Discussion
harrycovert said:
Been given some KEF cresta 30 speakers .Would they work as auxiliary speakers for a TV ?
On their own, no. With an amplifier and a suitable signal from the TV, yes. These are passive speakers, and that means they require a box called an amplifier to make the small signal from the TV into a much larger signal suitable for loudspeakers. For TV duties you need a decent signal from the telly (i.e Optical or HDMI ARC), possibly converted to analogue stereo if the amp doesn't have an optical or HDMI ARC input. You could also do with an amp that has remote control.
This is all easily possible with an AV receiver, but it's a fairly large box of electronics just for getting some better sound from a telly with some free speakers. Size-wise you're looking at two shoe boxes side-by-side with the long edges touching. Marantz makes an AV receiver that's half the hight - search 'Marantz NR' on eBay or Google. If buying used, you'll need to discard the ones without a remote and with no setup / calibration mic. The same goes for any AV receiver, though mics are available for £30-£50 as a spare part. (Need to buy the right one of the make and model of receiver)
Things are simpler with stereo amps. No mics to worry about, but you still need a remote and maybe some way to convert optical to analogue audio. This last part isn't difficult. There's a slew of optical to stereo audio convertors on eBay and Amazon for as little as £10 which would be totally suitable for TV use.
KEF speakers have a tonal character that doesn't over-egg the bass. Compared to say Monitor Audio (which is another brand I like), the KEFs sound leaner. The bass is there, just not quite as in-your-face because there's an absence of boominess. You could partner these with amps such as higher-end NAD and they would still sound fairly controlled.
There's a really nice Yamaha stereo amp on eBay right now with a Buy-It-Now of £60. This is an AX-396. eBay item 305511452568
If your TV has analogue outputs (red and white RCAs), then you can use those speakers with any amp with a volume control. I use a compact class D amplifier.
If your TV has no analogue outs, then the speakers cannot be connected. Having said that, you could use a headphone output into an amp with suitable 3.5mm input, or use an adapter cable, but it gets messy.
If your TV has no analogue outs, then the speakers cannot be connected. Having said that, you could use a headphone output into an amp with suitable 3.5mm input, or use an adapter cable, but it gets messy.
harrycovert said:
Thanks guys I have an old NAD 2030a Amp which I should be able to connect them to.
Yup; your 3020 amp will run them fine, as long as the amp runs fine (thats an old amp)!If that doesn't work then something like this will be spot on: https://www.amazon.co.uk/S-M-S-L-A50-Adjustable-mu...
Does your TV have RCA outs etc?
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