Music centre speakers

[kenny1234]

Is it safe to have only one speaker deployed on my Technics music centre.(wife has disconnected one due to swapping around furniture)?

[factor-fiction]

What do you mean by 'safe'? Are you asking about sound quality?

[snags]

Yes it is safe but will sound sh!t.

[bazwillrun]

Reconnect it then if its your music centre !

[deggers316]

no its not "safe" for the amp, it will damage the output for the speaker that's not working. just wire it back up "simples"

[umpteenthian]

Depending on how the electronics work, it's possible that it may damage the output stage of the amplifier. Put simply, if the amp is producing wattage/power onone channel but the wattage has nowhere to go (because the speaker is not connected) you could "burn out" that channel of the amp. If you turn the balance control all the way to the connected channel, that may be "safer" (although, not having much electronics know-how, I can't say for certain) but you'll only be hearing half of the music! Best bet is to re-instate the speaker, even if it's not positioned precisely where it should be.

[ChuckFickens]

Running an amp with no load is only dangerous for tube amps, solid state amps won't be damaged by having no speakers connected.

[deggers316]

well i go back to the "tube days" chuck
how come there's a difference now, "tranies" just replaced the tubes so would have though the same would occur

[mibn2cweus]

Most solid state amplifiers do not use an output transformer required by older amplifiers to convert the high voltage used to operate the valves to the current that drives the speakers. With no load on the transformer the voltages induced by a large signal could rise to levels that could damage the output transformer.

In solid state amplifiers with no output transformer, transistors are more likely to fail from having to deliver excessive current to a low impedance load (too many speakers) or short circuit.

Tube amplifiers are generally less vulnerable than solid state to crossed speaker wires unless protective circuitry is incorporated into the design.

Your probably safe with no speaker attached to one of the channels as long as you don't overdrive the working channel/speaker to compensate for the missing sound. Just make sure the wires don't cross.

[ChuckFickens]

It's the output transformer that tube amps require that causes the problem, if you run a transformer with no load connected to the secondary coil it will feedback and produce a voltage spike on the primary coil, which will then most likely blow the tubes.

Solid state amps don't generally require an output transformer and the speakers are connected directly to the power transistors, no transformer, no feedback, no danger.

[ChuckFickens]

That'll teach me to go make a drink mid answer :)

[Hopkirk]

She's got to go.

[mibn2cweus]

My apologies for stepping in Chuck but I figured you must be preoccupied with more important things. ;o)