John SiracusaFeb 26, 2023

I have disappeared down a home-theater-speakers rabbit hole these past few days. As usual, my situation is complicated by my extremely inconveniently shaped room and furniture, my existing equipment, and (poor me, I know) my access to deep discounts on a few specific brands.

I keep asking myself which speakers will work well, don’t cost a lot, and will actually fit and sound OK in the insane places I have to put them? Round and round I go…

Show threadJohn SiracusaFeb 26, 2023
Do any knowledgeable folks have an opinion on mixing speakers from different brands or product lines in a multi-channel home theater setup? Everything I’ve seen has warned against it (mismatched timbre, etc.) But having to stay within a single brand/line really makes this puzzle even harder to solve.
Show threadMatt GriffinFeb 26, 2023
@siracusa as long as they are the same impedance as the output, I see no problem. We do it all the time in the pro world.
Show threadJohn SiracusaFeb 26, 2023
@mattgriffin Thays good to hear! Speaking of impedance, I’m not sure how to read the specs for my receiver. I can’t drive 4 ohm speakers with this thing, right? https://www.pioneerhomeusa.com/product/vsx-lx305-av-receiver/
VSX-LX305 Elite 9.2-Channel Network AV Receiver - Pioneer Home USA

Featuring Dirac Live® Room Correction, the VSX-LX305 ELITE AV Receiver is designed for the ultimate experience for your movies, music, and gaming.

Pioneer Home USA
Show threadMatt GriffinFeb 26, 2023
@siracusa can't open that link
Show threadJohn SiracusaFeb 26, 2023
@mattgriffin Yeah, the vendor website seems to be down. Try a shopping site: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1706997-REG/pioneer_vsxlx305_vsx_lx305_elite_9_2_channel_network.html
Show threadMatt Griffin

@siracusa looks like it will handle a pretty wide range on impedance. I would probably recommend using speakers of the same impedance across the board, but brand is not a concern.

So, yes on 4ohms.

Feb 26, 2023 at 1:00amWeb
Show threadJohn SiracusaFeb 26, 2023
@mattgriffin Thanks!
Show threadSlb1125Feb 26, 2023
@mattgriffin @siracusa mixing impedance shouldn't be a real issue. Mixing brands of speakers is something I would have more reservations about considering that you're picky enough to let it bug you. The only concern I would have re impedance is the rating is nominal, and not always the whole story, although that tends to be more at the high end
Show threadSlb1125Feb 26, 2023
@mattgriffin @siracusa as an example a lot of electrostatic speakers that are nominal 4 ohm can get down to like 1 under certain loads
Show threadMatt GriffinFeb 26, 2023

@slb1125 I usually just stick to 8ohm, but I'm lazy. home theater audio is a strange animal compared to theater and av work.

also I've never seen an electrostatic speaker, so that shows you how much I know about audiophile stuff!

Show threadSlb1125Feb 26, 2023
@mattgriffin yeah most home speakers are. I mostly deal in 70v these days which is even easier
Show threadMatt GriffinFeb 26, 2023
@slb1125 things would be so much messier without 70v systems
Show threadSlb1125Feb 26, 2023
@mattgriffin amen to that