Is there any way to hook up a PA type speaker to a home stereo
receiver? It's an old Kenwood that does have some outouts in the back
called Subwoof/Surround/and Front (RCA connectors). Could I use an
adaptor to go from RCA to 1/4", would it work ok?

wrote in message
oups.com...
Is there any way to hook up a PA type speaker to a home stereo
receiver? It's an old Kenwood that does have some outouts in the back
called Subwoof/Surround/and Front (RCA connectors). Could I use an
adaptor to go from RCA to 1/4", would it work ok?

It would probably work but I'd be real careful and only run it at low
volumes. The home stereo amp propably can't provide clear signals at
required impedance and power level, might give out square wave and boom
there go the highs...the PA speaker might be wayyy too hard a load to drive
with a regular home amp.

You might also find the sound is crap, lacking bass altogether or something,
again due to completely different load values of PA cabs and home systems.

wrote:

Is there any way to hook up a PA type speaker to a home stereo
receiver? It's an old Kenwood that does have some outouts in the back
called Subwoof/Surround/and Front (RCA connectors). Could I use an
adaptor to go from RCA to 1/4", would it work ok?

Within broad limits, a speaker is a speaker. A PA speaker will probably
be more efficient and handle higher power levels (at the expense of
accuracy) but you should be able to plug it into a *speaker* output of
the home receiver and be OK.

The subwoof/surround/front RCA jacks are line level, so they wouldn't
power the speaker - you'd need an amplifier in between.

Are you looking to run this in addition to the normal home-type
speakers? Or are you only trying to run the PA speaker?

We do have normal home stereo speakers going already. The Surround and
Front RCA connectors might actually be inputs, I cant' tell. So it
looks like the only choice might be to take speaker wire and splice it
with a 1/4 inch cable, it looks like this is what someone did before on
this sytem and had it working. What happened is the old reciever broke,
and we now have another old reciever (with no manual) and we can't
figure out how to get it to go to the PA speaker, it's not working so
far, but we may just have the wire in the wrong output.


Walt wrote:
wrote:

Is there any way to hook up a PA type speaker to a home stereo
receiver? It's an old Kenwood that does have some outouts in the back
called Subwoof/Surround/and Front (RCA connectors). Could I use an
adaptor to go from RCA to 1/4", would it work ok?

Within broad limits, a speaker is a speaker. A PA speaker will probably
be more efficient and handle higher power levels (at the expense of
accuracy) but you should be able to plug it into a *speaker* output of
the home receiver and be OK.

The subwoof/surround/front RCA jacks are line level, so they wouldn't
power the speaker - you'd need an amplifier in between.

Are you looking to run this in addition to the normal home-type
speakers? Or are you only trying to run the PA speaker?

"DeeAa" wrote:

It would probably work

Sorry Dee, but that's the only part of your message that's correct.


completely different load values of PA cabs and home systems.

PA speakers present the same load as home stereo speakers. There are
differences, but none that would prevent them from working.

--
"It CAN'T be too loud... some of the red lights aren't even on yet!"
- Lorin David Schultz
in the control room
making even bad news sound good

(Remove spamblock to reply)

"Lorin David Schultz" wrote in message
news:jLuJf.1208$Nr5.523@clgrps13...
"DeeAa" wrote:

It would probably work

Sorry Dee, but that's the only part of your message that's correct.


completely different load values of PA cabs and home systems.

PA speakers present the same load as home stereo speakers. There are
differences, but none that would prevent them from working.

As I said, they'd propably work, but I would not try to run them at high
levels.
A normal PA speaker rated at, say 100W 8ohms, has a quite varying real
impedance due to excessive volume needs and requires a sturdy amp that can
actually give out real power at any impedance the speaker requires. A "100W"
home speaker really doesn't move much air at all and the impedance is often
quite constant.

If you turn it up high, the cone pumps a lotta air, the impedance drops
maybe to 2ohms momentarily, the amp can't supply enough juice at 2 ohms and
goes into square wave = the speaker can't reproduce it and craps out. Many
home amps that supply that 100W into 8 ohms only yield a mere 10W or so in 2
ohms.

Maybe I'm wrong and we could easily start using cheap home stereo amps as
poweramps on stage, but I do believe there's a good reason why a 100W PA amp
weighs 20kilos and really supplies that 100W at any impedance, while a home
stereo amp consist of a small transformer and a few caps and weighs a kilo,
maybe.

Of course there are real monster home amps too, but still I do think it's a
good advice not to try to run a pro level speaker with a high SPL on a
cheapo home amp.

I've blown my B&W tweeters once trying to run them with a way too
underpowered poweramp. They're 100W and my 400W Kenwood drives them just
right, but when we loaned them in a friend's project studio, all he had was
a crappy combo sterero...and when we turned the music up high, the stereo's
amp could not drive the B&W:s and both the tweeters blew.

At home I can run them as loud as the woofers physically can, but I don't
have the nerve since they literally jump about inches to each side when
really punishing them with bassy tracks.

DeeAa wrote:

As I said, they'd propably work, but I would not try to run them at high
levels.
A normal PA speaker rated at, say 100W 8ohms, has a quite varying real
impedance due to excessive volume needs and requires a sturdy amp that can
actually give out real power at any impedance the speaker requires. A "100W"
home speaker really doesn't move much air at all and the impedance is often
quite constant.

***Normal PA speakers are designed to produce the most SPL (volume)
possible for a given input. They surely move more air. Efficient use
of power is one of the primay objectives. They move more air while
using less amplifier power.

***For instance, to get a decent listening level from my Magneplaner
3.6 home speakers, I have to feed them an average of 30-35 watts
continuous to reach about an average of 100dB SPL. Average peaks will
call for around 200 to 400 watts depending on the type of music. If I
hook up a set of EV S18-3 PA speakers with this amount of average
power, I will be reaching an average level at least 116dB SPL, and the
police will be arriving shortly.

If you turn it up high, the cone pumps a lotta air, the impedance drops
maybe to 2ohms momentarily, the amp can't supply enough juice at 2 ohms and
goes into square wave = the speaker can't reproduce it and craps out. Many
home amps that supply that 100W into 8 ohms only yield a mere 10W or so in 2
ohms.

***Impedance variances are not as dependant upon voice coil/cone
movements as you are suggesting. Again... PA speakers are designed to
move more air, produce more SPL for a given input than regular consumer
speakers. This led to a lot of popularity for vented (sometimes horn
loaded) JBL, Altec, and Cerwin Vega speakers that were actually based
upon PA speaker designs back in the late 70's and early 80's.

***Impedance varies with frequency and power applied on most every
conventional loudspeaker type.

Maybe I'm wrong and we could easily start using cheap home stereo amps as
poweramps on stage, but I do believe there's a good reason why a 100W PA amp
weighs 20kilos and really supplies that 100W at any impedance, while a home
stereo amp consist of a small transformer and a few caps and weighs a kilo,
maybe.

***If I hook up a QSC PLX2502 from the club rig I use, this will
deliver over 400 watts @8ohms and almost 700 watts @4ohms. It weighs
about 10 kilos. Also, please note that even with good PA amplifiers,
the output increases greatly as the impedance gets lower, until it
shuts down or blows up. Most any amplifier I know of cannot defy Ohm's
Law. Basically it works like this: Higher Impedance = Less available
power, Lower Impedance = More available power.

Of course there are real monster home amps too, but still I do think it's a
good advice not to try to run a pro level speaker with a high SPL on a
cheapo home amp.

***Running a pro level PA speaker with a cheapo home amp should allow a
much louder and clearer listening level before the amplifier will
distort. Rule of thumb is limit the volume control to 2:30 o'clock, or
about 65-70% of it's adjustable range. Listen to the sound being
produced. If it is effortless and clear sounding, there shouldn't be
an issue.

I've blown my B&W tweeters once trying to run them with a way too
underpowered poweramp. They're 100W and my 400W Kenwood drives them just
right, but when we loaned them in a friend's project studio, all he had was
a crappy combo sterero...and when we turned the music up high, the stereo's
amp could not drive the B&W:s and both the tweeters blew.

***Any reasonably audacious idiot can neglect to hear the distressful
sounds of an overdriven amplifier. Any reasonably careful listener
should never have this problem.

At home I can run them as loud as the woofers physically can, but I don't
have the nerve since they literally jump about inches to each side when
really punishing them with bassy tracks.

***Common sense, and respect for equipment limitations is essential.

Cheers,
Phil Simpson.