Can I jumper across amp speaker outs to a 2nd amp's spkr outs?

I would also like to know actual outcome.  My great nephew asked me about possible liabilities connecting 2 amps and using 1 at a time a few years ago.  I strongly discouraged doing so but could not supply a good answer as to why other than the certainty that at some time somebody would goof and power up both amps.

I have also seen this question posed before on Agon with no specific answer.

Can anyone here with electronic chops give a good explanation?

Bill

Because you would be backfeeding one amp's signal into the other's outputs, a treatment for which no amp is designed. Amplifier output signals can be considerable; if you're listening to inefficient, low-impedance speakers really loud, you could see 40-50V and tens of amperes during transients.

@devinplombier You are correct and that was part of my answer to my great-nephew but it doesn't answer the question as to what might happen and why.

Bill

Bill, backfeeding an amplifier forces it to act as a load rather than a source. Amps are designed to drive current out to low-impedance load, not consume it.

The nature and extent of the destruction will vary depending on amp technology and topology, but speaking in general terms you could see anything from no effect at all to thermal overload, fried output transistors, and power supply damage.

@devinplombier  Thanks for the reply.  It helps somewhat in answering my question.  I realize that there is no cut-and-dried answer.

Bill