Can I hook up any 8 ohm extention type speakers to my Genz Benz Acoustic Amp?

[Taylor Player]

I posted this at the AGF also but thought I would open it up to you guys/gals also as I am looking for suggestions on what to try.

 

I have been looking to try and find a set of extension cabinets for my Genz Benz Shenandoah 200 Stereo Deluxe amp. The amp has been discontinued by Genz Benz for a few years and I have had no luck finding a set of the extension cabs and stands.

 

I will continue to monitor Ebay and Craigslist as well as my WTB ad in the AGF forum, but last night I got to thinking. The speaker cabs are simply matching woofers and tweeters for the Genz Benz amp I have. Wouldn't some kind of Stereo bookshelf or floor speakers with a woofer and tweeter work if the Ohm's were correct? I remember my old Fisher speakers that were hooked up to my Stereo, tape deck and record player had both woofers and tweeters. I know very little about amplification systems and how they work, but it seems reasonable to me that since my amp has L and R outputs for 8 Ohm Cabinets, I should be able to find my own cabs somewhere.

 

What I am trying to do is add a "surround sound" effect in my music room when playing through my amp. I also use it as a (Very large and powerful) Ipod dock and it would be nice to have the additional speakers for stereo separation in my room.

 

Any advice or ideas on what I could use if I can't find any matching Extension Cabinets for the Genz Benz?

[Buc McMaster]

In general, yes, you should be able to do that at bedroom volumes. And I may be wrong here, but I do believe the voltage transients present in the output of an instrument amplifier can and will damage a home stereo style speaker. Instrument speakers are built of stiffer materials, particularly the cone surround, to dampen it's movement. Home stereo speakers don't move as much.......the music being played through them has been "tamed", so to speak, minimizing transient spikes. The output of an instrument amplifier is not tamed at all.....it's raw and full of transients that will, given time and volume, cause a home stereo speaker to "over travel" - move it's voice coil further than it's suppose to. So, at low, low volumes you might be okay for a time, but the raw, untamed voltage produced by an instrument amplifier will kill a home stereo speaker pretty quickly. I'd look for an instrument cab with a tweeter/woofer setup. A speaker only cab would work fine but you'll miss some of the high end that a tweeter reproduces.

[larryp58]

In general' date=' yes, you should be able to do that at bedroom volumes. And I may be wrong here, but I do believe the voltage transients present in the output of an instrument amplifier can and will damage a home stereo style speaker. Instrument speakers are built of stiffer materials, particularly the cone surround, to dampen it's movement. Home stereo speakers don't move as much.......the music being played through them has been "tamed", so to speak, minimizing transient spikes. The output of an instrument amplifier is not tamed at all.....it's raw and full of transients that will, given time and volume, cause a home stereo speaker to "over travel" - move it's voice coil further than it's suppose to. So, at low, low volumes you might be okay for a time, but the raw, untamed voltage produced by an instrument amplifier will kill a home stereo speaker pretty quickly. I'd look for an instrument cab with a tweeter/woofer setup. A speaker only cab would work fine but you'll miss some of the high end that a tweeter reproduces.

 

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+1 on that answer!

[Taylor Player]

Any recommendations on who builds speaker cabs with woofers and tweeters?

[Buc McMaster]

Any recommendations on who builds speaker cabs with woofers and tweeters?

 

Try Bag End. Bag End Cabinets

[Taylor Player]

Try Bag End. Bag End Cabinets

 

 

 

Mmmm those look kinda nice.... but pricy.

 

I started thinking more after looking at their site. Is there any reason why passive (non-powered) PA speakers wouldn't work? I suppose I would need to find a pair with 1/4 jack input since that is what the output jacks are on the Genz Benz......? There seems to be a plethora of choices for those from Yamaha, Peavey and a host of others.