Niche audio setup question

[Matrices]

Let's say you have a computer against the wall and a TV in the corner. Let's also say you want to have 2.1 sound for the PC and for the TV.

Is there a way to do this with a single receiver? If so, is there a way to do this with a single receiver that doesn't involve buying two subwoofers?

My current entry-level Onkyo VSX 521 receiver doesn't even have A/B switching.

 

[Foible]

Maybe a 2x1 HDMI splitter? Googling a bit got me this: http://www.monoprice.com/Product/?c_id= ... 1&format=1

 

[richleader]

Not an audio person but I think the sad answer is that you'll probably have to get a Hauppauge or whatever PVR box for $150 and use it to get your TV signal into your PC that you can then use in multimonitor mode (both audio streams are combined by the PC and can go across HDMI to receiver to TV even if using dual dvi for the monitor.)

 

[Sp@nky]

I must be missing something.

Are you looking to share audio at all times? Like if your watching YouTube or playing a game on the PC and someone is watching TV you want both sounds to come out of the stereo at once?

Or are you just wanting to switch between them?

Isn't it going to throw the stereo effect off for one of the sources?

 

[richleader]

I have a similar room setup (and mid-range equipment, an Onkyo a model or two up from yours as it has A/B) but don't have live TV (no point as I work nights) but I just tried it and I can play a different video/game on each screen (DVI for monitor/hdmi for receiver TV) with both audio overlapping in 2.1. If I try to put a stereo source on one screen and a 5.1 on the other, the stereo app gets overridden. So you should be ok playing 2.1 for your TV through an app, though it's not free or ideal.

Again, not an audio person though.

Do your speakers have multiple contacts for wiring?

If you're talking about running 4 speakers though with adjustment for rotation, that's WAY beyond me.

 

[Matrices]

To be more specific:

I have a computer against a wall and I have it hooked up to a receiver that's hooked up to two bookshelf speakers and a subwoofer.

I also have a TV/PS3 in the corner. Obviously, I could hook that up to the receiver and get sound from said speakers and subwoofer.

But equally obviously, that's no good because speakers are directional.

The dumbest solution to this problem is to go out and buy two new speakers, a new subwoofer, and a new receiver, and have to hook all that up to the TV/PS3.

So I am wondering whether there's a smarter solution. Can I just buy two more speakers, position them appropriately vis. my TV/PS3, and run them through the same receiver? In other words is there a receiver that will do this? Isn't that what speaker A/B switching means? And while I'm at it, can I use the same subwoofer for the "B" speakers, or can you not even connect a subwoofer to "B" speakers?

 

[Sp@nky]

If I'm thinking correctly you should be able to buy a second set of speakers and center them appropriately for the TV/PS3. Hook them up to your "B" output and the audio out from your TV to the receiver. Turn off your A speakers and turn on the B and you should be good.

The thing I'm not sure about is the sub. How is it currently hooked up? If it's a powered sub and connected through a sub out signal level RCA connection I think it should still work fine. If it's through the speaker wires that will get a bit more complicated.

 

[redleader]

I read that post like 5 times and I'm still not sure what you're asking.

Do you want to have one pair of speakers that can output sound from two devices at once? Assuming they're powered speakers, get a splitter cable and combine them into one wire before going into the line in on the receiver.

Do you want to have two pairs of speakers but only one sub that is shared between them? If so, how is the sub you currently have wired?

 

[Sp@nky]

redleader[/url]":1372ppa4]I read that post like 5 times and I'm still not sure what you're asking.

Do you want to have one pair of speakers that can output sound from two devices at once? Assuming they're powered speakers, get a splitter cable and combine them into one wire before going into the line in on the receiver.

Do you want to have two pairs of speakers but only one sub that is shared between them? If so, how is the sub you currently have wired?

I know LOL.

I'm thinking he want's 2 sources with their own speakers that he can listen to interchangeably running it all off the same receiver and sub.

It sounds doable with one sub and receiver but honestly I'm not sure. I don't run a sub and my receiver is very old LOL. I don't think it even has a sub out.

 

[richleader]

Isn't that what speaker A/B switching means?

Actually, not so much. It's more like "I want the sound output to a pair of speakers I have wired out to the kitchen instead [or "and" but you risk not having enough power] of the speakers I have right here."

My dad's 1980s receiver has it. It's very much a pre-wireless, pre-DLNA feature. It's all about outputting the *same* source.

 

[Matrices]

Sp@nky[/url]":v8ga24wj]

redleader[/url]":v8ga24wj]I read that post like 5 times and I'm still not sure what you're asking.

Do you want to have one pair of speakers that can output sound from two devices at once? Assuming they're powered speakers, get a splitter cable and combine them into one wire before going into the line in on the receiver.

Do you want to have two pairs of speakers but only one sub that is shared between them? If so, how is the sub you currently have wired?

I know LOL.

I'm thinking he want's 2 sources with their own speakers that he can listen to interchangeably running it all off the same receiver and sub.

It sounds doable with one sub and receiver but honestly I'm not sure. I don't run a sub and my receiver is very old LOL. I don't think it even has a sub out.

Bingo. This is what I'm looking for. Is there a receiver that does this?

Sp@nky[/url]":v8ga24wj]If I'm thinking correctly you should be able to buy a second set of speakers and center them appropriately for the TV/PS3. Hook them up to your "B" output and the audio out from your TV to the receiver. Turn off your A speakers and turn on the B and you should be good.

The thing I'm not sure about is the sub. How is it currently hooked up? If it's a powered sub and connected through a sub out signal level RCA connection I think it should still work fine. If it's through the speaker wires that will get a bit more complicated.

First I need to get a receiver that has a "B" output, but I guess my question there would be, how do you "turn off" your speakers? Do receivers with A/B option let you mute or turn off speakers somehow? Because these are/will be bookshelf and floorstanding speakers that are going to be powered by the receiver itself.

And my current sub is a a little PSW10. It connects kind of weird...it has no LFE input but rather left-right inputs. I have an RCA cable that connects one of those to the receiver's subwoofer output. It is self-powered though.

 

[redleader]

Can your receiver switch between two speaker sets? If so: wire both sources into the receiver's line in. Than put one speaker pair on each output set.

If your receiver can only drive one set of speakers, you'll need to get a switch box to manually swap between speakers.

 

[Matrices]

Updated the OP with a picture to explain what I want.

My current receiver has no "B" zone option. I think I need a better receiver. Which is too bad because I don't use any of the 9,000 features it already has and now I'm going to need to dump $350 on a receiver with 18,000 features I don't need, but one feature I do need. Ffff...

 

[redleader]

http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/D ... 5-/50-6185

You can probably find this on amazon or best buy for about that price. I wouldn't buy a new receiver just to get what is in effect a pair of light switches.

 

[Matrices]

redleader[/url]":2zykszj6]http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/DISTRIBUTED-BY-MCM-50-6185-/50-6185

You can probably find this on amazon or best buy for about that price. I wouldn't buy a new receiver just to get what is in effect a pair of light switches.

Yep, something like that'll do. Too bad none seem to exist with remote controls, but oh well.

Thanks!

 

[richleader]

I was under the impression you wanted simultaneous output. My bad.

On the switch: 200 watts seems pretty low even for 2.1 these days though because of checkbox creep. Not that I have any idea what happens if you max out a switch?

 

[Matrices]

Simultaneous output would be nice but that would be a really niche use - like when I'm playing Wipeout on the PS3 while listening to trance tracks from Spotify on my computer.

The subwoofer's not going through the switch (and the sub is only 50 watts RMS anyway) so 200 watts should be fine for a pair of bookshelf speakers (Polk Monitor 30s have a 20-100W range) and a pair of low-end floorstanding ones.

It's not like I ever blast my sound to extreme volumes or anything.

 

[Sp@nky]

It kinda sucks that manufacturers seemed to drop the A/B speaker controls. Tons of older amps have it.

 

[papadage]

My six year old Onkyo was bought with multi-zone capabilities in mind, so I could put some outdoor speakers on the deck if I wanted to. Don't tell me newer models hav dropped that capability.

 

[continuum]

Nope, they still have multi-zone... but the OP's is the very bottom of the line.

 

[yd]

Well, you can get a 2.1 amp for 200 bucks as per here http://www.amazon.com/Audioengine-N22-P ... ywords=n22 or go cheaper at 70 bucks as per here http://www.amazon.com/Orb-Audio-Mini-T- ... 244&sr=1-6

Sorry, not sure how to turn long links into easy links.

A couple cheap speakers and you would be set up for two things at once. However, connecting one sub is likely a problem unless you sub has multiple inputs (?) and are easily selectable when you know which source you want to use it. Or, buy a cheap small sub for the other system.

 

[SBD]

I say you get ghetto on it. Pick a set of analogue inputs and and just get (or solder together) a composite RCA switcher. Quick google work reveals an option for $15:

http://www.amazon.com/RCA-DT902AV-2-Way ... im_sbs_e_2