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Gainclone Running 2 Speakers; Parallel or Series

Hi all. I have a DIY gainclone purchased years ago from another 'goner. It uses LM3886 chips and has four 8600uF caps for a total of 34,400uF. I am trying to hobble together a system using parts I have on hand. I hooked up the gainclone to a pair of Advent 1 speakers, and felt that they sound bass-boomy and a bit dull. I would like to supplement the Advents with some Gallo Nucleus speakers I have on hand. I believe the Advents are 4 ohms and the Gallos are 8 ohms. Can anyone recommend whether I should wire these in parallel or in series? I can't recall if I've read that gainclones don't like low impedances - if this is the case, I'm guessing in series is better. Can anyone advise? Thanks.
peter_s

Showing 2 responses by peter_s

peter_s OP
1,318 posts
 
I will check the tweeters but the may sound dull due to their positioning - too much upholstered furniture around them. Not sure I can get my GF to raise the speakers above the furniture, and they are positioned in corners.

You're right about the SPL balance b/t the two speakers (e.g. a Gallo sitting on top of an Advent) - although one can only tell by trying it out, right?

I would go series not parallel. I went back and looked at posts online, and some people state that 4 ohms is on the low side for this chip amp. If 8 ohms is good, 12 ohms may not be that far off. Again - regarding output level - seems like it's worth a try. if I'm maxed out and close to clipping, I'll veto the idea. But if there is plenty of headroom....

Thanks Plato.
peter_s OP
1,318 posts
 
So wiring in series worked pretty well. The gainclone has no problem powering the combination of the two speakers. The combination is a little on the brighter side, but so much better than the Advents alone, which were really subdued in their positions. This works best for the positioning available.
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