2. speakers
  3. 1120153334

Impotence Question

Now that I have your attention...my question is about impedance matching in speaker selectors. I have a Bryston 3-way speaker switch box, which does not have impedance matching/balancing. As far as I understand it is a simple three-way switch box with minimal signal path to travel. It has three on/off buttons which operate independently from each other. So I was curious what exactly happens when I switch my 100 watt amp to drive two pairs of 8-ohm monitors simultaneously (yes, besides the fact that both sets of speakers are playing)? Are there sacrifices in performance, and are those sacrifices linear or do they show up in different ways for each pair of speakers? It does not occur to me to drop the volume significantly in one pair of speakers when engaging the second pair which are downstairs, though I imagine this must happen as it's splitting the output of one amp between two pairs of speakers. So what is going on, and how does it differ from a selector which compensates for impedance? I think Niles actually terms their system "Impedance Protection".

Marco
jax2
bob_bundus
1,834 posts
 
marco nothing significant to be concerned about so don't worry about it. You are loading to 4 ohms (or possibly slightly less at some freq's) as long as you aren't cranking out high power it's not a concern. When you ARE blasting then only drive a single pair of speakers to be absolutely safe.
audiobugged
528 posts
 
Hey Marco,

Reminds me of song by The Who that went...

She's playing all night
And the music's all tight
Mama's got a Switch Box
Daddy never sleeps at night

She goes in and out and in and out and in and out and in and out.

Yet I don't recall the lyrics ever mentioning that Daddy was Questioning Impotence?

Back to the point...What's up with the whole Switch Box thing?

Marco why not just sell that 3 way Squeeze Box and finish building another system? Prior to you getting tempted to add a 3rd pair of exterior yard speakers that look like Rolling Stones?
jax2 OP
3,031 posts
 
I think the Who's dude was cranking his tunes pretty loud too:

Well the kids don't eat
And the dog can't sleep
There's no escape from the music
In the whole damn street

...or maybe tuning his crank?

I do have three full systems and I do believe my wife would leave me if I were to assemble another. The kitchen just doesn't have room for a dedicated system installed, which is why the switchbox and the long run.

Marco
Post removed 
audiobugged
528 posts
 
Marco, You should have mentioned your 3 Systems from the Go-Go. I can understand the whole Kitchen system issue as there's Bacon grease splatter concerns.

I have owned most of the Bryston line-up, yet never had the need for one of their Switch Boxes. I do recall them also having Impedance Protection, as the Bryston units are built more robust for the pro-audio venue then the Niles units. The Brystons are made to handle wattage levels that their 7bst, and 14bst amps can crank out.

Getting to the bottom of your Switch Box question would be a worth while call to James Tanner at Bryston who would but your mind at rest. I would venture to say that your still running the same 8 ohm load, just splitting the wattage.

But then if it where me, I'd pass on the Switch Box entirely. I'd modify a ceiling hanging fruit basket to suspend a 4th system in the Kitchen. Then throw on some Billie Holiday, and enjoy my new Strange Fruit System Suspension Swing.
More to discover