Low impedence speakers?

 

Daniel Benatar
Unregistered guest
What is the different from sound quality and other items between low impedence speakers 4ohm and 8 ohm? Why it is important to have low impedence speakers?

Thanks, Daniel
 

J. Vigne
Unregistered guest
Daniel - Have you read the discussion of impedance in the defintitions and descriptions section here? If not, please do so.
There is no sonic advantage to a four or eight Ohm speaker. The impedance of a speaker is determined by the components used to make the speaker and many raw drivers are manufactured as either a four or eight Ohm models to suit the needs of designers.
A four Ohm load will draw more current from an amplifier due to its lower resistance (impedance, check the D. and D. section for more) to the flow of electrical current. This is OK if the amp can deliver that current without going into a self destruct mode. Many cannot and should only be used with a nominal load (again check D. and D.) of eight Ohms or higher.
 

Daniel Benatar
Unregistered guest
Thanks J. Vigne. Yes, I have read the entire discussion of impedance, and understand the R=U/I and understand the concept of low impedance -> high current. But my question is why the manufacture will develop and build 4 ohms speakers? There must be something else with the Noise to Signal that affects the sound quality with lower and or higher impedance? I audited several speakers and finally bought the Snell with 4 ohms impedance (with the NAD T773 receiver). As my understanding from several dealers that the high end speakers are moving toward the low impedance. Is that true?

Thanks, Daniel
 

New member
Username: Jeff_morrell

Post Number: 1
Registered: Jul-04
I have the same question. I just bought the PSB Platinum series M2 right and left with the C2 for the front. The R,L,&C are all rated at 4 ohms with the rears that I have at 8 ohms. I own a Pioneer Elite 55-txi rated at 100w per channel at 8 ohms. I'm not sure if the speakers will fry the amp. Should I get a 5 channel amp that will handle the new speakers and use the Elite as a Pre? or can the Elite handle it?
 

J. Vigne
Unregistered guest
Daniel - As I said there is no sonic advantage to the impedance of the speaker. Some manufacturers may choose 4 Ohms since it will play slightly louder than an 8 Ohm load with the volume control set in the same position. This would make it show better in a store since even a small difference in volume will almost always lead you to pick the louder speakers as "better" sound.
The choice of impedance load is just that, a choice the designer makes based on the drivers and the X-over that will be used. The designer may think a particular type of X-over design is what they want to use and that will be a large part of the impedance of a speaker. (Look again on d and d to see more about X-overs.) There have always been a wide range of impedances in speakers and there is no trend I can detect that is indicating more 4 Ohm speakers than before. (I own a pair of Rogers' speakers that are 15 Ohms.)
If you like a speaker, and it was demonstrated fairly against the competition in the store then you should consider that speaker as a good choice. It will play slightly louder, probably (there are other factors than just being 4 Ohms to consider), than a comparable 8 Ohm speaker. But the difference is, at best, 3 dB and not that significant other than in demonstration purposes. If anything, most amps actually produce slightly more distortion product into a lower impedance load.

Jeff - First check your owner's manual for the impedance range that Pioneer suggests for your amp. The Elite gear is pretty well built and may do fine with your speakers. (Please also read the definitions and descriptions section I mentioned, the intention of that thread is to give more info than a short reply here can accomplish. If you have a question that will fit into its format please ask it there.)
If you bought the amp and the speakers at the same store give the salesperson a call and ask them. This really should be a question that is standard operating procedure for an audio salesperson before they suggset a product to a client.
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