only one amp at a time and the other amp must be off without removing the speaker cables. Does this way create any problems with only one amp is on?
Thanks for your help!
Tran
worldcup86
Sooner or later you (or someone else) is going to turn on or leave on one of the amps when the second one is powered up. Boom!!!!!!!! You will probably lose one of the amps, maybe the speakers drivers.

I have two completely seperate sets of electronics with seperate cables from the amps connected to the speakers with banana plugs. Very easy to change the plugs at the speakers. No downside, except the cost of a 2d set of cables, but for your HT systems inexpensive cables should do well for you.
Not until the day both accidently get switched on together & you've destroyed one amp for sure, & have an excellent probability of damaging the other amp along w/ the spkrs. You either need a switch box or a pre amp/processor w/ a pass thru.
Thanks for all your helps. I probably go with pre-amp pass through or install another pair of in wall speakers.
You shouldn't do it even if one of the amps is off. You need to use an A/B switch. Or get a preamp with pass-thru.
This has been covered before.

Do not under any circumstances connect both amps to the same speaker without an AB switch. If you do, each amp sees as its load impedance the speaker in parallel with the output stage of the other amp. This may be quite a low value, and could result in a nice fireworks show and possible expensive damage to both amps.