Can you attach two speaker systems together to make them louder?

[SantiagoManager]

Can you attach two speaker systems together to make them louder?

[SantiagoPablo · Accepted solution]

Generally no. But are you talking about computer gear or normal home theater or music gear?

Here is the concepts: speakers are MOTORS. You use an amplifier to convert audio information to signals powerful enough to drive speakers.

If you just add more speakers, you have added more motors to the same power so all the speakers REDUCE in volume.

This is for normal home gear.

Computer speakers are a bit different. Each set of speakers come with their own tiny amplifier built in. You can "split" the signal to feed multiple self-powered computer speakers to increase the volume. I am not promising it will sound good but it will work.

[SantiagoPablo]

Depends, if you put them in series, you double the OHMs which will reduce the output of the stereo amplifier for a given volume. If you put them in parallel it increases the output of the stereo somewhat but spreading sound across 2 speakers has some inherent efficiency losses so it will probably be about the same volume.
Speakers in parallel may overdrive your amplifier unless it is rated for the reisistance level. Home speakers are usually rated at 8 Ohms, and auto speakers at 4 Ohms. Putting speakers in parallel with the same Ohm rating drops to 1/2, so two 8 Ohm speakers will look like 4 Ohms to the amplifier.
quality car amps can take 2 Ohms, but it really heats them up.
Look at the specs of your hardware carefully, and get a meter to test your Ohms.