Has Anyone Ever Run TWO Identical Pairs of Speakers ?


I’m considering buying an extra pair of tower speakers identical to the ones I currently own. I would wire them as 4 ohm speakers powered by about 250wpc,

Each set of two speakers would be placed next to each other so there would be 2 identical left channel speakers and 2 identical right channel speakers, with each pair separated by about 1/2.” 
My listening chair chair can be as close as 8’ from the “center” of the speakers to as far back as 20’ from the “center” of the speakers.

And the actual distance between these two seperate pairs of speakers could range from 6’ from each pair to as much as 18’ for each pair. I would of course spend a great deal of time ‘dialing” them in for the best sound.

Has anyone ever tried this, and what were your results?

I’d appreciate your collective informed thoughts.




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Showing 2 responses by audiokinesis

@onhwy61 wrote: "If you must go this route I suggest you try placing the loudspeakers front to back. One loudspeaker pointed towards the listening area and the other pointing in the opposite direction. Something of a bipole radiation pattern."

Agreed!

You could also place them side-by-side but with one facing forwards and the other facing backwards. This should theoretically improve how the wrap-around wavelengths combine, relative to a back-to-back configuration.

Note that a bipolar configuration will theoretically result in a roughly 3 dB boost in the bass region relative to elsewhere in the spectrum. This is because the woofers will be close enough to add in-phase at long wavelengths, while at shorter wavelengths the rear drivers’ contribution adds in semi-random phase. If the net effect is indeed too much low end, you might try plugging some or all of the ports.

Duke
bipolar loudspeaker designer
Fiesta75 wrote: "Also series speaker connections are not recommended by anyone I know."

Well, you don’t know me, but I recommend (and use) series speaker connections in situations where it makes sense to do so, which of course depends on the specifics.

Many years ago JBL published a white paper with misinformation about series-wiring loudspeakers, stating that doing so degraded the electrical damping (Qes). Since JBL was the source, that misinformation has gone largely unchallenged and become audiophile folklore. Adding a resistor in series with a woofer WOULD degrade the effective electrical damping, but adding another driver in series DOES NOT because the BL of the first driver is ALSO added. Double the resistance AND double the BL, and Qes stays the same.

Duke