Driving speakers in more than one room

How exactly are you:

1) outputting the signal from integrated #1

2) inputing this signal into integrated #2?

What integrateds?  It should work.  I do this from a receiver into another old receiver for in wall speakers in a bedroom.  My two receivers are side by side.

3) what type of cable and length?

I just use an analogue out (tape out) into an analogue in. But tape outs are a rare bird these days.

Ken

Ken,

My primary integrated is a Musical Fidlity M5si and the secondary is an NAD 316BEE (original version).  The connection between the two is Fixed Line Out from the MF into any of the analog input pairs on the NAD. 

Cable is a WBC Mogami 2964, just a few feet long.

I'm thinking that maybe when the NAD is in standby it might be shorting, or nearly shorting, its inputs.  Which would then be doing the same thing to the Fixed line out on the MF. 

Other discussions I've seen on this topic seem to indicate that connecting a fixed line out to an input on another unit will sometimes work and other times not, depending on how the input and output circuits are designed on the two integrated amps/receivers involved.

I supposed I could just turn on the NAD even if I don't want to listen in the other room, since standby mode seems to be causing the issue.

Greg

Hi Greg,

You get the distortion in your main speakers while playing the MF Integrated with the NAD in standby?

If so, whit if you turn the NAD OFF?

Yes, exactly.  

Everything is fine if I turn the NAD on.  Right now it’s difficult to reach the back of the NAD to be able to turn it fully off, but I’ll be moving my cabinet out from the wall this weekend so I’ll do it then.

I have a feeling it’s related to the state the inputs are put in when it’s on standby. 

Weird.

I’ve seen on this topic seem to indicate that connecting a fixed line out to an input on another unit will sometimes work and other times not, depending on how the input and output circuits are designed on the two integrated amps/receivers involved.

Yes, the outputs of some preamps do not work properly when one of the two connected devices is idle.

My suggestion is to install an A/B source selector to the Musical Fidlity M5si line output and connect the NAD 316BEE to the "02" output of the source selector. If you want to listen to music in the main setup without turning on the NAD 316BEE, just change the source selector to "01".

I was also thinking that maybe I'll just always turn the NAD on when I've got the Musical Fidelity on.  If I don't want to hear music in the secondary room I can just turn down the volume on the NAD.

But since it does seem like this solution (fixed/record line out to the input of another integrated amp) can have issues when the secondary is in standby, I'm wondering what most people do when they have a second room with wired speakers that they occasionally want to use.

Thank you,
Greg