Does daisy chaining speakers lose quality?
Does daisy chaining speakers lose quality? Posted on: 20.06.2013 by Renato Deaugustine Hi Guys I'm a first time poster so be easy!We're getting a new PA system at my residency and I want to send the main from my mixer into both the PA System (believe 2 JBL tops and a sub) AND the in-house-system (believe a bunch of ceiling speakers). The in-house-system requires output from an XLR wall socket If I were to daisy chain, it would look like this: (using XLR cables) mixer > subwoofer > left & right speakers > XLR wall socket Can anyone see anything wrong with this configuration? Any loss of signal? Any possible problems with daisy chaining the wall socket? Or are there too many links in the chain? I'm not 100% sure about this, but I believe I heard somewhere before - every time you daisy chain, every time you add to the chain, you lose quality. Can someone clarify this? | |
| Margareta Mogilevsky 23.06.2013 |
Originally Posted by makar1
OP should clarify though. Also, does the sub have pass-thru and/or crossed-over link outs? Models would be handy. |
| Renato Deaugustine 20.06.2013 |
Originally Posted by makar1
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| Renato Deaugustine 20.06.2013 | Hi Guys I'm a first time poster so be easy! We're getting a new PA system at my residency and I want to send the main from my mixer into both the PA System (believe 2 JBL tops and a sub) AND the in-house-system (believe a bunch of ceiling speakers). The in-house-system requires output from an XLR wall socket If I were to daisy chain, it would look like this: (using XLR cables) mixer > subwoofer > left & right speakers > XLR wall socket Can anyone see anything wrong with this configuration? Any loss of signal? Any possible problems with daisy chaining the wall socket? Or are there too many links in the chain? I'm not 100% sure about this, but I believe I heard somewhere before - every time you daisy chain, every time you add to the chain, you lose quality. Can someone clarify this? |
| Ninfa Mazariegos 23.06.2013 | I have the unbalanced minidsp for my small rig of two active 12" tops and two passive 18" subs each powered by their own amp. I bought the unbalanced minidsp as I was originally planning on using passive tops as well and the minidsp would have been in the box with the amps under my dj table, but running into ground loop issues (somewhat fixed with a groundloop isolator) I'm planning on getting the balanced minidsp. The balanced version is also capable of handling much louder audio signal (around 2v) for your big rigs. Another cool thing that you can do is use their usb calibrated mic along with room eq wizard and help get rid of room modes and tune your speakers flat. |
| Ninfa Mazariegos 23.06.2013 | This- http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/DCX2496.aspx The minidsp is a cheaper, more reliable, has better tuning functionality, and is the size of a cigarette pack, but it does not have the hard limiter. http://www.minidsp.com/products/mini...p-balanced-2x4 |
| Ninfa Mazariegos 23.06.2013 | It sounds like the op is running an actively crossed over sub and sending the highs to the tops, and the highs out of it into the ceiling speakers. I would run it this way unless you want bass to come through your ceiling speakers. If you do want bass, then I would run the audio for the ceiling from the mixer. I would look into getting a dsp with an adjustable active crossover for this setup as you will have more fine tuning and better sound than using the subs built in crossover. There is a behringer model that has a hard limiter so you can protect your speakers from the djs who like to push it in the red. |
| Margareta Mogilevsky 23.06.2013 |
Originally Posted by makar1
OP should clarify though. Also, does the sub have pass-thru and/or crossed-over link outs? Models would be handy. |
| Alphonso Deitchman 23.06.2013 | What makes any of you believe that the speakers in question are passive? From the details given in the 1st post they're almost guaranteed to be active speakers. There is no impedance/resistance issue with daisy chaining active speakers. And there is no risk of frying amps or destroying speakers. |
| Margot Stevinson 23.06.2013 | In my experience POSTS #5 & #6 are correct. Each time you daisy chain a set of speakers the resistance is halved (ohms). Most PA speakers work at 8 and 4 ohms although your amp will be working harder to run say 4 speakers at 4 ohms than it will running 2 speakers at 8 ohms. If the speakers are designed to run at 8 or 4 ohms then it is not recommended to run any more speakers than that - it can destroy the speakers and fry the amp. As suggested the way to go is to split the input signal to add another amp or daisy chain the input signal from one amp to another. The configuration you explain looks like you are running 4 speakers in total (2 x sub and 2 mid/top speakers) and if they can run at 4 ohm then you can link the subs to the mid/top speakers - this assumes that your subs have a passive crossover built into them. I'm confusing myself now, but hope this all makes sense |
| Alphonso Deitchman 23.06.2013 | If the speakers are being connected by XLR cables that would suggest that they are Active speakers, and that the XLR carries the line level audio signal, NOT the power. There is no problem whatsoever with daisy chaining balanced line level audio signals. Also why would anyone ever connect a high-power signal into a XLR wall input? |
| Dori Lebahn 23.06.2013 | The drivers will become less responsive and sound weak and, more importantly, you risk cooking the amplifier. |
| Rae Kennan 22.06.2013 | Im not an expert with PA systems.. but every time you daisy chain a speaker the ohms get cut in half. For example... your amp outputs 2 channels at 8 ohms. With 2 speakers, each gets 8 ohms. Now if you daisy chain off that and add 2 more speakers you have 4 speakers at 4 ohms. Chain 2 more and its 6 speakers at 2 ohms. You get the idea. Besides the fact that most new speakers are not designed to take anything less than 4 ohms... 3 or 4 chains like your talking about would sound like crud and probably damage the speakers. Best thing to do is get a second amp and split the output on the mixer to both amps, and power your speakers properly. |
| Alphonso Deitchman 22.06.2013 | Don't bother if you're using a monitor, you'll probably need the Booth volume dial for that. |
| Renato Deaugustine 20.06.2013 |
Originally Posted by makar1
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| Alphonso Deitchman 21.06.2013 | Daisy chaining with balanced signals (XLR) should not introduce any significant loss of quality. You might want to run the Booth output into the ceiling speakers for more control. |
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