speaker impedance

[frosty55]

Does anyone know the pros and cons of fitting a pair of 16 ohm speakers into a cab, compared with a pair of 8 ohm? The 12 inch speakers in question are G12M greenbacks. Will there be any difference in the sound? Or is the only change being the setting on the back of the amp? :P

[Trunker]

You will get less distortion using a 16 ohm driver, although as you said the overall output will be lower.

[frosty55]

You will get less distortion using a 16 ohm driver, although as you said the overall output will be lower.

 

thanks for the help. :P

[Simon Lewis]

Does anyone know the pros and cons of fitting a pair of 16 ohm speakers into a cab, compared with a pair of 8 ohm? The 12 inch speakers in question are G12M greenbacks. Will there be any difference in the sound? Or is the only change being the setting on the back of the amp? :P

 

If there's a "setting" on the back of the amp, and you are looking at using Celestion guitar speakers, then I presume you are talking about a valve amplifier?

 

If so, the output transformer will match to either the 4Ohm or 8 Ohm impedance presented by the speakers (presuming you are wiring the two speakers in parallel).

 

I am not convinced there will be a significant audible difference either way, and if the amp is matched properly, it will deliver the same output power.

 

If you were talking about a transistor amplifier, then when the amp gets towards the limit of what it can deliver into a low impedance load, it will distort more (cf 4 Ohm and 2 Ohm distortion figures in most amplifier specs).

 

Simon