Eclipse EA3422 from 4ch to 2ch - Time alignment?

[headless 10+ year member]

Hey all. I've currently got an Eclipse EA3422 amp pushing my Rainbow Germanium CS265 components... i've got it set up as a 4ch configuration from my CD8454 so i can adjust time alignment on each channel independently. I'm using the passive X-over's and bi-wiring them from the same amp (it's got inputs for bi-amping). The setup is working well but i know that the EA3422 is rated @ 2x140rms if set for 2ch mode, vs. 4x50w RMS in it's current 4ch configuration -- so i wanted to give that a try. I'm good to go with re-wiring the x-over's to the correct connectors on the speaker wire connector block area...but i am wondering about a couple of things otherwise.

1. Currently my RCA's are:

(DECK)HIGH L+R outputs (AMP)FRONT L+R inputs TWEETS INPUTS ON X-OVERS

(DECK)MID L+R outputs (AMP)REAR L+R inputs WOOFERS INPUTS ON X-OVERS

When i change the amp to 2ch, the front and rear channels turn mono..so i will change the rca's to this (i think)?

(DECK)HIGH L output + MID L output (AMP)FRONT L INPUT + FRONT R INPUT TWEETS + WOOFERS INPUTS ON L X-OVER (mono)

(DECK)HIGH R output + MID R output (AMP)REAR L INPUT + REAR R INPUT TWEETS + WOOFERS INPUTS ON R X-OVER (mono)

Is this correct?

Next; can i leave my time alignment settings for my mid-l, mid-r, high-l, high-r, etc. on, and still see the benefit through this configuration? If my time alignment doesn't work bridged down like this, i think i may not switch. I might have to get another amp in there and bi-amp the rainbows..

Any responses would be appreciated. Please don't hurt me //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

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[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

If you run the amplifier bridged, you will negate the need to use the "mid" (rear) output on the headunit. You will only need to run the "front" (high) outputs. Depending on the amplifier, you may need to grab a couple y-splitters so that the L and R signals can be input into both inputs on the amplifier.

For example, if you are bridging the "front" channels (channels 1 & 2) of the amplifier to the left side, and the "rear" channels (channels 3 & 4) of the amplifier to the right side, correct? Then you may need y-splitters so that you can run the front left output from the headunit to the input for both channels 1 & 2, and a y-splitter for the front right output from the headunit to the inputs for channels 3 & 4.

And now, because of only using the front outputs, any settings used for the "mid" headunit output now become inconsequential and unused.

You will still be able to use time alignment....only instead of being able to time align all of the speaker independently, you will now only be able to time align them by "side" by using the time alignment available on the "front" (high) headunit output, i.e. you can delay the entire left channel (tweeter and mid), but not the left tweeter or left mid individually. Same with the right side.

 

[headless 10+ year member]

Thanks for your response. I understand the method you describe... and i had considered doing that. Will i lose voltage through splitting the RCA's with a Y?

Could you tell me what would happen (i'm wondering if something would explode or melt, sound awful and why, etc.) if i tried this configuration:

 

[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

Will i lose voltage through splitting the RCA's with a Y?

No. It's simple parallel wiring....current doubles (which is minor for preamp outputs), voltage stays the same.

It's akin to wiring the battery in your car. You can wire 1000 circuits to the battery, and each circuit will still recieve 12VDC (assuming your battery can provide the necessary current).

Could you tell me what would happen (i'm wondering if something would explode or melt, sound awful and why, etc.) if i tried this configuration:

Nothing would explode. But if you didn't have both outputs set exactly the same in every regard, then the results would be poor sound. But it's much more easier to do my method, and no chance of dissimilar signals.

EDIT: You wouldn't want to wire your passives like that. Don't bi-wire them. Just wire one + and one - on the inputs.

 

[headless 10+ year member]

Thanks again for the reply //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

I understand the concept of parallel wiring vs. series; just hadn't made the jump to apply it to a signal cable. Thanks for opening my eyes. The deck won't have any problems with doubling the current output on 1 pair of rca's it sounds like //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

Thx for the info on the sound + signals... i'm going to turn my TA for my tweets to identical settings as my woofers today and see how it effects the overall sound. If it doesn't hurt too badly, i'll go with that. Otherwise it'll be another amp it would appear! Is there really enough difference between the pairs of outputs on a deck to cause problems with using 2 rca's from my deck (1 high and 1 mid) to do this -- i would think if i had the x-over's set identically on each channel (off, or highpass 63hz) and didn't use my PEQ's that it would send an identical signal to each...but i would think alot of incorrect things quite often so i'm open to enlightenment //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif RCA Y splitters aren't exactly expensive //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif Need to find a manual for this amp to see if it still needs 2 rca's plugged in or if i can use 1 rca input per channel when it goes mono...

Re: wiring the passives - the manual for these says that i would actually run wire from 1 + on my amp speaker outputs to both the + inputs on the x-over (tweet + and woofer +)... they say to use a Y at the end of the cable to do this, but since i've already got 2 wires run between the amp and x-over's i was thinking it'd be easier to just connect both ends of the wires to 1 speaker output on my amp so if i decided to bi-amp again later i wouldn't have to go find the wires i removed. I've run 14ga for all of this stuff and it's only ~4 feet of wire so i was thinking resistance would be very low so it should work just like having a Y at the end of the wire. Do you think so?

 

[headless 10+ year member]

Back again (already hehe)

Just took a look at the amp's rca inputs, and it appears the L - INPUT plugs of each (front/rear) are marked for mono...so i think i can use just the highs rca and no splitter, right into those 2 rca inputs marked mono.