Home Audio

[BrianG]

Define "cheap".

A Y splitter works fine if both sets of speakers are amplified (some cheap PC speakers are not amplified).

I've done something like this in the past. Like you said, use a Y splitter out of the sound card. One side of the Y goes to a small set of amplified (~5w) PC speakers for general purpose use. The other Y goes to any line-level input of a typical home receiver, and then to any typical home speakers.

A multimeter will only measure DC resistance, while speakers are measured and rated as AC resistance, otherwise known as "impedance". Usually, a meter will show an ohm or so lower than the rated speaker impedance. So, for an 8 ohm speaker, expect a reading somewhere between 6 and 8 ohms. For a 4 ohm rated speaker, expect 3 to 4 ohms. This is normal.