Stereo/electronics/speaker question

[RIJIMMY]

Any electronics gurus out there?
A few years ago, I wired my house with speakers in a bunch of rooms. the source was a recevier I had since high school.I bought a switch box which allows me to select which room I want to turn the speakers on.
Now, my wife picked up a Bose Home entertainment center which will replace my receiver. The outputs for additional speakers are through rca cable connections, the inputs to my switch box are for naked wires.
WHat can I do, can I just cut an rca cable on one end and use those wires as inputs to my switch box and the rca end into the Bose? I would try it but I'm not sure if it would short out the Bose.
Any help is greatly appreciated!

[capecodder]

I don't know the Bose system you're describing but I would be careful. To me, the RCA outputs imply that they do not have the ability to drive speakers (amplifier) but that the output is to a powered system, an amplifier or Bose powered speakers.

Any receiver with an integrated amplifier (that I have seen) has speaker outputs (wire/banana style plugs) to drive speakers and that is what the power rating of the receiver specifies (ie 100W into 8ohms). Thus in your old system, the receiver is driving the speakers directly through its integrated amplifier.

I believe that Bose sells "Powered" speaker systems (along with standard) where the amplifier to drive to the speakers is contained in the sub woofer and all the other the speakers are driven from there. Thus all that is required from the receiver is the signal output without the power capacity of an amplifier. If this is the case, hooking your speakers to that ouput will blow the circuit from the receiver as it will be unable to drive the low impedance of the speakers.

[Jonny5-22796]

If it was any other system, I would say just convert the terminals with gold plugs from radio shack. However, since it is Bose, I would say that the output quality will not be that of what you have now, unless you use a Bose setup (kind of like PC & mac ~ bose is mac...). You dont really have to worry about damaging either system, so I would say give it a try, but keep the receipt to the bose system,and maybe pickup a Denon, Pioneer, or if you really want low price audio quality, Marantz. This would be a direct replacement to your older system, more than likely.

[UserRemoved1]

I'd have to agree with Capecodder, if it's got rca outputs then it usually means low level outputs which will not directly drive a speaker. Bose has a tech line I'd pick up the fone and call, don't hook directly without checking...could blow the amplifier. If it's a home entertainment system then it must have outputs for surround etc? Some have a/b speaker switches built in also. Look at the schematic in the book and see what they show plugging into those jacks...

[missing link]

if ya got RCA's to one end an the other is wired just cut one end off the RCA and hook the wired end to the whatyamacallit & the other to the INPUT
did I understand the Question? or should I go to bed
LINK
I have the earlier BOSE speakers and did it ,still working after 10 yrs

[RIJIMMY]

Thanks for all the advice, I returned the BOse and got a pioneer surr. sound receiver that has way more balls. Saved a ton of $ and got a better package. Need to figure out a good speaker set up so I'm still working on it

[capecodder]

Jimmy,
If your looking at speakers, it may make sense to check out the Polk Surround bar. It comes close to surround sound without all the speakers, just one. It runs about $800 but no need for wires and speakers all over the room. Not a good solution if you can run the wires and place the speakers. Maybe worth a look.