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Speaker Selector Switch Summary

Speaker selector switches are the most common item bought from Amazon through this website (with over 1000 units sold). Therefore I thought it is high time to look a little deeper at the different speaker selectors and the features available. I also present a table (or 3)  outlining the models, features, price and popularity of what readers have bought.

The main reason speaker selectors are used is to distribute sound to multiple speakers while protecting the amplifier from too much load (due to too many speakers).

Please note, speaker selector switches are designed for multi-room installs in a home or small low power installs (like an office or cafe). They are generally suited for low power (under 100 watts) amplifiers. They should be not be considered in a commercial install or for use with high output power amplifiers.

For a more detailed explanation of the issues regarding speaker load and impedance, see my article on connecting multiple speakers to your HiFi. For an explanation on using the various type of speaker selectors and how to wire them, see my article on wiring 4 speakers.

For a good overview on speaker impedance and how speaker selector switches help overcome the issues, watch the video (particularly the 2nd half) in Understanding Speaker Impedance.

Protecting the Amplifier with a Speaker Selector

There are two main technologies employed by a speaker selector to protect the amplifier from overloading due to a low load impedance:

  1. Series Resistor: this is used on lower cost speaker selector switches. It normally means there is a resistor (4-6 ohms) wired in series with the speakers. This gives the total circuit a minimum resistance which will protect the amplifier. However, this resistor gets hot at higher volume levels. That is why most speaker selectors using a series resistor for impedance “matching” have air vents in the chassis. Obviously there is some energy lost in these resistors as they produce the heat. Most speaker selector switches employing a series resistor have a “protection” or “impedance protection” switch. This switches the series resistor in and out of the circuit.speaker switch protection switch When you are using more than one set of speakers at the same time, the “protection” switch should be activated. When only one set of speakers are being used, or you are using impedance matching volume controls, the series resistor can be switched out to allow “direct connection” with no losses.
  2. Impedance Matching Transformer: this is used on higher power and higher cost speaker selector switches. An impedance matching transformer inside the speaker selector multiples the impedance of each speaker which effectively keeps the total impedance around the same as any of the individual speakers (providing the speakers are the same impedance as each other).  For example: a 4 zone speaker selector with an impedance matching transformer would multiple each of the 8 ohm speakers by four (making them appear as 32 ohms), and 4 lots of 32 ohm speakers in parallel makes a total impedance of 8 ohms. As one of the speaker selector promo says, they “maintain a safe operating load at the amplifier while distributing maximum power throughout your system“. There normally is not by-pass switch on a speaker selector with impedance matching transformers.

A few speaker selector switches connect the speakers in various series and parallel combinations to limit the overall impedance. These should only be used with 8 ohm speakers.

Some very budget speaker selector switches have no impedance protection what-so-ever. They are just a switch turning each speaker on or off. These are not recommended.

For a better understanding of how the different types of speaker selector switches work, see my Speaker Selector Switch Simulators. These show how each type helps with impedance, as well as how they distribute power to each speaker.

The Ins and Outs of a Speaker Selector

6-channel-speaker-switch

A speaker selector is normally known by how many pairs (left and right) of speakers can be connected to it. Each pair of speakers is normally in a different room, or zone.  Hence, a speaker selector might be a 4 zone, or a 6 zone speaker switch. Sometimes they are also referred to as 4 way or 6 way. This means they are capable of connecting 4 pairs or 6 pairs of speakers respectively. Be aware some manufacturers also confusingly use the word “channels” for the number of output pairs their speaker switch can connect to.

Some speaker selector switches connect to one stereo amplifier, allowing the speaker selector to connect the one amplifier to each speaker connected to it. This allows the same program (music etc) to be heard in every zone or room.

Other speaker selectors allow two different amplifiers to be connected to them. Then for each zone, you can select amplifier A or amplifier B. These speaker switches are marketed as having A/B inputs. Using two amplifiers with different programs allows each zone to select between the two programs available.

Other Features

Other features often promoted for a speaker selector are:

Volume Controls: These allow the volume of each zone to be separately controlled at the unit.

Power Handling: This states the maximum power (RMS) per channel of the amplifier that should be used with the selector.

Labels: Some manufactures supply pre-printed labels that make your installation look professional.

Speaker Selector Types

There are 4 basic types of speaker selector switches sold by Amazon through this website:

  • Simple Speaker Selector Switches: these simply switch between 2 or more sets of speakers (60% of units sold)
  • Speaker Selector Switch with volume control: As well as switching between 2 or more zones, they have separate volume control for each zone (20% of units sold)
  • Speaker Selector Switch with A/B amplifier input selection (0.5% of units sold).
  • Speaker Selector Switch with volume controls and A/B selection (20% of units sold).

How Many Zones?

Speaker selector switches are also categorized by how many zones (or channels of speakers) they can switch. Readers of this website who have purchased speaker selectors from Amazon have mostly bought 4 zone selectors, but other configurations are also useful:

  • 2 way selectors are useful when the speakers are only 4 ohms, as two sets of 4 ohm speakers is too much load for most amplifiers (13% of units sold).
  • 4 way selectors are the most popular. These can be used for 2, 3 or 4 zones (66% of units sold).
  • 5 way, 6 way, 8 way or 10 way speaker selector switches can be used to wire many speakers. With this many speakers, impedance protection is very important (21% of units sold).

The following tables list the speaker selector switches bought from Amazon through this website. I’ve added as much helpful information as possible including:

  • the supplier/seller
  • the model number and/or description of the product
  • the maximum RMS power (watts) the unit can handle from each channel of the amplifier(s) connected to the selector switch.
  • the average price of each product bought from Amazon
  • the percentage of sales of each item in its class (2, 4 or 5+ zones) through this website
  • a description of the impedance protection method used, warnings and features
  • a link to download the manual, if I’ve been able to locate one
  • a link to each item on Amazon – click on each picture to go to that item on Amazon for further information. If your locality Amazon store doesn’t stock the exact item, the link will take you to a list of similar items which they do stock. Disclosure: If you buy through the Amazon links Geoff receives a small commission from each sale.

If you don’t see the link pictures, please turn off any add blocker you may have installed on your browser

Summary of 2 way Speaker Selector Purchases

ItemWatts
per Ch.
Avg.
Price
% SoldCommentsImage
(click to view
at Amazon)
Monoprice 108231
2 channel A/B speaker
selector with volume
50$62.6631%Uses Impedance matching
volume controls
Monoprice Speaker Selector Manual (with volume)
Niles SSVC-2
speaker selector with
volume
100$117.0023%Uses Impedance matching
transformer
Niles SSVC Manual
OSD SSVC2
2 zone A/B with
volume
50$88.604%Uses Impedance matching
volume controls
OSD SSVC Manual
YIS
2 pair speaker
selector switch
50$28.9531%No information on
impedance protection
Keen-Eye
A/b a B A+b
Stereo speaker
switcher combiner
10$17.508%No information on
impedance protection
Disclosure: If you buy through the Amazon links Geoff receives a small commission from each sale.

Summary of 4 way Speaker Selector Purchases

ItemWatts
per Ch.
Avg.
Price
% SoldCommentsImage
(click to view
at Amazon)
Simple Speaker
Selector Switches
Monoprice 109995
4 channel Speaker
selector
70$26.8827%Uses 5 ohm Series Resistor
Monoprice 9995 Manual
Pyle PSS4
4 Channel Switch
100$30.5315%Uses Series Resistor
Pyle PSS Manual
Part Express SS4
4 zone Switch
70$36.6510%Uses 5 ohm Series Resistor
Parts Express SS4, SS6, SS8 Manual
Radio Shack
Four Way Switch
50$14.365%Uses series – parallel switching
Not recommended to use with
4 ohm speakers
Radio Shack Speaker Selector Manual
Niles SS-4
Speaker selector
100$69.963%Uses 2.5 ohm Series Resistor
72 Labels supplied
Niles SS speaker selector Manual
OSD ISS4
4 Zone Speaker
selector
70$48.772%Uses Series Resistor
OSD ISS Speaker Selector Manual
Wired Home SS4
Speaker Selector
70$29.902%Uses 5 Ohm Series Resistor
Wired Home SS speaker selector Manual
Niles HPS-4
High Power
Speaker selector
250$140.951%Uses 2.5 ohm resistor
72 Labels supplied
Niles High Power selector Manual
Sima SSW4
4 Speaker Selector
100$38.941%Uses 3 ohm series resistor
Labels supplied
Sima SSW Speaker Selector Manual
Monster Cable
SS4
Multi-Speaker
selector
150$99.991%Uses series resistor
Monstor Cable Mulit-Speaker Selector Manual
Speaker Selector
Switches with
Volume Controls
Pyle PSPVC4
4 Zone with
volume control
100$115.9913%Uses Impedance matching
transformer, for use
with 8 Ohm speakers
Pyle PSPVC Speaker Selector Manual
Niles SSVC-4
4 Channel with
volume control
100204.357%Uses Impedance Matching
Transformer
Includes 72 labels
Niles SSVC Manual
Speaker Selector
Switches with A/B
Inputs and
Volume Controls
Monoprice 108232
4 Channel A/B
with Volume
100$83.078%No information on
impedance protection
Includes labels
Specialty AV
600 watt 4 Zone
A/B with Volume
200$169.954%Uses high power rating
impedance matching
transformer
Disclosure: If you buy through the Amazon links Geoff receives a small commission from each sale.

Summary of 5+ way Speaker Selector Purchases

ItemWatts
per Ch.
Avg.
Price
% SoldCommentsImage
(click to view
at Amazon)
Simple Speaker
Selector Switches
Pyle PSS6
6 Channel Switch
100$39.2927%Uses Series Resistor
Pyle PSS Manual
Pyle PSS8
8 Channel Switch
100$47.7016%Uses Series Resistor
Pyle PSS8 Speaker Selector Manual
Dayton Audio SS6
Speaker Switch
70$47.722%Uses 5 ohm Series ResistorCurrently not available
Sima SSW-6
6 zone selector
50$41242%Uses Series Resistor.
Includes lables
Sima SSW Speaker Selector Manual
Speaker Selector
Switches with
Volume Controls
Niles SSVC-6
6 Channel with Volume
100$239.0016%Uses Impedance Matching
Transformer.
Includes 72 labels
Niles SSVC Manual
Theater Solutions
TS6DV
6 Zone with
volume control
300$120.992%Has 2 inputs but only able to
select one input at a time.
No individual input switch
for each zone.
Speaker Selector
Switches with A/B
inputs and
Volume Controls
Specialty AV
2 x 5 Zone
with A/B & Volume
100$209.959%Uses high power impedance
matching transformer
Monoprice
108230
Speaker Switch
100$37.589%Uses Series Resistor
Specialty AV
2 x 6 Zone
with A/B & Volume
300$159.955%Uses heavy duty impedance
matching transformer
Pyle PSPVC6
6 Channel Speaker
Selector
50$153.995%No Information on
impedance protection
Pyle PSPVC Speaker Selector Manual
Specialty AV
10 Zone/pair
with A/B & volume
500$259.952%Uses heavy duty impedance
matching transformer
Theater Solutions
TS6DV
Dual Source selector
300$122.722%No Information on
impedance protection
Labels Included
Disclosure: If you buy through the Amazon links Geoff receives a small commission from each sale.

Use the above summary information as a guide only. There are also many other models of speaker selector switches available. Additionally, Geoff has written a review of the Audioflow series of switches which are controllable through your smartphone or Alexa.

If you have an install you need further advice on, please read the FAQs before submitting your question. Alternatively, you may find a similar install in the comments below.

Further reading

Please Note: Due to other commitments I'm currently unable to spare the time required to answer further questions in the way I'd like. Hopefully this is a temporary situation. I'm sorry for this inconvenience.
Geoff

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