Does the ohm ohhter matter? Here’s what you need to know about the impedance of the speakers

The Oms are one of the specifications that both a speaker and receiver Manufacturers use to give you an idea of ​​their performance. Victor and amplifiers are usually rated about 8 ohms, but this is not always the case. If your receiver is rated at 6, for example, does it mean that you cannot connect 8 ohm speakers? What is OM on this?

While the impedance is technically relevant, it is not as cut and dry as it says “the X impedance speakers should only be connected to successors with Y impedance.” In fact, unless you buy some rare or really strange speakers, the vast majority can work great with any modern receiver. I will try to explain all this as simply as possible, since the technical response of Om is the unit of electrical resistance is not particularly useful for anyone who is not currently in high school science.

What is Om?

Om is the unit of electrical resistance. I’m just kidding. Well, that’s right, but it’s the most important of the volume. Speakers have at least one and usually several drivers. These drivers are usually a magnet attached to a material that moves. When the aforementioned material moves or vibrates against the air, it creates sound. The electric field that causes this movement is created by an amplifier. How difficult it is for drivers or drivers to move is the part of what constitutes the impedance of the speaker who is appreciated in Oh.

The bigger part of the speakers on the market today are estimated at or about 8 ohms, although you can find some rated up to 4 ohms. Speakers that are lower than 4 ohms, or higher than 8 ohms, are rare and are usually reserved for high class.

Why does it not matter (most)

The impedance of the impedance is mostly useless. No speaker is the same impedance at all frequencies. If a person is estimated at “8 ohms”, this can be at 1K, 500Hz, 20K or literally any frequency. There is no regulation to say that it must be evaluated at a certain frequency. Manufacturers say “8 ohms” because it expects people. Is this an average in a range of frequencies? Depending on the design of the speaker, the impedance at any frequency can vary between 2 and 8 ohms or even go up to 40 ohms! This assessment is almost always average.

This “nominal” range is also what most receivers or amplifiers are designed to power. That is why most of them list their power estimates and 8 ohms (ie “100 watts at 8 ohms”), but most will not have a problem if the speaker is more and more. If you are trying to start 4 ohm speaker from a receiver, estimated at 8 ohms, the most likely result is that it will work a little more hot. He has to work a little more difficult to get the speaker with the power he wants.

Will a cheap amplifier have problems with a spokesman with a really low impedance? Yes, but in general, the cheap speakers, who would usually pair with a cheap amplifier, are quite easy to drive. Why do anyone pairing hard -to -drive speakers with cheap amplifiers? The best case, at least for competently designed products, is that if the amplifier is too hard, it will simply turn off. This is called “entry into defense” and unless it is a very bad design, all you have to do is return it again. The reason why this pairing is not a good idea is due to this worst scenario: something in the chain can blow and cause horrifying damage-whether it is on the amplifier, speakers or, worse, your hearing. The general rule of CNET is to spend the same on an amplifier as you could on a pair of stereo speakers.

It is worth noting that many companies that sell speakers that have a smoother impedance, often explicitly say “compatible with 4, 6 or 8 ohms evaluated amplifiers”. On the opposite side of the price spectrum, many Home Theater Systems in a box (Do you remember these?) It was a very low impedance. They were designed with specific amplifiers that appeared in the box, and pairing allowed companies to do a little creative marketing. As I will explain at the end, an amplifier estimated at 100 watts of 2 ohms is really capable of only 25 watts in 8 ohms. What seems better on the side of the box?

Exceptions

With the greater part of the speakers, receivers and amplifiers will work interchangeably. Of course, they will do it! Manufacturers usually want the widest possible audience, so they will not design a product that will not work with much of it.

However, there are some speakers on the market who simply need significant amplification. These hard -to -drive speakers usually have a low impedance, which requires a lot of amplifier. The power supply, a vital component in each amplifier, must provide sufficient power for the hungry speakers. Just as no one is trying to pull a trailer with a moped, hard to drive speakers need a decent amplifier.

These are not the type of speakers you would find at best and if you are in the look of the store who sell these higher-end speakers, the seller is also likely to talk to you about getting an amplifier with them (as they should).

Okay, now a little math

If the speaker has a low impedance, it will require more current at the same voltage. That is, if you halve the number of ohms, then you need the double required amount of power. So, if a speaker of 8 ohms requires 100 watts for a certain volume, 4 -oo speaker will require 200 watts to produce the same volume (Watts = AMPS X Volts). Can a decent amplifier do this? Probably. Can a cheap amplifier do this? Maybe. Interestingly, many high -end amplifiers will actually boast this. They will appreciate their amplifiers such as “200 watts in 8 ohms and 400 watts in 4 ohms.” This shows that the AMP components are tight enough to deal with everything a speaker requires from him.

Should you be interested in? Unless your speakers or those you are considering are not particularly difficult to drive and You try to feed them with a cheap or insufficiently powered amplifier and You blow them up with a large volume, then you don’t. Most mainstream speakers can be powered by almost all major receivers and amplifiers. They are all designed to do just that.

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