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#8040 - 02/27/04 10:45 AM 4ohm vs 8ohm
MurphyMan Offline
Gunslinger

Registered: 01/20/04
Posts: 33
Loc: tampa
My memory is shot- lucky I find my way home everyday.
But- my newest (noobie) ? is:Why should I care if my speakers are 4 or 8ohm?
I have the 950/770 -alas not hooked up yet.
And in line for the M&K 150's for 7.1
Answer has to be 15 words or less- my mind(whats left) tends to wander.
As an aside: I am building a dedicated HT in a new house and am overwhelmed at all the info I'm amassing in regards to equipment.

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#8041 - 02/27/04 10:53 AM Re: 4ohm vs 8ohm
gonk Offline
Desperado

Registered: 03/21/01
Posts: 14054
Loc: Memphis, TN USA
15 words or less: with the 770, you really don't.

With an amp like the 770, the only reason that you really care is that the power output at 4 ohm is a bit greater (which might make a difference if you had really low efficiency 4 ohm speakers and needed the 300 watts produced by the 770 with a 4 ohm load). With many receivers, however, the built-in amplification may not be able to support a 4 ohm or lower load. Dedicated power amps generally are more robust designs that can handle it.

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gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | 950 Review
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#8042 - 02/27/04 01:52 PM Re: 4ohm vs 8ohm
MurphyMan Offline
Gunslinger

Registered: 01/20/04
Posts: 33
Loc: tampa
Thanks gonk- but to be more precise- I was wondering what the diff. is between having 4 or 8ohm speakers, not so much power consumption.Also- why produce 4ohm speakers- more efficient???
Do they draw more power to run???
anyone,anyone(Ferris Buehler)

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#8043 - 02/27/04 02:01 PM Re: 4ohm vs 8ohm
Alejate Offline
Gunslinger

Registered: 05/10/03
Posts: 181
Loc: Albany, NY
15 words or less? The guts inside the 4ohm speakers offer more resistance than the 8ohm speakers. Nothing to do with quality, just electrical resistance. (I went over 15 words).

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#8044 - 02/28/04 12:11 AM Re: 4ohm vs 8ohm
soundhound Offline
Desperado

Registered: 04/10/02
Posts: 1857
Loc: Gusev Crater, Mars
Quote:
Originally posted by Alejate:
The guts inside the 4ohm speakers offer more resistance than the 8ohm speakers.


4 ohms is less resistance than 8 ohms, not more. It is a harder load to drive however, and draws more current from a constant voltage source.

The impedance of a speaker is a design consideration that doesn't really have much to do with the way it sounds.

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#8045 - 02/28/04 12:52 AM Re: 4ohm vs 8ohm
Alejate Offline
Gunslinger

Registered: 05/10/03
Posts: 181
Loc: Albany, NY
Hey, I was in a hurry to get to work and was under pressure to get it said in 15 words or less. It is true, E=IR; so 4 ohms is less than 8. I hate it when I screw up like this. However, it still stands true that the ohms rating by a speaker manufacturer has nothing to do with its sound quality.

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#8046 - 02/28/04 11:47 AM Re: 4ohm vs 8ohm
soundhound Offline
Desperado

Registered: 04/10/02
Posts: 1857
Loc: Gusev Crater, Mars
Quote:
Originally posted by Alejate:
Hey, I was in a hurry to get to work and was under pressure to get it said in 15 words or less. It is true, E=IR; so 4 ohms is less than 8. I hate it when I screw up like this. However, it still stands true that the ohms rating by a speaker manufacturer has nothing to do with its sound quality.


I was just busting your chops. I know how it feels to screw up, I did it once in 1975.

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#8047 - 02/28/04 03:53 PM Re: 4ohm vs 8ohm
Jeff Mackwood Offline
Desperado

Registered: 12/19/02
Posts: 427
I never make misteaks.

Jeff Mackwood
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#8048 - 02/29/04 08:37 PM Re: 4ohm vs 8ohm
Alejate Offline
Gunslinger

Registered: 05/10/03
Posts: 181
Loc: Albany, NY
Since 1975! That means I can go for 29 more years without the fear of anymore mistakes. That's great news!!!

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#8049 - 03/31/04 01:55 PM Re: 4ohm vs 8ohm
Shaster Offline
Gunslinger

Registered: 04/30/02
Posts: 33
Loc: Miami Florida, USA
Well, generally, 4 Ohm speakers present more of a load to an Amplifier and it tends to output higher wattage...
Sorry, 20 words,,,,
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Shaster

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