Wattage/Impedance questions

[9between]

Hi all.

New to the site, prefer to get the words of folks who have been there, versus spotty and often unhelpful Q&A on retail websites.

I have an Insignia NS-STR514 receiver, bought from BestBuy a few years ago. It's alright, and for now, that's good enough for me. I use it mostly just for TV watching/couch gaming. Occasionally, I'll play a CD through a separate CD player unit wired to an aux channel.

However, I have some hand-me-down speakers that seem like they're not doing the job.

The NS-STR514 is a 2 channel receiver (100w per channel), has inputs for 4 total speakers, and says 8 ohms minimum impedance per channel. There's an "A" side that can do 8 ohms minimum, and a "B" side that can do 8 ohms minimum. At the moment, I have two pairs of speakers wired to it. All are 8 ohm, but they vary in wattage (part of why the sound is uneven, I'm sure)

Am I understanding the impedance correctly if I say that in order to optimize the receiver's sound, I want to have either two (on one channel) or four (on both) 16 ohm speakers, so that each channel has 2 x 16 ohm = 8 ohms impedance? Seems quite difficult to find a 16 ohm speaker (I'm looking for a floor standers).

Is this a sign that the receiver is old/out of date/not worth working around? (Best Buy has since discontinued the item)

Please keep buying recommendations budget-oriented (certified used stuff is also a plus). I'm a beginner and not picky (yet). I don't need surround sound, I just want something better than built-in TV sound, and a base for connecting a CD player and record player.

Thanks for your help!

 

[ski2xblack]

The speaker A, B, and A+B switch is just a parallel connection, so putting both pairs on one set of binding posts vs. one pair each to their own and engaging the A+B switch are equivalent. Two pairs of 8 ohm speakers will present a 4 ohm load. If your amp is not capable into such loads, simply don't run both pairs of speakers simultaneously.

 

[9between]

The speaker A, B, and A+B switch is just a parallel connection, so putting both pairs on one set of binding posts vs. one pair each to their own and engaging the A+B switch are equivalent. Two pairs of 8 ohm speakers will present a 4 ohm load. If your amp is not capable into such loads, simply don't run both pairs of speakers simultaneously.

Okay, I think I get it. So if two pairs of 8 ohm speakers presents a 4 ohm load, then one pair of 8 ohm speakers works out to an 8 ohm load, and I'd be good?

 

[highfigh]

Hi all.

New to the site, prefer to get the words of folks who have been there, versus spotty and often unhelpful Q&A on retail websites.

I have an Insignia NS-STR514 receiver, bought from BestBuy a few years ago. It's alright, and for now, that's good enough for me. I use it mostly just for TV watching/couch gaming. Occasionally, I'll play a CD through a separate CD player unit wired to an aux channel.

However, I have some hand-me-down speakers that seem like they're not doing the job.

The NS-STR514 is a 2 channel receiver (100w per channel), has inputs for 4 total speakers, and says 8 ohms minimum impedance per channel. There's an "A" side that can do 8 ohms minimum, and a "B" side that can do 8 ohms minimum. At the moment, I have two pairs of speakers wired to it. All are 8 ohm, but they vary in wattage (part of why the sound is uneven, I'm sure)

Am I understanding the impedance correctly if I say that in order to optimize the receiver's sound, I want to have either two (on one channel) or four (on both) 16 ohm speakers, so that each channel has 2 x 16 ohm = 8 ohms impedance? Seems quite difficult to find a 16 ohm speaker (I'm looking for a floor standers).

Is this a sign that the receiver is old/out of date/not worth working around? (Best Buy has since discontinued the item)

Please keep buying recommendations budget-oriented (certified used stuff is also a plus). I'm a beginner and not picky (yet). I don't need surround sound, I just want something better than built-in TV sound, and a base for connecting a CD player and record player.

Thanks for your help!

It's not the Wattage that makes them sound different, it's the drivers, inherent frequency response, sensitivity and other details. Wattage/Power doesn't affect the sound, just the ability to not puke when treated like a farm animal.

 

[9between]

It's not the Wattage that makes them sound different, it's the drivers, inherent frequency response, sensitivity and other details. Wattage/Power doesn't affect the sound, just the ability to not puke when treated like a farm animal.

Gotcha - would you consider a 4 ohm load farm animal treatment for my receiver?

 

[ski2xblack]

Okay, I think I get it. So if two pairs of 8 ohm speakers presents a 4 ohm load, then one pair of 8 ohm speakers works out to an 8 ohm load, and I'd be good?

Yep.

would you consider a 4 ohm load farm animal treatment for my receiver?

Given your receiver explicitly states "8 ohm minimum" right on the chassis, yes, it would be pushing things, similarly as pushing two pairs of 8 ohm speakers simultaneously would.

Keep in mind that the Insignia receiver is at about the same level as an entry level Yamaha stereo receiver when it comes to the amp section. It's inexpensive because it doesn't have the robust output devices and heat sinking that a truly low impedance drive capable amp would have.

All these speakers are in the same room, correct? For stereo playback, you are better off using only one pair anyway, simply because multi-channel stereo isn't really a thing and degrades the stereo illusion. If you really want to use both at the same time, you could wire the second pair in series according to the ghetto Hafler approach in order to use them as pseudo "rear" channel speakers.

 

[9between]

Yep.


Given your receiver explicitly states "8 ohm minimum" right on the chassis, yes, it would be pushing things, similarly as pushing two pairs of 8 ohm speakers simultaneously would.

Keep in mind that the Insignia receiver is at about the same level as an entry level Yamaha stereo receiver when it comes to the amp section. It's inexpensive because it doesn't have the robust output devices and heat sinking that a truly low impedance drive capable amp would have.

All these speakers are in the same room, correct? For stereo playback, you are better off using only one pair anyway, simply because multi-channel stereo isn't really a thing and degrades the stereo illusion. If you really want to use both at the same time, you could wire the second pair in series according to the ghetto Hafler approach in order to use them as pseudo "rear" channel speakers.

okay, solid. I think I was reading it as “8 ohm per channel” versus “8 ohm per speaker cabinet”.
Yeah, they’re in the same room, mostly have them all hooked up because it looks cool, hahaha. I think I will opt for one pair of 8ohm speakers. Thanks!

 

[lovinthehd]

If you want to shop bargain speakers, might start here (or other similar articles at different price points) https://www.audioholics.com/bookshelf-speaker-reviews/6-best-bookshelf-100

 

[highfigh]

Gotcha - would you consider a 4 ohm load farm animal treatment for my receiver?

Only if it's not designed for a 4 Ohm load and you push it very hard. Some receivers handle it better than others. Some kack as soon as they sniff 4 Ohms, some aren't rated for it but because the manufacturer was conservative with the specs, they work fine. I had a Sony integrated amplifier that was rated for 4-16 Ohms and I made it power a pair of PA speakers for 5 hours. It was rated at 100 W/channel but when I had it tested, it put out 176 W at rated distortion. This piece, however, was from the early-mid '70s, when conservative specs was common.

Think of speakers as if they're appliances- ever seen what happens when a hair dryer, toaster and microwave oven are turned on at the same time? The fuse or breaker pops, right? It's because the current exceeded the capacity and when lower impedance speakers are used, the result is more current, more heat and heat is what kills everything- the amplifier's output transistors overheat and that's why they fail.