Need help with wiring second pair of speakers


I am considering hooking up a second pair of speakers to my 2 channel system. My integrated amp has only one set of left and right speaker terminals. I have heard that improper wiring can cause serious impedence issues.  My amp puts out a good amount of power. My primary pair of speakers are rated at 6 ohms (nominal) and the second pair are rated at 4 ohms (nominal). 

My questions are:
Firstly, will the two different impedences be compatible?
Secondly,  do I wire them parallel with cables from the amp feeding both sets of speakers; or in series by hooking up the second pair from the first pair?  I know one of these is wrong, but not which one.







larstusor
The difference in impedance doesn’t matter, what does is your amp 2ohm stable? Being an integrated amp it’s unlikely, so connecting them in parallel would most likely smoke the amp. Connecting them in series your amp will see 10 ohms so no worries, but what’s the point. Connecting them this way will reduce the amps output with no resulting increase in volume. And the difference in impedance would most likely see one pair much louder than the other, depending on sensitivity of course.

My question is, does your amp have pre outs and a set of main inputs? If so, purchase a power amp, connect it to the integrated with some Y adapters, this way you can drive both sets. The only caveat would be, look for an amp with adjustable gain so you can balance the speaker outputs if in the same room.

Martin
Impedance for 4 ohm and 6 ohm in parallel is 2.4 ohms, in series is 10 ohms.

A series connection is + from the amp to + of the first speaker, then - from first speaker to + of the second speaker, and - of second speaker to - on the amp. A parallel connection can be a separate cables to each speaker from the amp or connecting second speaker directly to the first. Both of your descriptions seem to imply parallel.

Series is the safest, but will likely not sound good, and parallel will likely be too low of an impedance load for the amp.

Is this second pair of speakers for the same or different room?


Thanks for the clarity. The second speakers would be in the same room. The idea is to balance the voice of the first set, which are what some call "bright" or "analytical", with the second set that are "laid back" or "mellow". I'm thinking that a blend of the two might cover all bases and smooth out the bright speakers without loosing the crispness and sparkle.