hi everyone im new to this forum and by what ive read u lot certainly know what your all talking about. i havent really got a good setup but i want to add 2 mid range speakers that are 8 ohm to my stereo sub output that is supplying a 160 watt subwoofer, wud this be possible i have them hooked up now but they arent in an enclosure the bass they produce is pretty decent and is very clear, although im wondering wether keeping them connected would damage my system? thanks in advance
As long as they're connected to a separate amplifier that's designed to be a subwoofer amp it won't hurt anything. Two eight ohm nominal drivers connected in parallel will sum to 4 ohms nominal. This shouldn't be a problem for most sub amps. If they're wired in series they will sum to 16 ohms which is definitely not a problem for the amp. Not an optimal setup but I'm sure you're aware of that.
yer, im only doin it cas the sub i have at the minute is too thudy and since i have it upstairs and it just vibrates the floor and any walls it is near, so im going to build a box for them with some air ports and they should look and sound pretty good, alos i might connect a smaller sub in series or parralel so that i have a tiny bit more bass. thanks for your help.
so whats better 8 ohm or 16 ohm would it make much difference? i mean isnt that sumthing to do with resistance, so 8 ohm would be better as there is less resistance?
Technically, it's impedance. Resistance indicates a static value. When talking about an audio signal (which is AC) the value is not static and changes with frequency. That is why the drivers are 8 ohm nominal or average. The actual value can range from as low as 3 ohms to as high as 40 depending on the frequency and that is relative to the design of the driver. Which is best? That depends on all the components and how they work together. In general, amplifiers like a higher impedance which requires less current from the power supply. When it comes to subwoofers concessions are made, usually in regards to distortion, so that the maximum amount of power is available for the large dynamic changes that occur with low frequency reproduction. Subwoofer amplifiers are typically Class AB or Class D circuits with large power supplies that are capable of handling huge impedance changes, some dipping as low as 1 ohm! Assuming you have a typical subwoofer amplifier it should have no trouble handling a 4 ohm nominal load.
Why are you using midrange drivers if you need a better sounding subwoofer? "Midrange" implies the driver isn't capable of going low enough in its frequency response to actually operate where the subwoofer outputs are useful. What drivers are you using and what is the rest of the system?
i have a low budget as in zilch,lol, i have no money at the minute and i need sum decent 'ish' bass on my system without it blowin me away so i thought i wud use 2 mid range speakers from my old schnieder system and they seem ok.