Setting up three speakers in an audio setup is something that is not as common. For many years, a two-speaker setup has been the standard. But what if you have an extra speaker available? Can you connect all three speakers together in an audio setup?
You can connect three speakers to act as a single speaker unit. This can be achieved by wiring the speakers in a parallel, series, or combination of both parallel and series connections.
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How to Wire 3 Speakers Together
To wire three speakers together, the most important thing to note is to ensure that all the speakers are in phase with the amplifier. What this means is that the positive side of your speaker connections should be connected to the positive side of the amp.
The same should happen to the negative sides. Doing this will enable you to create the best possible sound. In general, there are three ways of wiring multiple speakers — in this case, three speakers together.
Series
Wiring speakers in series creates a single pathway for the same current to flow through the circuit.
To wire three speakers in series, all you have to do is;
- Connect the Negative terminal of the first speaker to the Positive terminal of the second speaker.
- Afterwards, connect the Negative terminal of the second speaker to the Positive terminal of the third speaker.
- You will be left with a free Positive terminal on the first speaker and a free Negative terminal on the third speaker. Now connect the Positive terminal of the first speaker and the Negative terminal of the third speaker to the power amplifier.
This video gives a simple but great practical demonstration of how three speakers can be connected in series. You should give it a watch.
Unfortunately, with series connections, in the event that something happens to one of the speaker connections, the entire circuit will cease working.
One thing you should also note is that the same speakers that are wired in series will have a total resistance that is greater than when they are wired in parallel.
This is because when you wire speakers in series, the resistance of all the speakers must be added to get the total resistance of the entire setup. This total resistance obtained is the load exerted on the amplifiers by the speakers.
Parallel
Connecting speakers in parallel create many pathways for audio signals in the form of an electric current to flow. To connect three speakers in parallel, all you have to do is to
- Connect the Positive terminal of the first speaker to the Positive terminal of the second speaker.
- After this, connect the Positive terminal of the second speaker to the Positive terminal of the third speaker.
- Follow the same steps to connect the Negative terminals on all speakers together.
- Now connect the speakers to the power amplifier by tapping the Positive and Negative terminals of the third speaker.
The total resistance of speakers wired in parallel is always lower than when wired in series. This is because the resistive load of your circuit gets reduced when you run your speakers in parallel, and it causes your amplifier to generate more output wattage.
It is worth noting that it is not advisable to wire speakers having different resistance in parallel. It is always advisable to wire identical speakers together when you want to connect in parallel.
Combination of Series and Parallel
Wiring 3 speakers by using a combination of series and parallel connections can be done by simply connecting two series-connected speakers in parallel to a third speaker.
The importance of wiring speakers using a combination of both series and parallel can be best appreciated if you need to wire your speakers without exerting very low impedance onto your amplifier.
In such a situation, you can connect two of the speakers in series. Afterward, connect these series-connected speakers in parallel to the last speaker.
To do this, simply
- Connect the Negative terminal of the first speaker to the Positive terminal of the second speaker to achieve a series connection.
- After that, connect the Positive terminal of the first speaker to the Positive terminal of the third speaker.
- Connect the negative terminal of the second speaker to the negative terminal of the third speaker.
Factors to Consider When Wiring Speakers Together
A few things play a major role when it comes to wiring speakers together. These are the resistive load or impedance of the speakers and the maximum output of the power amplifier.
A basic understanding of these principles’ concepts can help you wire up your speakers well.
Before wiring speakers together, you should find out about their individual resistive loads or impedance of the speakers. The impedance value of speakers is usually written on their backs. It has a unit of ohms.
If you don’t find yours behind the speakers, you can look at the manufacturer’s specifications on the internet or check the documents that came with the speaker.
Generally, speakers have an impedance of either 4, 6, or 8 ohms. You need to ensure that the total impedance of your speakers does not exceed the capacity of your amplifier.
Most of the HiFi amps come with a total load impedance of 4 ohms or more. If the load impedance of your amplifier is not at least 4 ohms, it is advisable to wire your speakers in series.
Before connecting your speakers to your amplifier, you need to be certain that the amplifier can handle all the power demands of your speakers. The maximum current rating of the amplifier used to power the speakers must also be considered when wiring speakers together.
This is very necessary to ensure that the amp will be able to handle the combined power demands of all the speakers without having any negative effects on the audio.
Can You Run 3 Speakers Off a 2-Channel Amp?
Yes, you can run three speakers off a 2-channel amp. This can be achieved by wiring two of the speakers in parallel or series before connecting the joint circuit to one side of the amp. The last remaining speaker can then be connected to the other side of the amp.
A 2-channel amp is an amp that has a left and a right side. A typical 2-channel amp is built to accept multiple speaker connections to their left and right channels. In general, 2-channel amps can carry a load of two speakers easily.
However, when you add an extra speaker to an amplifier, you increase the load exerted on it. Unfortunately, not every 2-channel amp can efficiently drive the load exerted by three speakers.
Therefore, before running three speakers off your 2-channel amp, you need to ensure that your amp can handle the power demands of the speakers.
How Multiple Speakers Share Power
Many people believe that increasing the number of speakers involved in your setup will lead to an increase in the power available to all your speakers. However, this is not so.
This is because any power that comes from an amplifier is shared among the speakers connected to it. This means if three speakers are connected to the amplifier, the three speakers will share the total power that is delivered by the amplifier.
Similarly, if four speakers are connected to an amplifier, the power outputted by the amp would be shared among all four speakers.
One thing you should note is, regardless of the type of speaker connection, if the speakers have the same impedance, they will share this power equally. However, if the impedance of the speakers is not equal, those with lower impedance will draw more power than those with higher impedance when connected in parallel.
On the other hand, when they are connected in series, speakers with higher impedance will draw more power than lower impedance speakers.
Ultimately, the amount of power that will be shared by multiple speakers connected together will depend on the maximum power the amplifier can deliver.
This means you can have three speakers with 50 watts of power each, thus having a combined speaker power rating of 150 watts. If the maximum power rating the amplifier can deliver is 50 watts, that is what will be available to the speakers.
This means that increasing the number of speakers in your setup will reduce the amount of power available to each speaker.
Do Speakers Sound Better in Series or Parallel?
When it comes to sound quality, speakers wired in parallel produce relatively high-quality sound than those connected in series. This is because speakers connected in parallel maintain the quality of their sound. Speakers that are connected in parallel sound louder than those connected in series as well.
However, the difference in sound quality and loudness is largely insignificant and can be hard to distinguish.
The reason why series speakers do not produce a sound that is as good as parallel ones is that series connections lead to an increase in speaker impedance.
This increased impedance reduces the amount of electrical current that can be passed through the circuit. This ultimately reduces the final power output of the speakers connected in series.
Also, speakers connected in series only receive a portion of the entire power that is delivered to the system. Thus, they are not driven with as much power as speakers connected in parallel.
Conclusion
There are three ways you can wire three speakers together into a single speaker unit. You can do this by connecting them in either series or parallel. Alternatively, you wire them using a combination of both parallel and series connections.
Hello, I’m Elijah. A writer on Geek Musician, based in Ghana-West Africa. I am a writer with a passion for research and reading. I usually spend my free time playing chess or watching movies. For more info, check out my about me page. Or read more of my articles here.