Making a Switch for Speakers?

Question

I have 6 speakers which I have wired around my house. I wanted to get a switch box so you can turn on and off certain speakers. I've seen switches online for as cheap as $50, but I'm a college student, therefore that is way to much. My idea was to get something like a light switch and run the speaker wire through that so you just use the switch to turn on and off the speakers you wanted. If that is possible, what do you think about one of those light switches that you can adjust for light to dark, but it will be used to adjust the volume of certain speakers.

Any problems with this plan? I'm thinking that it should work because it's just a simple switch that allows current to run, or not run through it. But then again I'm no electrician. And I'm not too sure about the adjuster switch. Thanks for any input

Answer 1

A simple light switch will work, but it's a clumsy solution. You can buy simple double pole/double throw DPDT rocker/slide switches like at Radio Shack for a couple of bucks. This will allow you to be more discreet in your installation. Remember that there's not much current running through them so a light switch is overkill, much like using a sledge hammer when a tack hammer will do. Be very careful about running multiple speakers concurrently, since you have to carefully formulate the impedance to match your amp and speakers, which is why those speaker switches cost so much. They are designed to run speakers as A, B and A+B, but they have resistors and the like which is why they cost so much. If you haphazardly put things together, things may start to overload.

It sounds like you want to run things concurrently based on your desire to dampen the volume of one set over another. Unless you want to damage your equipment, don't do it unless you go for legitimate speaker switches or a investigate a myriad of alternative solutions, such as separate amplifiers. Staying under $50 with these alternate solutions isn't impossible, but certainly won't be easy.

Answer 2

No, light dimmer switches will not work.

There are speaker attenuators (volume control) units you can buy, but they wouldn't be cheap.

I found one at a reasonable price:

http://www.amazon.com/Parts-Express-WALL...