[Theater_Yeti]

Some dual tweeter speakers are capable of producing left and right channel sound from a single speaker. Since these types of speakers have two sets of left and right terminals, why couldn't I connect one set of terminals to my whole house music amp and the second set of terminals to an AVR rear surround for a 5.1 theater. As long as the whole house music amp is not on at the same time as the theater AVR, the speaker should produce sound from the active source. What am I not understanding...? What would happen if both sources were active?

 

[Da Wiz]

I'm not sure what you are talking about. Dipole surround speakers have 2 tweeters and 2 woofers. But there are not 2 sets of binding posts. Their purpose is to NOT radiate a lot of sound straight forward from the speaker. They are intended for locations where someone in the "audience" is too close to a surround speaker so they get overpowering sound from that surround channel (if a conventional speaker is used). When a dipole surround is used, the sound radiates forward and backward, but not so much straight forward from the speaker. That keeps the person closest to that surround speaker from being overwhelmed by that speaker being so much louder than all the other channels. There are no speakers I'm aware of that have 2 tweeters that are intended to have both left and right stereo sound connected to a single speaker.

 

[Theater_Yeti]

I'm not sure what you are talking about. Dipole surround speakers have 2 tweeters and 2 woofers. But there are not 2 sets of binding posts. Their purpose is to NOT radiate a lot of sound straight forward from the speaker. They are intended for locations where someone in the "audience" is too close to a surround speaker so they get overpowering sound from that surround channel (if a conventional speaker is used). When a dipole surround is used, the sound radiates forward and backward, but not so much straight forward from the speaker. That keeps the person closest to that surround speaker from being overwhelmed by that speaker being so much louder than all the other channels. There are no speakers I'm aware of that have 2 tweeters that are intended to have both left and right stereo sound connected to a single speaker.

Have been an owner of Magnepan 3.5s (dipoles) for 25 years, the dual tweeter configuration I'm discussing is not a dipole. This is for a "single STEREO speaker" you'll notice it has 2 sets of input terminals; l + R. these are typically used for background audio applications. It allows you to take a full stereo signal, L+R, each tweeter takes is respective 1/2 the full stereo signal, and they share the woofer.

Often referred to as a "Dual Voice Coil" speaker. Allows you to use just one speaker and still get all the sound from a stereo output. Just about all speaker manufacturers make these type speakers. See attached photo from Outdoor Speaker Depot.