Does anyone know about ohms on an amp ? I have a Cambridge Audio amp with an 8 ohm capacity but my speakers are Wharfedale 10.1 which have a 6ohm compatibility . I'm confused . They sound ok but looking to get a more powerful set of speakers . Have seen ones with 8ohm on the spec and wanted to know if they would suit my amp better than the ones I have at 6ohms . Any ideas ? thanks
Ohms
- Thread starter spoonse
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It won't make any difference unless you drive the amp really hard.
I would be wary about using 4 ohms or lower though.
I would be wary about using 4 ohms or lower though.
The power is measured in Watts, provided the power handling rating of the speakers is greater than the power output of the amplifiers the speakers will not be damaged.
The impedance ( ohms ) of speakers and amplifier should be the same.
If the impedance of the speakers is lower than the rated impedance of the amplifier then more then the rated power may flow from the amplifier into the speakers, This could damage speakers and or amplifier.
That said the full power output of the amplifier is seldom reached unless the volume control is at maximum.
The impedance ( ohms ) of speakers and amplifier should be the same.
If the impedance of the speakers is lower than the rated impedance of the amplifier then more then the rated power may flow from the amplifier into the speakers, This could damage speakers and or amplifier.
That said the full power output of the amplifier is seldom reached unless the volume control is at maximum.
As OwainDIYer said, 6 Ohm speakers on an amp rated for 8 Ohm won't be a problem unless you find yourself maxing out the amp.
There's a relationship between Ohms, Watts and Current that helps predict the behaviour of equipment combinations. Most folk focus on Watts as the be-all and end-all, but it can be misleading. For example, an amp making 50 Watts in to an 8 Ohm speaker will appear to make just over 60 Watts in to 6 Ohm speakers. Woo-hoo! Free power, right? Well not quite.
The amp is being asked to deliver a lot more current. That's where the real power is. No amp can deliver unlimited current, so when the speakers are a more demanding load such as 6 Ohms or lower then the amp runs out of grunt a bit sooner. I mention this because you said the following:
If you want speakers that make a more powerful sound then you should concentrate on 8 Ohm speakers with higher efficiency, not speakers with a higher Wattage rating. The Wharfedale 10.1's have an efficiency of 86dB/W. Finding speakers that are 90dB efficient would have the same effect as upping the amp power from 50W to 120W! Efficiency really is the key.
There's a relationship between Ohms, Watts and Current that helps predict the behaviour of equipment combinations. Most folk focus on Watts as the be-all and end-all, but it can be misleading. For example, an amp making 50 Watts in to an 8 Ohm speaker will appear to make just over 60 Watts in to 6 Ohm speakers. Woo-hoo! Free power, right? Well not quite.
The amp is being asked to deliver a lot more current. That's where the real power is. No amp can deliver unlimited current, so when the speakers are a more demanding load such as 6 Ohms or lower then the amp runs out of grunt a bit sooner. I mention this because you said the following:
If you want speakers that make a more powerful sound then you should concentrate on 8 Ohm speakers with higher efficiency, not speakers with a higher Wattage rating. The Wharfedale 10.1's have an efficiency of 86dB/W. Finding speakers that are 90dB efficient would have the same effect as upping the amp power from 50W to 120W! Efficiency really is the key.
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I have been looking at the Diamond 122 they have an 8ohm impedance and an 87db sensitivity also with a bigger Kevlar bass cone of 165 rather than the 125 which my 10.1's have . I also read that the peak spl is 96db . Is this something to do with the sensitivity ?
The Peak SPL is the maximum loudness the speakers will reach. It's a product of the sensitivity and the maximum power handling. What's missing from the figure though is the distance it is measured at, how close the speaker is from a wall, and the frequency used and the amount of distortion. Those numbers might be given by Wharfedale in their specs but they're missing from your post at this stage.
As it stands then it's a number, but without some context it doesn't really tell you much.
Wharfedale 122s sell for around £260-£300. 87dB sensitivity isn't tremendously high for speakers in that price range, but it's not bad either. Speakers that are substantially more efficient would be Monitor Audio BX2 (8Ω, 90dB/W/m, £250).
If you find any posts useful it would be a nice gesture on your part to use the Thanks button on each post. It takes a second to do; it costs you nothing; it shows your appreciation and it helps others who might stumble across the thread when searching Google for similar advice.
As it stands then it's a number, but without some context it doesn't really tell you much.
Wharfedale 122s sell for around £260-£300. 87dB sensitivity isn't tremendously high for speakers in that price range, but it's not bad either. Speakers that are substantially more efficient would be Monitor Audio BX2 (8Ω, 90dB/W/m, £250).
If you find any posts useful it would be a nice gesture on your part to use the Thanks button on each post. It takes a second to do; it costs you nothing; it shows your appreciation and it helps others who might stumble across the thread when searching Google for similar advice.
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