Mixing Dahlquist DQ-20's and NHT 1A surround speakers

Two questions:
1) Any problem with mixing Dahlquist 20's (old but sweet) with NHT 1A's as center and 2 surround speakers?
2) Is an Onkyo HT-RC160 receiver enough to power these speakers?

The Dahlquist's are connected through an M&K 2B powered subwoofer.

Thanks in advance for your response.

Dave

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Hi

Mixing speakers as part of a surround sound system is generally fine. The thing to consider is how different the speakers sound to each other.

It is certainly best to have the front left/right pair as the same - and you can often get away with pretty much anything for the surrounds. The only issue you may find is having different make speakers as the center and front left/right.

You may find some movies sound odd if the audio is panned across the soundstage from left to right. This is where you may notice a difference between the speakers. However, many issues can often be fixed by tweaking the volume and equalisation for each speaker (if your amplifier allows this).

It's hard to find the specifications of the older speakers. But from what I found I think the Onkyo receiver will power the speakers ok. It has a power output of around 80 watts per channel, which should be fine for both sets of speakers. It also supports an impedance from 6-16 ohms. From what I found I think the NHT's are 8 ohm and the Dahlquist's are 6 ohm. So set the receiver to 6 ohm.

All the best.

Paul (Site Editor)

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