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.




128x128vinyl_rules
I have done this with (2) Sets of Infinity IRS Betas. I was meticulous in matching components. I ran them from a McIntosh C70 and a pair of Mc275 VI's powering the 4 mid/high panels, and (4) Bryston 7B ST mono blocks powering the Bass towers. Everything consistent.
This enabled me to A/B each set vs both with the dual outputs of the C70.

Here's my thoughts:
I too was looking to reproduce live music sound and impact levels. I think I achieved it.The sound was complementary and matched, but much fuller. It was an awesome wall of music. The imaging wasn't quite as sharp, but still VERY good. Both sets seemed to be performing as one.

Then, I got greedy and added a C1100, Mc 2301's, Legacy Wavelet, (3) Legacy I-V2 amps and an additional set of Beta Bass towers. I could not pull all this together consistently. Something was always off. Was endlessly tweaking instead of listening.

Ended up selling the extra bass towers and one set of Betas to fund the best front end and amplification I could gain from the funds for the single set.

Now, I'm down to a single set of speakers. Powered to the extreme and dialed in. Very happy and satisfied, but wouldn't trade the "journey" and won't ever knock someone for giving it a shot.

I've also owned the RT2000p's. (4) of them. I never ran them together in stereo, instead they were front/rear towers with their big center that I ran 5 channel stereo through a Denon 5700. Very nice and underrated speakers. I sold them to a gentleman in Raleigh, NC. So, if yours are from Raleigh, they may be mine. I've also run a double center channel with a Definitive set up I had that added so much more than the single.

I'm endlessly confused by those that have never had first hand experience with something that can offer such an absolute opinion on it. I would ask these people, have you had first hand experience to support your conclusion. If they don't, then they don't matter.

Hope this helps.




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goodlistening64,

Thank you for the feedback The decision to try this only came about after the Polk’s popped up on eBay in early June. I have these particular Polk’s in my eBay watch list and usually the one’s that pop up are in poor condition and/or the BIN price or starting bid is more than I was willing to pay. This purchase was both an experiment to acquire a second set to run in a double front speaker combination, and if that didn’t work sonically, I would simply have an extra pair as parts and/or backup.

Now I have a problem: They sound so good that I guess I now need yet another pair for parts/backup! 😳😳😳
Now I have a problem: They sound so good that I guess I now need yet another pair for parts/backup!

Vinyl_rules - That is funny. Like me, I assume you are analytical and when a plan comes together, you worry about ensuring that the plan can thrive for a lifetime. Too good to lose! All your efforts will be lost without that crossover! lol :)

Similarly, when I built my bar in my basement some 10+ years ago, I found that the space between my cabinets - behind the bar - was perfect for a 37-inch TV. In 2010, 37-inch TV's were widely available. Over the scant years since then, I became worried that once my 37-inch kicked the bucket, I would not have a suitably-sized TV to fit in that space and so what should I do? Worry on a daily basis, or take the appropriate action to reduce my stress?

Of course, I went on craigslist and drove long distances to subsequently purchased 3 more 37-inch TV's. I think I have all of the great 1080p, 37-inch TV's from the 2010 era! - the Samsung red touch and the superior Panasonic TV's, of which I have two slightly different models. In any case, this led to alarm from my wife as I seemingly was on a mission to ensure I had cornered the 37-inch TV market many years later - after it's peak! She was mystified; I was feeling smug. 

Fast forward to a couple years ago when I realized that there were 40-inch TV's - that I believe they still make today - that would fit in that space due to the reduced bevel size around the TV, making a 40-inch real close to the size of bygone era 37-inch TV. That made me feel a bit ashamed that I did not see that coming, or that I have 3 TV's in storage that will likely never see that light of day.

That experience has pretty much stopped me from meddling in my own affairs. It provided me with a focus on enjoying what I put together and listening without a compelling voice in my head saying things like, "I wonder what it would sound like if...". I have found, for the time being, peace! lol :)