Speaker Impedance Question

[RWL]

I recall this was kicked around in the group a couple of menths ago,
but I have a variation on the topic.

My son got a used stereo amplifier and had some 6 Ohm speakers. The
stereo's sticker says to use 8 Ohm speakers.

I understand the basic priciple that the 6 Ohm speakers will draw more
current, but will that 2 Ohm difference be of significance?

If we put a 2 Ohm resister in series with each speaker, would that
solve the problem? What wattage resistor?

Thanks

RWL


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[Bob]

I recall this was kicked around in the group a couple of menths ago,
but I have a variation on the topic.

My son got a used stereo amplifier and had some 6 Ohm speakers. The
stereo's sticker says to use 8 Ohm speakers.

I understand the basic priciple that the 6 Ohm speakers will draw more
current, but will that 2 Ohm difference be of significance?

If we put a 2 Ohm resister in series with each speaker, would that
solve the problem? What wattage resistor?

Thanks

RWL


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I think the stereo will do fine into the 6ohm speakers. Its amplifier might
run a little warmer (for the same output power) but I can't imagine it would
be enough to hurt it.

Don't put a 2ohm resistor in series with the speaker(s). The speaker sounds
best when its voltage is controlled by the amplifier. With the resistor in
place, the voltage across the speaker is now, to a much greater extent, at
the mercy of the speaker's change in impedance (vs. frequency). The most
noticeable effect will be in the bass end. The resonance of the speaker
cabinet will be exaggerated, and the transient response (at the low end)
will suffer.

Bob

 

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I recall this was kicked around in the group a couple of menths ago,
but I have a variation on the topic.

My son got a used stereo amplifier and had some 6 Ohm speakers. The
stereo's sticker says to use 8 Ohm speakers.

I understand the basic priciple that the 6 Ohm speakers will draw more
current, but will that 2 Ohm difference be of significance?

If we put a 2 Ohm resister in series with each speaker, would that
solve the problem? What wattage resistor?

Thanks

RWL

With the lower resistance speakers, the current will be higher at the
same voltages and the power output will be more. This means that you
will simply use lower volume settings with the 6 ohm speakers than the
8 ohm for the same loudness.

The output will clip and the sound will be distorted at lower volume
settings (when the output current limit cuts-in) with the 6 ohm
speakers.

The only difference will be that the volume control's range will be
reduced.

Cheers
Robin

 

[RWL]

Thanks Robin and Bob

I was a litle concerned because a couple of years ago, he and his
friends were reconnecting their amps and speakers after playing
somewhere, and the bass amp's speakers somehow got connected so that
they were drawing more current and it completely ruined the bass
amplifier. I didn't want to have that occur.

RWL


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