How to Power Two Speakers with a One Channel Amp

In-depth guide to power 2 speakers with a 1 channel amp

Co-authored by Hunter Rising

Last Updated: August 27, 2023

Do you want to pair two speakers with one amp? This wikiHow article walks you through using a one-channel amp to power two speakers.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Speakers in Series

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Example: You have two 4 ohm speakers you want to connect to an amplifier with an output impedance of 8 ohms. For this case, you want to put your speakers in series, so the total impedance of the speakers will be 4+4=8 ohms, matching the amplifier. ^{[1]
X
Research source}
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Speakers in Parallel

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For a parallel connection of two speakers, the resulting impedance is half of the impedance of the amplifier (assuming the speakers have the same impedance). Example: You have the same two speakers, but the amplifier has a 4 ohm output. For this case, you want to connect the speakers in parallel because the impedance would be 8/2=4 ohms, again matching the amplifier. ^{[2]
X
Research source}
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How do I add rear surround speakers to my stereo receiver if it only has connections for 2 speakers?

Community Answer

A stereo receiver will only play stereo (two channels) no matter how many speakers you hook up. You have to have a surround sound system to have rear speakers that actually work properly.

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How can I connect 2 8 ohm speakers so they remain 8 ohm?

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The best way is to wire them in series, but make sure that you have a powerful enough amplifier to power them, with an output rating of 16 ohms or more.

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How do I add subs to a Sony surround system?

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Your amp probably has a line level (like a headphone jack) sub output, so you can just buy any active subwoofer and plug it in through that.

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Tips

You can also connect more than two speakers in parallel. If they have the same impedance, then the resulting impedance is the impedance of one speaker divided by the number of speakers. So the impedance of three 8 ohm speakers connected in parallel is 2.7 ohms.

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You can connect more than two speakers in series--and the impedance will also add. So the impedance of one 8 ohm speaker and two 16 ohm speakers connected in series is 40 ohms.

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You never join 2 wires together at the amp, e.g. pos (+) of speaker 1 and pos (+) of speaker 2 both to same pos (+) of the amp or the same with neg (-) connection.

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Warnings

If the impedance of the speakers is too low, you could damage the amplifier trying to drive them.

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Please consult your amplifier manual for exceptions, variations and warnings, or you may have an expensive lesson.

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How to Power Two Speakers with a One Channel Amp

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Speakers in Series

Speakers in Parallel

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