OHMS and Watts reading?

[SAC1973]

<font color='#000000'>Now here is where I'm lost. I don't know what specific stats mean on speakers.

I looked at my current speakers, they say 6 Ohms but don't say watts, I think I remember it being about 50 watts but not positve. Now the receiver I want to buy is 100 watts per channel.

What does the ohms reading mean and the watts reading mean specificly.[B]

this is a question that was posted at STERIO411. *nobody would answer <img src="http://www.audioholics.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':angry:'> *so i thought i would try you guys. *<img src="http://www.audioholics.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'> * thanks in advance for any help you can give * <img src="http://www.audioholics.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/cool.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':cool:'>[B]</font>

[James Sponaugle]

<font color='#000000'><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>SAC1973 : Now here is where I'm lost. I don't know what specific stats mean on speakers.

I looked at my current speakers, they say 6 Ohms but don't say watts, I think I remember it being about 50 watts but not positve. Now the receiver I want to buy is 100 watts per channel.

What does the ohms reading mean and the watts reading mean specificly.[B]

this is a question that was posted at STERIO411. *nobody would answer <img src="http://www.audioholics.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':angry:'> *so i thought i would try you guys. *<img src="http://www.audioholics.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'> * thanks in advance for any help you can give * <img src="http://www.audioholics.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/cool.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':cool:'>[B]
Ok, first a couple of definitions:

Ohms: *Ohms is a measurement of a device's &quot;impedance&quot;. It's a measure of how much a device &quot;impedes&quot; the flow electrical current (this is a greatly simplified explanation, but sufficient for now). *The lower the value in ohms, the easier it is for current to flow throught the device. *In general speakers that have a lower impedance draw more current, and take more power (that's the &quot;watts&quot; part we'll talk about in a moment). *Speakers range from 4 to 8 ohms, generally. *So, the ones you have are kind of in the middle.

Watts: *This is a measure of &quot;power&quot;, or the rate that a device uses/delivers energy. *Speakers have a power rating associated with them. *Delivering more power than this to a speaker on a continuous basis can possibly cause the speaker to fail. *Receivers and amplifiers are also rated on how much power they can deliver to your speakers.

Now, on first impression it might seem logical to make sure your receiver can't deliver more power than your speakers are rated for. *However, the reverse is actually true (to a point). *When a receiver is asked to play loud music or movie soundtracks, it usually has to provide high power levels for short periods of time, on occasion. *Receivers that don't have enough power output can distort the signal going to your speakers. This distorted signal can cause even very high power rated speakers to fail.

I don't know all of the specifics of your situation, but generally speaking the 100W/channel receiver you're looking at should be just fine for your speakers. * If your speakers re 50W/channel max, you'll probably want to avoid very high volume levels for extended periods. *

This is quite a simpified answer, but I hope it helps you understand the basics.

-James</font>

[SAC1973]

<font color='#000000'>james i appreciate your response but i seem to be lost on one thing. &nbsp;if there is less impedance wouldn't that equate out to less power needed? <img src="http://www.audioholics.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'></font>

[Clint DeBoer]

<font color='#000000'>P=IV and I = V/R and thus, P = V^2/R

where

P = Power (watts)
I = Current (amperes) commonly shown as E
V = Voltage (volts)
R = Resistance (ohms)
&quot;^2&quot; means squared

So, as resistance &reg; goes down, power actually goes UP.

Take the following (simplified) example:

V = 12 volts
R = 6 ohms

so, P = 12^2/6

P = 24 watts

If we lower the impedance to 4 ohms, we get:

P = 12^2/4

P = 36 Watts

Cheesy, oversimplified, inaccurate example - but it at least demonstrates the relationship between Power and Resistance.

Always remember, resistance is futile. &nbsp;<img src="http://www.audioholics.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'></font>

[James Sponaugle]

<font color='#000000'>I don't have anything more to add to hawke's post. &nbsp;That pretty much explains it. &nbsp;More current flowing into the speaker = &nbsp;more power (voltage being the same, of course).

-James</font>