Splitting a signal will it degrade the sound

polk500

Hello,

So my next door neighbor wants to have the same music playing upstairs as he have playing downstairs.
He don't have an AVR that allows for different zones so he was thinking of using a splitter on his left and right mains to his amp and then to the speakers upstairs.
His question to me is will this degrad the sound quality? I don't know the answer so I'm hoping someone can answer this for me.

Thanks
Roger

polk500

Hey Skip, It's a pretty good system, Kef Q700 speakers upstairs and Q900 down,the Amp is a Parasound A5, So you figure it will work that's good to know.
I was thinking that wouldn't affect the sound as it's just a signal. So why if you don't mind me asking?

Thanks
Roger

polk500

DSkip wrote: »

"Just a signal" is a dangerous way to think in this hobby too. If it was "just a signal" then cables wouldn't matter one bit. Things happen as that signal gets transmitted that are vital to sound quality.

Ya you're correct that was a poor statement, my head is hung in shame!!!

Thanks for the quick reply

Cheers
Roger

helipilotdoug

More info needed on the equipment he wants to connect. If it's stereo sound he wants, and his AVR and pre-amp have the necessary connections, he could maybe run a pair of interconnects from a tape out/record out on the downstairs pre-amp to an input on the upstairs pre-amp.

George Grand

DSkip wrote: »

Technical reasons I don't remember and I don't want to talk out my ****.

This is more harmful than splitting a signal.

George Grand

Both. Speaking out of your zorch is never recommended.

polk500

Hmm so He gave the splitter a try, It worked but he feels that (as suggested Dskip) while at lower volume sounds good at higher volume it starts losing sound quality.
Also he was wrong about his AVR it's Pioneer 1326 and it does have Zones.
So in theory the AVR can play the same source in two different zones at the same time or at least that is what the manual states if I read it correctly.
As I don't own a Pioneer and the remote is way too clutter in my opinion do anyone know if this is possible? He said he tried and he couldn't get it to work and I don't want to go and spend a couple of hours trying to figure it out try unless it's possible.

Thanks
Roger

polk500

helipilotdoug wrote: »

More info needed on the equipment he wants to connect. If it's stereo sound he wants, and his AVR and pre-amp have the necessary connections, he could maybe run a pair of interconnects from a tape out/record out on the downstairs pre-amp to an input on the upstairs pre-amp.

Hello Doug,

So he installed speaker wire in the walls from the basement to his living room upstairs during a reason reno, a good job too I might add.

And he wants to play the same music upstair on a couple of Keff Q700 that is playing in the basement on without having to have another rig setup.

Hope this helps.

Thanks
Roger

tonyb

I gather he doesn't have a separate amp, just a receiver ? In which case a simple speaker selector switch would work fine.

polk500

Hey Tony,

He have two amps a Parasound A51 & Parasound 5250. Any way the man is driving me crazy it like he is fixated on being wanting the ability to play the same tunes up & down stairs.

tonyb

I'm confused, you said he wanted no gear downstairs. Or is that second amp located upstairs but being used to drive the speakers downstairs ? In which case a signal splitter from the receivers outputs to both amps would work too .

How long of a distance are those speakers downstairs from the amp upstairs ?

polk500

Sorry if I haven't made this clear, his main rig is down stairs and he wanted to be have the same music playing throughout the house...

And because he have a complete 7.2 he didn't have any spare speaker terminal and figured he could split the signal from his mains.

Thanks
Roger

Easy Runnin

That receiver has outputs for zone 2 & 3. He definitely has the connectivity. If he is using the speaker terminals for HT then he can put an amp on zone 2 out then connect the upstairs speaker wires to the amp.

polk500

tonyb wrote: »

I'm confused, you said he wanted no gear downstairs. Or is that second amp located upstairs but being used to drive the speakers downstairs ? In which case a signal splitter from the receivers outputs to both amps would work too .

How long of a distance are those speakers downstairs from the amp upstairs ?

30' he showed me the cable it's 12 gauge wire CL 2.

polk500

Easy Runnin wrote: »

That receiver has outputs for zone 2 & 3. He definitely has the connectivity. If he is using the speaker terminals for HT then he can put an amp on zone 2 out then connect the upstairs speaker wires to the amp.

So do you think he will be able to play the same source in two Zones with that avr?

Thanks
Roger

Easy Runnin

"So do you think he will be able to play the same source in two Zones with that avr?"

That's how it looks to me.

http://www.pioneerelectronics.ca/POCEN/Home/AV-Receivers/FutureShop/VSX-1326-K

don0

Why won't connecting the upstairs speakers to the B speaker terminals and selecting both A and B speakers work?

Nightfall

I don't know about Pioneer but just FYI, digital sources (HDMI, coax, etc.) might not be able to be played on zone 2. Only analog.

polk500

His out of town till tomorrow, I'm going to pop over when he gets back and see if I can get the zone thing to work.

Thanks for the suggestions..

Roger

tonyb

Easy Runnin wrote: »

"So do you think he will be able to play the same source in two Zones with that avr?"

That's how it looks to me.

http://www.pioneerelectronics.ca/POCEN/Home/AV-Receivers/FutureShop/VSX-1326-K

I didn't see anywhere that said you can play 2 zones from one source at the same time. Usually you can't. Also second zones may be analog inputs only.

A speaker selector switch of quality is the easiest way to go, but if your going to use 2 amps, one for each set of speakers, you have to split that RCA output to send a signal to both amps.

Easy Runnin

I can play 2 zones from one source on my AVR, but as mentioned above it doesn't work with a digital interconnect. I use my TT, CD, Net & turner without any issues. Another option as Doug mentioned is use the DVR out to an amp or pre.

polk500

Hello,

So as an update to this thread he changed out the cheap rca splitter 6" cables to Phonolink Adaptors and ran Caliber interconnect cables to his Parasound A51Amp and guess what it sounds great.
He had mention that he notice a volume lost and a bit of distortion at higher volume before and now the distortion is gone & the volume while not seeming quite as loud at -20 db he is quite happy.

So as stated so often on this forum everything matters.

Cheers
Roger