Maximum PC

I really don't know much about audio receivers and such so I need your help figuring out what I need. It would be helpful if you could give me the names of the equipment that I would like.

At home is a set of 6 wall mounted speakers. The 12 wires come out of the wall and they're connected to a Radio Shack High Power Speaker Control Center. I had an old stereo box connected to it so I can listen to the radio, cd, or cassettes.

Now I would like to upgrade it with an Audio Receiver. Basically, I would like to listen to the radio, CDs, and cassettes. Are there receivers that have all three or do I get a CD/radio Receiver and hook up a cassette deck to it?

Let's keep the budget small. I'm no audiophile.

Thanks guys

Unfortunate this post went with no reply. A little more info was needed here though. Wattage of speakers? Is the "Radio Shack High Power Speaker Control Center" an amplifier or just signal? Six speakers in what configuration...is there even a center channel in a six speaker config?

You can find a lot of multi-channel receiver/amps refurbished on eCost.com for decent prices. Sometimes Newegg and Amazon have decent deals on sale, or maybe used from an independent seller on Amazon. Generally speaking CD/cassette units are added separately.

Well, I don't know much about the speaker set-up as it was already installed when we moved in. There are 2 speakers on the walls of 3 rooms. No subwoofers, etc. Just speakers. The radioshack device allows me to connect the output wires (previously from a stereo box) so that the sound comes from all the speakers. All 12 wires from the wall speakers plug into that box.

You guys know what the red and black wires and speaker input/output holes are called?

I'm guessing I need to get a cheap receiver and a tape deck.

You say you had stereo outputs running to the Radio Shack box inputs correct? Sounds like the Radio Shack device is an amplifier. If that's the case then you would just plug whatever components you want into that. Provided that the inputs are just traditional RCA jacks you could run your sound from anything, you'd just need the proper cable adapters. You could input from a 80's style Sony Walkman cassette player if you wanted to.

red = positive wire/port
black = negative wire/port

Does the Radio Shack box have multiple inputs and a way to switch between them? i.e. channel A/B/C or aux/cd/tape?

Here's a link to the radioshack device manual: support.radioshack.com/support_audio/doc64/64931.pdf

I don't think its an amp but just combines all the speakers to receive from one input. Its just a small box and you can turn off/on each speaker set.

Ah, I see. It's just a speaker selector. It takes the powered signal from a left and right channel on your amp and distributes it across 8 channels. The amp for all intents and purposes is only putting out power for one set of speakers, but running it through the "control center" to multiple speakers lowers the impedance so the drop off isn't as bad as it should be. These things generally don't do too much for the quality of sound though, because it spreads the signal and power very thin.

You're be better off just buying an receiver/amp that can push your speakers directly. Not to mention if you pick up a decent one that supports it (and you get a center channel speaker) you can run 7.1 surround. If you have and old "boom-box" around somewhere with RCA outputs and CD/cassette player, you could just hook that up to the receiver for the time being till you've got the ducats to pop for something better. What's your budget now, and what are your priorities (in order of importance please)?

This is what the previous owner had done but we didn't have a receiver so I found I could use the old stereo. We used to have a TV center holding a CRT and the stereo but my dad just got a plasma tv so we had to put a table TV stand that can't hold the stereo, which is shy I'm looking for a receiver setup now.

You're saying that instead of the speaker selector, plug each speaker directly into the receiver?


Not much money now so I will save and wait a while and see if things come on sale in the holidays. Can I find a good system in the $150-$200 or $200-$300 range?

Yes, I would look for a receiver that will support the number of channels you need to drive the speakers directly. You'll want to check the RMS and peak wattage of the speakers, that will determine what kind of power you need from the receiver. That will also be one of the deciding factors when it comes to narrowing down your selection to specific models.

It's been awhile since I priced stereo equipment, all my audio is run through my computer and studio monitors. If you're willing to buy a refurbished receiver from a site like eCost (or an equivalent), and you look for used components (tape/CD) on Craigslist or ebay, you should be able to put something together fairly cheaply.

Check out AVS Forums, they have a ton of info for everything A/V.

For home audio I think you don't have the need of the sub woofers. And install the woofer with the ceiling this the best place where it can be fitted suitably. I think so....