Impedance setting

[Hi Ho]

What exactly does the impedance setting on a receiver do? When I set my receiver to 4 OHM's is it reducing the amount of power going to the speakers? Is it some sort of limiter?

I have always had my receiver "properly" set to 4 OHM for my old Advent speakers. Tonight I was in an experimental mood and decided to try it on the 8 OHM setting. It sounds slightly better this way. I'm guessing it's pushing more power and subsequently putting the receiver at a higher risk of going into protect mode. It hasn't happened yet.

Should I keep it this way?

 

[cthomp]

Impedance

It is my understanding that it is the other way around. The receiver would
be pushing more power at the 4 ohm setting. I was looking at some speakers made by Vienna Acoustics that are 4 ohm and was told that most sub $1000 receivers would be hard pressed to drive them properly.

 

[Wid]

Impedance Selector Switches

 

[Hi Ho]

Thank you Wid! That article was exactly what I was looking for. It looks like I'll be keeping it on the 8 OHM setting. I was really starving these extremely power hungry speakers. They still are starved with this inexpensive receiver but not as much.

 

[cthomp]

4 ohms

Yes, thanks for the info Wid! This may be a silly question, but if a 4 ohm rated speaker is inefficient, why are some of the more expensive speakers rated that way? Is this a bad thing??

 

[j_garcia]

4 Ohm speakers aren't inefficient, they simply draw more current.

 

[Hi Ho]

4 OHM speakers are not inherently innefficient. There are innefficient speakers of all OHM ratings.

In my case, I have Advent Smaller Loudspeakers (1977). They are acoustic suspension speakers which makes them very innefficient. Add to that their 4 OHM impedance rating and you have a very power hungry but excellent sounding pair of speakers.