970 and 4 ohm speakers

Posted by: iardon

970 and 4 ohm speakers - 12/12/05 09:20 PM

Hi guys,

Haven't received the 970 yet but it seems from looking at the manual there's no way to set it for 4 or 8 ohm speakers. My current preamp, an old Onkyo 696, has a switch in the rear for either 4 or 8 ohms. I'll be using the 970 with the 7100 amp. Will the ohm type be automatic with my setup.

Thanks.
Posted by: Keta

Re: 970 and 4 ohm speakers - 12/12/05 09:26 PM

The 970 has no amplification built in. The external amps would see the speaker load instead.
Posted by: gonk

Re: 970 and 4 ohm speakers - 12/12/05 10:25 PM

Keta has hit the issue firmly on the head: the 970 is a pure processor, so the only component that directly sees the speakers is the Model 7100 amp. The amp does not include a selector for ohms because it is equally stable with 4 ohm speakers and 8 ohm speakers. Receivers that rely on the 8/4 ohm switch typically use it reduce the rail voltage in the 4 ohm position to prevent overheating when low impedance speakers incur a greater current flow. Separate amps lack the switch because they simply serve up the extra current.