4-ohm speakers with 8-ohm HK receiver

[DVV]

Hey all,
I've got a pair of B&W DM610i speakers (4 ohms) and a Harman Kardon HK3480 receiver (8 ohms)... Each speaker has separate pairs of inputs for high and low frequencies, and I'm wondering whether it would fry anything if I connected my receiver's A channels to the low frequency speaker inputs and the B channels to the high frequency inputs.

Would this be presenting too much impedance? I've got plenty of ventilation around the receiver...
Thanks,
m

H/K has always prided itself on its drive capabilities, and in most cases, rightly so. I own two of their integrated amps (6550, 2x50/70W into 8/4 ohms from 1994 and 680, 2x85/130W into 8/4 ohms from 1999), and can attest that their capabilities, especially those of the 680, are prodigious. It will pump out 540 watts into just 1 ohm in short term bursts, indicating extreme stability, and it will do so with just 10 dB (3:1) of negative feedback. My own design philosophy is based on some of their views since 1975.

That said, I should point out that the 3480 is a different story. It's a product made for the mass market, and while it does embody many of H/K's design principles, it is not up to the job of a true H/K.

I know it both outside and inside. In simple terms, it lacks the wherewithall to deal with complex loads the way its admittedly costlier bretheren do. It was made with the price as the ruling guideline, and since it must satisfy certain principles of its receiver breed, less was left for under the hood.

Therefore, while it will drive 4 ohms loads such as the 601s without adverse effects in electrical terms, its sound will not be what it should be. Taxing loads will dry up its moderate power supply and its just as moderate output stage, so deep bass will not sound as very deep, and there will be progressively more and more muddle up in the mid and high range. Unfortunately, the 601s are a taxing load, there are worse, but most are more gentle.

There are two ways you can deal with this. One is to change either the speakers or the receiver - obvious and probably not preferable. The other is to obtain a good power line filter; this will clean up the mains mess and thus offload the power supply, making it more efficient and allowing it to function more as a power reservoir than a filter.

The uknown in all this is how hard (loud) is the system required to work. If it is driven relatively gently, the problems will decrease, and conversly, if driven hard, the problems will increase. If your AVERAGE dissipated power is 1-2 watts, which is fairly loud with those speakers, your peaks will be around 30-50 watts, a range still within the capabilities of the receiver. Louder than that and the sound starts to deteriorate fairly quickly.

Cheers,
DVV

 

[PENG]

DVV, which power line filter would you recommend? Do you think those Monster power bars with their so called level 2 filter would work? Thanks.

 

[DVV]

DVV, which power line filter would you recommend? Do you think those Monster power bars with their so called level 2 filter would work? Thanks.

Mine, of course, and I make some with the DeZorel moniker on them, which I own. Best in the world.

Seriously though, please regard the above as my joke at my own expense. But, the truth is, I do manufacture them, and they are called DeZorel, and I do export them to 28 countries around the globe - because of that, please understand that any comment I make on anything I also manufacture and sell is a clear cut case of conflict of interest. Because of that, begging your pardon, I must decline an answer, now and in the future. I am here in good faith, to meet people and exchange views with them, not to advertise my products.

I'll talk frankly about anything and everything else, though. As I spoke out about H/K above, and remember, I am a fan. But the truth is the truth, at least as I see it; even when wrong, I am so in good faith.

What I said in general about line filters stands - if made properly, they WILL offload any and all power supplies, allowing them to act less as filters and more as pure energy storage. And you can never have too much energy on call. As you may have noticed, I am a certified power supply total freak-out. That's because the greatest single difference in quality among devices comes from the power supply - my 35 years in audio have proved that so many times ...

Cheers,
DVV

 

[mulester7]

.....the cream rises.....

 

[DVV]

Say, how did that word "audio" in my text get highlighted and linked? I sure didn't do it. I don't even know the linked site. Plus I am 100% a solid state man.

Cheers,
DVV

 

[Spiffyfast]

Say, how did that word "audio" in my text get highlighted and linked? I sure didn't do it. I don't even know the linked site. Plus I am 100% a solid state man.

Cheers,
DVV

new advertising links, try clicking on some of them, I've found some neat products and btw, do you have a link to your site with the power conditioners, I googled it but only came up with stores selling them

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

do you have a link to your site with the power conditioners

http://www.dezorel.co.yu/new/start.htm

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/frr.pl?raccs&1059705006&read&3&4&

Model: LF-A1 Mk.II
Category: Power Conditioner/Surge Protector
Suggested Retail Price: $449
Description: Power line filter/conditioner
Manufacturer URL: DeZorel
Model Picture: View
Review by DVV (A) on April 26, 2002 at 12:36:59
IP Address: 195.66.188.113 Add Your Review
for the LF-A1 Mk.II

DeZorel has been making power line filters/conditioners since 1975, when 99% of today's makers never even heard of them. This shows in its performance and overall specifications. Even this smallest model is rated at 2,400 VA (2.4 kVA), yet it's very reasonably small and in my view, economical. The result of including it on line prior to audio electronics is less system noise, an almost exploding sound stage (width, heigth and especially depth), and considerably more detail than was previously heard from recordings heard many times over. It has what is probably the greatest virtue of any audio related device - it disappears as such, but you know it's there because everything sounds as it never did before you included it. An uncanny effect, one which I for one was totally unprepared for, despite extensive experience with line conditioners from very famous brand names.
I have been using it for over two months, and it made me realize three things: 1)I've been missing way too much, 2) my system is even better than I ever suspected, and 3) you don't need to spend an arm and a leg for an outstanding product, a few are still available. Yet, for all that, expect the opposite as well - you will know what the producer was doing while making the recordings. It will expose a poor recording, just as it will thrill you with good ones, and sometimes, even with recordings you initially thought were rather poor. All in all, easily the single greatest upgrade to one's whole system, and one that should be made BEFORE changing components; could be they are much better than you originally thought.
Product Weakness: Only two outputs (though in fairness, larger models have six outputs).
Product Strengths: It will make you realize that you are REALLY hearing your system for the first time, and that it's a much better system than you ever thought it was - no matter what you paid for it (though of course, the better the innitial system, the better the results). I think that at the price, it's a steal. 5 year warranty also helps, as does the engraved (sic!) facia of the all aluminum case.

 

[DVV]

new advertising links, try clicking on some of them, I've found some neat products and btw, do you have a link to your site with the power conditioners, I googled it but only came up with stores selling them

Some advertising! I don't like this at all! I advertise who I, not somebody else, feel is worth advertising.

The site is at http://www.dezorel.com but it is not active. It will be active after a complete overhaul which is under way, I expect by the 20th.

Changing the whole model line was a fine opportunity to change the whole site, so I just couldn't resist it.

Cheers,
DVV

 

[DVV]

http://www.dezorel.co.yu/new/start.htm

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/frr.pl?raccs&1059705006&read&3&4&

Model: LF-A1 Mk.II
Category: Power Conditioner/Surge Protector
Suggested Retail Price: $449
Description: Power line filter/conditioner
Manufacturer URL: DeZorel
Model Picture: View
Review by DVV (A) on April 26, 2002 at 12:36:59
IP Address: 195.66.188.113 Add Your Review
for the LF-A1 Mk.II

DeZorel has been making power line filters/conditioners since 1975, when 99% of today's makers never even heard of them. This shows in its performance and overall specifications. Even this smallest model is rated at 2,400 VA (2.4 kVA), yet it's very reasonably small and in my view, economical. The result of including it on line prior to audio electronics is less system noise, an almost exploding sound stage (width, heigth and especially depth), and considerably more detail than was previously heard from recordings heard many times over. It has what is probably the greatest virtue of any audio related device - it disappears as such, but you know it's there because everything sounds as it never did before you included it. An uncanny effect, one which I for one was totally unprepared for, despite extensive experience with line conditioners from very famous brand names.
I have been using it for over two months, and it made me realize three things: 1)I've been missing way too much, 2) my system is even better than I ever suspected, and 3) you don't need to spend an arm and a leg for an outstanding product, a few are still available. Yet, for all that, expect the opposite as well - you will know what the producer was doing while making the recordings. It will expose a poor recording, just as it will thrill you with good ones, and sometimes, even with recordings you initially thought were rather poor. All in all, easily the single greatest upgrade to one's whole system, and one that should be made BEFORE changing components; could be they are much better than you originally thought.
Product Weakness: Only two outputs (though in fairness, larger models have six outputs).
Product Strengths: It will make you realize that you are REALLY hearing your system for the first time, and that it's a much better system than you ever thought it was - no matter what you paid for it (though of course, the better the innitial system, the better the results). I think that at the price, it's a steal. 5 year warranty also helps, as does the engraved (sic!) facia of the all aluminum case.

I'll see these people in court in September; they will have to answer to the judge how come they are using my registered trade mark ...

Unfortunatly, only the inheritors, since the owner died three days ago. I can't be sure, but I think his company died with him - we'll see.

Cheers,
DVV

 

[musiclifeline]

I'm thinking my best bet is to change speakers. The B&Ws were free, so I'm thinking of something like the Polk Audio Monitor 60...