Is any disadvantage if a 6-ohms speaker were connected to an 8-ohms amplifier?

[eagle2hawk]

Thanks!

[Glenn Booth]

Possibly. If the amp. won't drive a load of lower than 8ohm
impedance, then it may protest. That's fairly unlikley in
a decent modern amp with a sensible power supply, but
you never know.

Check the minimum impedance that the amp can drive into.
If it can drive 6ohms, then go for it. If it is a well designed
amp it will actually deliver more power into a lower impedance
load, so if you crank it, check the power handling of the amp
and speakers are well matched (that's the power output at
6 ohms, not 8).

Regards,

Glenn.

[Ecnerwal]

eagle2hawk wrote:
>
> Thanks!

Yup. You can cook the amp. If you keep the levels low, you might get
away with it. Or not.

Or, you could toss in some 2 ohm power resistors, or use really skinny
speaker wire...

If the situation was reversed (6 ohm rated amp, 8 ohm speakers) you'd be
safe, but you might not get the volume you "should" be able to get.

[Richard Kuschel]

>Subject: Is any disadvantage if a 6-ohms speaker were connected to an 8-ohms
>amplifier?
>From: eagle...@yahoo.com (eagle2hawk)
>Date: 11/09/2001 4:25 PM Mountain Standard Time
>Message-id: <af40da0e.01110...@posting.google.com>
>
>Thanks!
>

The amp will run a little hotter and put out a little more power.

I've been running 6 ohm speakers on an 8 ohm only amp for years with no
problems.

The impedance of a speaker isn't constant anyway, and the 6 ohm rating is
nominal, not absolute.

Richard H. Kuschel
"I canna change the law of physics."-----Scotty

[Leon Bezuidenhout]

Will the amp start clipping the output signal earlier with 6 ohm speakers,
than with 8 ohm speakers? That now looking at the position of the volume
knob.

"Richard Kuschel" <rickp...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20011111095014...@mb-cu.aol.com...

[Arny Krueger]

"Leon Bezuidenhout" <le...@ing.sun.ac.za> wrote in message
news:9so3ed$1a98$1...@news.adamastor.ac.za...

> Will the amp start clipping the output signal earlier with 6 ohm
speakers,
> than with 8 ohm speakers? That now looking at the position of the
volume
> knob.

Maybe, maybe not. AFAIK most amplifier power ratings are based on the
limits of the power supply and the heat sinks. The power-supply
limitation is intermediate-term and the heat sink limit is long-term.
Since most music provides short-term peak demands, there seems to be
appreciable "wiggle room".