45 ohm intercom/music system but speakers are 8 ohm

 

New member
Username: Juniperscape

Post Number: 1
Registered: Jan-10
I am not electronically inclined, so forgive my ignorance. I purchased a DMC1 music/intercom system and was able to get those working throughout the house. The problem is the company sold me volume controls and speakers that are for 8 ohm, to hook to the DMC1 which is suppose to be for 45 ohm. The company hasnt offered a solution and Id hate to have to try to buy 45 ohm speakers which seem to be different sizes than the holes in my ceiling made for the wrong speakers.
Any ideas?
 

Platinum Member
Username: Jan_b_vigne

Dallas, TX

Post Number: 14300
Registered: May-04
.

The intercom amplifier sees as its load the combined volume control and speaker. Extremely high impedance speakers typically have a load transformer tied to their inputs for distribution across a system.

I have no idea what sort of volume controls you have, whether the speakers you are considering have such transformers nor do I know how the system is physically connected so I can't make any suggestions as to how to make a specific system operate from your very basic sketch. I don't even have a clue as to who "the company" is, sounds rather Big Brotherish and you may be sleeping with the fishies if you don't just accept their offer and move on.

However, I would say it is not brilliant to work in any way with a company that refuses to support their product even to the point of offering information about their product. What are you going to do should you need assistance with an actual repair problem in the future? Is this "the company" you will be forced to turn to for help?

I don't even know what system you are using, you haven't mentioned a name brand. Do you suspect we all know model numbers for intercoms by heart? Is this;

http://www.basshome.com/dmc1_music_intercom_system_782_ctg.htm

"the company" you are working with? They are a security based "company" so they might just find a way to make you less secure should you refuse their offer. On the other hand, they might not know anything about what they sell in the first place which would make you wonder just how secure you are with their products. They probably go through installers on a regular schedule of frustration with "the company". My guess is those installers are only instructed on which end of the screwdriver to hold and nothing more. It would seem though, if they sell and install the system, they should be able to get your system up and running. If their speakers don't fit your holes, then that is an entirely different problem and one that needs to be addressed with your contractor or whoever decided to cut holes before knowing what size hole to cut. Or did you buy the system based on some reason other than you had holes and they had speakers? Or, worse yet, they cut the holes not knowing which end of the speaker to put facing down? This is a rather complicated affair to which you have provided insufficient data for further consideration.




My advice would be to disconnect the intercom and package it up for return to an uncooperative "company" then find someone willing to do the job correctly and who might be around for future after the sale service. And don't do any further business with whoever cut the holes either.


.
 

New member
Username: Juniperscape

Post Number: 2
Registered: Jan-10
Thanks for the response. I think it would be way more of a hassle and more costly to rip up our sheetrock then to just buy different speakers.

It is an m & s dmc system. M & S has been great answering our questions etc. It is one of the dealers employees that sold us the 8 ohm speakers to go with the M & S system which requires 45 ohm speakers.

The volume controls are m & s svc96. The speakers are Boston Acoustic BA-DS1265.

At this point we have hooked up everything properly and are happy with the system, just not happy that their sales rep sold us the wrong speakers to go with the system. We learned this when we called m & s andue to the speakers having a fuzzy sound.

The dealer hasnt been the most cooperative since it has been a year since we bought the speakers. But unfortunatly it has taken us this long in construction to get them hooked up. I have heard that 45 ohm speakers are better, so I guess maybe it would be better if we just bite the butllet and buy new 45 ohm speakers and hopefuly we can find some to fit in the hole we cut for the wrong speakers. And hopefully I can sell the 10 speakes I dont need and never have used yet.
 

Platinum Member
Username: Jan_b_vigne

Dallas, TX

Post Number: 14301
Registered: May-04
.

I don't know why you'd have to rip up drywall to make the correct holes, that's what tape and spackle are for. Any good contractor should be able to solve this problem.

If M&S has been great answering your questions. maybe you should ask about another M&S dealer in the area with whom you could work.



So it's the dealer's employee who was at fault? But the dealer doesn't want to return anything after a year's time? Have you had the speakers in your possession for the entire year?

This appears to be a story with a lot of finger pointing.

If I were a dealer and you had the speakers in your possession for an entire year, then I'd be less inclined to give you full credit for the purchase no matter what the employee told you. (I can see scenarios of clearance items being purchased to save a few bucks despite not being used for a year.) Unless the salesperson introduced themself as the heir apparent to "the company" name "the company" should at least admit to hiring an idiot - not that that will get you anything, it happens all the time.

Otherwise, the salesperson might not be around after a year of providing such stellar information. If he/she is still there(and is not the owner's son/daughter who could lie through their teeth and get by with it), I assume you've acquired an admission they misinformed you regarding what would and would not work? If so, you might want to get that in writing for the lawyers. (I'm not taking sides but it is amazing what lawyer's letterhead can do when it comes to these sorts of problems. Heck! you might just get some letterhead from "the company's" lawyer in response, that's how some companies work.)

Did "the company" hold the speakers for the entire year and just recently deliver the product? Are the BA speakers still a current model? Is "the company" still a BA dealer? If these speakers could just go back into current inventory and weren't purchased under a "no return" condition, "the company" should be willing, I would think, to work with you provided you accept a small restocking fee which could be incorporated into some store credit. I find it difficult to think "the company" can afford to do business this way in this market climate though I suspect their remodel business has slowed considerably in the past year. Repack items are not difficult to resell for a company that does their own installs, the installer just carries the opened package in at the bottom of the stack. Of course, now, if you didn't have "the company" do your install, they might have some other reasons for not wanting to work with you all that much.


I'm guessing there's a few fingers pointing in another direction that I have yet to hear about.



As to the holes, without a lawyer I'm afraid you'll have to suck it up and pay for someone else's screw up. But, really, in the whole scheme of a remodel, the cost should be a small figure by comparison.


You have the system working but you haven't used the BA speakers? Or you have used some of the BA speakers? But you want 45 Ohm speakers?


Who told you 45 Ohm speakers are "better"? They aren't, they just apparently suit your intercom system "better". The "speaker" itself could actually be an 8 Ohm speaker (just like the BA) but with a transforner attached to raise the system impedance. You might want to ask M&S about buying transformers for the BA speakers to raise their system impedance to an acceptable level for your intercom. I mean, I don't know of any "45 Ohm speakers" that do not use a transformer to achieve that impedance and personally I'd feel kinda silly spending gobs of cash just to find out I'm still getting 8 Ohm speakers only the new ones have cheap transformers attached.


If you haven't yet done so, I would suggest you get back in touch with M&S and get their area rep involved in solving this issue. You probably won't get everything you want after having the speakers for a year's time, but the rep can act as an arbitter between the two parties and hopefully resolve the issue to everyone's more or less satisfaction.


.
« Previous Thread Next Thread »



Main Forums

Today's Posts

Forum Help

Follow Us