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Wiring a Center Channel

I recall reading of a method of wiring up a center channel in phase with the mains, when using a two channel setup and dual mono amps. I think it went somethin like this:

Connect the two mains conventionally to the appropriate 8ohm tap (assuming appropriate) and the ground on each of the two mono amps. Run a low resistance conection from one ground to the other on the two amps. Wire the center channel off the two (hot) 4ohm taps, one off each of the two amps.

What confuses me is the center channel having two hot wires running into it with no ground. Have I read the diagram wrong, or does this all make sense to someone who knows better than me? And why bridge the ground on the mains?

Can anyone clear this up for me?

Marco
jax2

Showing 4 responses by kr4

kr4's avatar
kr4
3,649 posts
 
What this achieves is not a center channel but a difference channel which might best be placed in the rear. It is a variant of the "Hafler" circuit.
kr4's avatar
kr4
3,649 posts
 
For a center channel, one wants to have only those signals that are common to the left and right channels. (It's a little more complex than just summing but similar.)

However, by connecting the speaker between the two hots means that current will flow only when there is a voltage difference between the two hots. Thus, it will reproduce a difference.

Playing and placing such a speaker between the left and right will not fill the middle but, rather, increase the effective separation.
kr4's avatar
kr4
3,649 posts
 
If you connect the hots, you get no stereo. To sum, you need an additional amp with a combining network.
kr4's avatar
kr4
3,649 posts
 
Good point. Going back to the original post, one should not add the ground(-) to ground(-) jumper since the +to+ connection should work with common ground amps and shouldn't be used with non-common ground amps.
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