1/8" Stereo to Bare Wire

[eL c0L0mb1aNo]

I recently finished building two Boston Acoustics A60 Style speakers and I got into a predicament. At the moment I don't have an amplifier or a receiver so I was wondering if there is any way that I could make a cable to go from a 1/8" Stereo jack to the two bare wire (+/Ground) setup. I have a cut up Stereo to RCA cable, so I know how to deliver the two channels but where would I go for the ground hookups? ANy help is appreciated.

 

[GodsMadClown]

speaker level != line level

You can build speakers without knowing this?

 

[eL c0L0mb1aNo]

I built them in an acoustical technology class in school. I wasn't specifically building them for hooking them up to my computer but I was thinking about it and was wondering if it was at all possible.

 

[GodsMadClown]

Yes. You need an amp. There's no getting around this.

 

[eL c0L0mb1aNo]

Well, if I were able to hook them up, without an amp, wouldn't they just play very low?

 

[jpmkm]

I doubt you would get enough sound out of them to hear a few feet away. Go to a thrift store and get a $5 receiver.

 

[eL c0L0mb1aNo]

Hah, I was thinking about where to get an amp for a cheap price. Now to find a thrift store....If my speakers are say 100 watts RMS each, what kind of amp would I need (would the receiver need)?

 

[GodsMadClown]

http://www.ecost.com/ecost/ecce/shop/detail.asp?dpno=292772
TX-8211 Stereo receiver Factory Refurbished By Onkyo
50 watts x 2
Every model in Onkyo's receiver line utilizes high-current, low-impedance amplifier design for superior performance.

$89.99

http://www.ecost.com/ecost/ecce/shop/detail.asp?dpno=292771
TX-8511 Stereo Receiver (High Current - 100 Watt per Channel ) Reconditioned by Onkyo
100 watts x 2 channels of clean, high-current power, a dream come true for music lovers everywhere

$119.99

 

[BO(V)BZ]

Hah, I was thinking about where to get an amp for a cheap price. Now to find a thrift store....If my speakers are say 100 watts RMS each, what kind of amp would I need (would the receiver need)?

Speakers don't have an RMS rating, for one thing. The power ratings that people throw out for what a speaker can handle are pretty pointless. Plus, if your speakers are at all efficient, you'll probably only be putting about 5 watts into them most of the time.

90dB/w at 1m, plus room gain, means that putting in about 10 watts at a reasonable listening position will give you about 100dB of sound, which is damn loud.

What I'd be more concerned about is the impedence of your speakers.

 

[eL c0L0mb1aNo]

Speakers don't have an RMS rating, for one thing. The power ratings that people throw out for what a speaker can handle are pretty pointless. Plus, if your speakers are at all efficient, you'll probably only be putting about 5 watts into them most of the time.

90dB/w at 1m, plus room gain, means that putting in about 10 watts at a reasonable listening position will give you about 100dB of sound, which is damn loud.

What I'd be more concerned about is the impedence of your speakers.

And by impedance you mean? I'm a bit out of it right now so i can't recall what it was. If it is the resistance of the speakers, then it is 8 ohms.

 

[GodsMadClown]

Yeah, that's the value. It's not precisely a resistance, because (I think) the measurement in ohms changes with the audio frequency being reproduced. Anyhow, the point is that 8 ohms is about as normal a speaker impedance as you can get. Any reciever should be able to drive them.

 

[eL c0L0mb1aNo]

http://www.ecost.com/ecost/ecce/shop/detail.asp?dpno=292772
TX-8211 Stereo receiver Factory Refurbished By Onkyo
50 watts x 2
Every model in Onkyo's receiver line utilizes high-current, low-impedance amplifier design for superior performance.

$89.99

http://www.ecost.com/ecost/ecce/shop/detail.asp?dpno=292771
TX-8511 Stereo Receiver (High Current - 100 Watt per Channel ) Reconditioned by Onkyo
100 watts x 2 channels of clean, high-current power, a dream come true for music lovers everywhere

$119.99

These two receivers say low-impedance. 8 ohms when using two pairs of speakers and 4 ohms when using one pair. Well i only have one pair so wouldn't that do damage to either the receiver or the speakers themselves?

 

[BO(V)BZ]

They are stereo, so you have a set of binding posts for each speaker. You'll be fine with either one. You'd get 4ohms if you hooked both speakers in parallel to one channel, which would be a pretty dumb thing to do with a stereo amp =]

And yes, impedence numbers are an average over the entire frequency range they reproduce. The actual impedence will probably vary from about 12 to 5 ohms, depending on the design.

EDIT: What they are probably referring to there is if you bridge the amps, you'll get twice the power at half the impedence, so for the bottom amp, 200W at 4 ohm. That will also give you about 400W at 8ohms driving one speaker. Needless to say, you'll still probably not want to do that, cause you'd have to buy two amps then.

 

[leukotriene]

These two receivers say low-impedance. 8 ohms when using two pairs of speakers and 4 ohms when using one pair. Well i only have one pair so wouldn't that do damage to either the receiver or the speakers themselves?

No, that's an extremely common designation that means something else entirely. My h/k stereo amp says exactly the same thing for exactly the same reason.

It just means the minimum average impedance of a single pair of speakers connected to the amp is 4ohms. Higher impedance is easier on the amp.

You can connect one or two pairs of 8 ohm (nominal) speakers and not worry about it at all either way.

Basically Onkyo is bragging about their amp being capable of powering low impedance speakers. This doesnt mean that you must connect two pairs of 8ohm impedance speakers in order for it to work, it means you can, but the amp is rated to power only a single pair of 4ohm speakers at a time.