Customer Reviews

Bad owner's manual

I'd like to tell you about how this thing works but the owner's manual tells nothing. Hook it up and start pressing buttons.

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Russound SDB-2.1

Works just like described. Attaching wires weren't as bad as I read them to be. Thanks for including the screwdriver. Without that it would have made the job much harder. Also recommend no wire above a 12g size as recommended by Russound.

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Perfect Speaker Switcher

Needed a switcher to go between my vinyl setup and home theater, using one set of speakers with an Onkyo TX-NR656 and a Kenwood KA-3500. The SDB-2.1 handles everything like a champ, with just one push of a button to switch back and forth. Amazing piece of gear!!

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Russound SDB-2.1

Works as described. Has a good look to it. Happy with purchase. Crutchfield tech help was excellent with questions prior to purchase. One thing I do not like - the volume controls are "stepped" not "gradual" and the controls are off a few degrees. So when both volume control knobs are at same volume they appear to be set differently Not a big thing but something you notice when you look at it.

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Russound SDB-2.1

does what it is suposed to do. doesn't impact the sound quality. outstanding customer service.

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Russound SDB-2.1

I agree with the other comments re the laborious connectors on the SDB2.1. For the price, banana plugs are expected. If there had been another switch with the power rating of this switch, I would purchased that. The stickers peel away from the sheet without the adhesive, so they are worthless. The manual with its "Impedance Matching" tables are very difficult to decipher. I suspected they were not applicable to my situation and a call to Crutchfield's tech advisor confirmed that. Thanks to them I could ignore the manual.

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Russound SDB-2.1

Does exactly what I wanted but I think it's to big, bulky and expensive. But glad it works

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Good stuff

Does exactly what it's supposed to do. Nothing more, nothing less. Beware the euro block connectors it comes with. I thought two of them were broken. I had to press down hard with my flathead screwdriver in order for it to engage and compress against the wire.

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Russound SDB-2.1

I really like the functionality of the Russound. The separate volume levels are really nice when using different size speakers. This unit solidly built. It is a quality unit. The main drawback is the speaker and amp connections. They should have used spring connectors that you could push down a tab to make the connections. The connections to the amp are a real pain. I had to make connector wires with banana plugs on one end and bare wire on the other. It definitely took much longer to hook up this unit than I anticipated.

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Needs better connectors

It works. I just wish it had better connectors on the back. Reminds me of the 1970s.

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Great way to listen in multiple rooms

This is a very flexible speaker switch - we use it just for living room / kitchen switching, listening to the same music in each though I think it can handle multiple input & output zones. I particularly like that it is easy to turn the volume in the kitchen from food prep level to eating level. I really don't think we have even scratched the surface of what this switch can do.

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TDK

Easy to install and works great!

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Works as advertised

Unit does exactly what i wanted it to do. Works great. solid feel to all the knobs and switches.

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So far...so good

Seems good. Haven't had it long enough to really say. Seems well made. Easy to hook up. Labels that come with it suck...they don't stick.

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Russound SDB-2.1

Selector buttons couldn't be cheaper. Stuck on the first try. Can't believe there is not someone checking this before it leave the factory. Rest of it works well but if you buy a speaker selector and you can't select the speakers!?

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Crutchfield response on 2/17/2021

We're sorry you're having issues with your speaker selector. Whenever you encounter a problem with anything you purchase from Crutchfield, please contact our Customer Support team at 1-800-955-9091. Purchases from Crutchfield can be returned or exchanged within 60 days of the purchase.

Works Fine

Does what it is supposed to do. First thing I needed to do was glue a metal knob cover to the plastic insert because it wasn't tight and slipped. Set up is simple. Doesn't seem to color the sound.

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Speaker Controller

The speaker control works well and shows quality construction!

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Excellent Speaker Switcher :)

First of all, it's an Amazing little Speaker Selector ... It does Everything that I need it to do, and it's Nice Looking, and the Price was Right But, I Only give It 4 stars because mine arrived with a 'bad' push-button switch (it works, but sticks a lot), which I didn't discover until after getting It All Hooked-Up . I thought about returning It for exchange but that's not easy with my schedule, And I didn't want to have to put my Eyes or my Hands through dealing with those bare wire connectors again ! ... it requires the use of a Screwdriver (which They Graciously include) to secure the Cables ! I am NOT UnHappy with This Unit At All ! ... in fact, even with Its Shortcomings, I love It ! I'm sure You'll love Yours too !

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Used with OnkyoRZ720, DefTechBP9040, KlipschKG4.2

Using with Onkyo TX-RZ720 receiver in mainly stereo mode with set of DefTech BP9040's in one room and 25+yo Klipsch KG 4.2's in another room. Can attenuate volume perfectly! Lack of banana plugs is minor annoyance, there's value in disconnect/reconnect without polarity concerns when dealing with multiple wire sets. If you're familiar with Onkyo receivers you know the limitations of multi-zone and control complexity. So, playing the same digital source (like Pandora, Apple Music) via AppleTV in multiple places with other existing AirPlay2 equipment, as well as these two sets of speakers, and all controlled from my iPhone was the goal. The Russound SDB 2.1 did the trick for relatively little $. Build is solid, functions as stated, sound is great! Out of the box, the #2 on/off switch was not smooth and would stick in the on position. That was corrected by removing the cover and spraying tiny bit of lithium grease on the slider/contact - now works perfectly. An odd thing, the sheet of labels it comes with. There's a name for everything and seems great until you try to peel them off. First they tear easily because attached to what seems like a giant sheet of masking tape, when you do get them off, there is no adhesive on the back - have to attach double-sided tape and cut to size. There are several blanks, so recommend some practice before ruining the one you want. If half stars, would be 4.5, but sound & function matter most; those are awesome!

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Disappointed

The product does not work as advertised. I have called Customer service twice to walk through the correct hook up always with the same results, poor sounds coming out of A &B speaker selections. I am returning the item this week. Disappointed

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Good gear

Works as advertised. Agree with another's comment that it would be a plus if this took banana plugs. But the connectors work well, especially compared to another, cheaper brand I got from elsewhere, and had to return because there was no way to use 14 gauge wire with it without risk of shorting. Also, the branding on this is refined. As for the fidelity, there's no compromise from the amplifier's output.

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Great sound quality

The Russound SDB 2-1 was the perfect solution for my house. I had a Sonos amp that can only connect one pair is speakers. The SDB 2-1 allowed me to add a second pair of speakers without any loss of quality. The SDB 1-2 is saved me from having to purchase another Sonos amp, while maintaining sound quality.

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Works perfectly!

I have a Bose 4 speaker amp. I needed to be able to to control the speakers I have in front of the house separately than the speakers in the rear of the house. I was able to find a response from a Bose Tech stating that this item would work just fine. Installation was simple, and it does exactly what I purchased it for.

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Russound SDB-2.1

Works as described and easy to install

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Russound SDB-2.1

Great after see my sons I had to get one, works great.

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Works

Has been working for 3 months without any problems. My ear can't hear any difference using NAD 2200 AMP/1240 PreAmp to B&W speakers. Nice construction, except the connection blocks are a little difficult to use, but seem to get the job done.

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Russound SDB-2.1

This product works just as described. I am able to switch between both receivers and both sets of speakers in the same room.

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Se ve bien

Buen producto, construcción sólida. Good product, solid construction.

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Crutchfield response on 2/28/2017

Translation provided by Crutchfield's International Sales & Support team.

Russound SDB-2.1

works great!! highly recommend if you need this application.

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Great Service-Great Product

Great product and as always great service had a problem after install and it was very easy to get someone on the phone. Product worked as adelveritsee and was a great value.

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clean sound

This product works very well. It was not clear in the instructions how to set up the units impedance, but a call to Crutchfield support cleared it up. Sound quality is excellent and it gives me the volume control I was looking for.

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very nice item

This is a very sturdy piece of equipment with an all-metal housing that would fit in well with any higher end components. The modular connectors accept multiple wire gauges and make diagnosing any wiring issues a snap. I would have preferred soft-touch infinitely adjustable volume knobs rather than the stepped detents, but that's a minor issue easily compensated for by fine-tuning the master amp volume. I'm using it for living room speakers and deck speakers, where the impedance and speaker wire gauges are different and it works great.

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Gets the job done.

Overall, it was a great product to synchronize the built-in speakers between our kitchen and outdoor speakers on our patio. Gives us seamless music at parties. I will agree with a previous review that the stepped volume is a bit odd. It's the only reason I gave it 4 stars. Also, very reasonable price considering your other options.

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