Passive and Active speakers working together?

akashamon

Estimable
Jan 3, 2016
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Hello:

To those audio techs that know this stuff and share your knowledge, thank you for your service!

Looking for some advice hooking up active and passive speakers to multiple audio sources through a receiver.

I have a 2 Yamaha HS5 powered monitors with XLR to RCA cables. Currently I unplug and plugin the cables to different sources: TV, turntable, 3.5mm y-adaptor. It is annoying but I can connect anything to the speakers.

I recently moved and now have 3 sets of speakers with on/off switches around different zones of the house pre-wired to where my tv and turntable are as well as speaker cables already set up for 2 surround speakers.(4 zones total, 2 are are outside, one in the kitchen, plus the surround speakers)

I am planning on getting a receiver that has speakers A/B. Then I will double up the inside(kitchen) zone with the surround speakers to speaker A into the back of the receiver. I will also double up the speaker wires for the 2 outside zones into speakers B in the back of the receiver. This way I can listen to music in any zone easily.


My issue is how do I fit in the powered monitors into this type of set up?


The options I have thought of are:

1. Use the headphone jack on the front of the receiver and a y connector to the HS5 monitors. But depending on the receiver it may turn off the other speakers when the headphone jack is occupied.

2. Use a receiver that has a line out, I think the issue with that is usually the line out is connected to a specific line in so the monitors would only produce sound with that one source.

3. Get a receiver that has a rca preout but, so far i have yet to find one that has wifi/bluetooth options. Also not sure it would work for all audio sources similar to a line out option above.


Do you think any of my above options would work, or have experience setting up passive and active speakers together?

Regards:

Curtis

PS. I am not too concerned about surround sound for gaming, or movies just want to be able to have music on everywhere including the powered monitors. :)

I have been looking at theses receivers.
https://ca.yamaha.com/en/products/audio_visual/hifi_components/r-n303/index.html
https://ca.yamaha.com/en/products/audio_visual/hifi_components/r-n602/index.html

I am not at all attached to Yahama receivers just want something mid-high quality that will work and provide newer high tech features like bluetooth and wifi.
 
Solution
I would suggest you check out the Denon HEOS systems.
You can use a Denon or Marantz receiver with HEOS built in.
They also have the Denon HEOS Link that can create an additonal zone for the self powered speakers. You would not need the home run interconnect cables you ran since this works over wifi but could use them.
I would suggest you check out the Denon HEOS systems.
You can use a Denon or Marantz receiver with HEOS built in.
They also have the Denon HEOS Link that can create an additonal zone for the self powered speakers. You would not need the home run interconnect cables you ran since this works over wifi but could use them.
 
Solution