Will my preamp change the Frequency response of my amp?

[markw]

No, No i'm running my speakers @ 8 ohms on my receiver and the ohm switch is @ 8 ohms i'm only using the main channels A and B channel A runs 2 speakers and channel B runs 2 speakers that's 4 speakers i'm doing it right.

That IS running them in parallel. Your amp sees four ohms, and doesn't like it.

You might want to read this article.

https://www.audioholics.com/audio-amplifier/impedance-selector-switch-1

[edit] oops... it seems McLovin beat me to the punch.

 

[Aaron Bilger]

What ever your saying iv been doing this and my dad has even been doing this same thing as me but he has everything as a 7.1 setup with the yamaha rx v2095 and I have everything hooked up right I know I do. Lets just talk about amps not so much of my receiver.

 

[lovinthehd]

Ya it changes the ohms for the speakers if you used 4 ohm speakers you put the thing at 4 ohms, if your using 8 ohm speakers then set the thing to 8 ohms with the receiver powered off.

Did you read the article?

 

[markw]

OK, go for the crown.

 

[lovinthehd]

What ever your saying iv been doing this and my dad has even been doing this same thing as me but he has everything as a 7.1 setup with the yamaha rx v2095 and I have everything hooked up right I know I do. Lets just talk about amps not so much of my receiver.

What does your setup have in common with his 7.1? Do what you want but to get really loud and to keep the equipment happiest you need a 2ch amp for each pair of speakers....get two of those GTD amps for your $250.

 

[Aaron Bilger]

What does your setup have in common with his 7.1? Do what you want but to get really loud and to keep the equipment happiest you need a 2ch amp for each pair of speakers....get two of those GTD amps for your $250.

So it's then dangerous for my speakers to go at 4 ohms then? when wired right?

 

[lovinthehd]

So it's then dangerous for my speakers to go at 4 ohms then? when wired right?

Your speakers impedance load is what it is, and your speakers draw what power they need from the amp; the problem is the amp being able to handle the impedance load at the levels being demanded by your use of the volume knob. Doubling up your speakers on a two-ch amp's terminals isn't a good idea.

 

[Aaron Bilger]

Your speakers impedance load is what it is, and your speakers draw what power they need from the amp; the problem is the amp being able to handle the impedance load at the levels being demanded by your use of the volume knob. Doubling up your speakers on a two-ch amp's terminals isn't a good idea.

Why is that not a good idea I thought about getting this amp http://www.crownaudio.com/en/products/xli800
but I don't play my stuff not all that loud though i'm right next to my dads room and don't want to piss anyone off with some super loud music but when they are gone I do play some loud but maybe no more than 30-50 watts probably at max is what id ever go in my life its pretty damn loud that way.

 

[everettT]

Ya it changes the ohms for the speakers if you used 4 ohm speakers you put the thing at 4 ohms, if your using 8 ohm speakers then set the thing to 8 ohms with the receiver powered off.

Your speakers are not fixed to a certain ohm, it (impedance) varies across their frequency response. When manufactures say "8 ohms" it nominal. Your amp sees whatever the load(ohm) is and with your hookup it sees each speaker as 4ohms. Your Yamaha is 4ohm stable, however if pushed to clipping you will have problems. But as to the amp question, yeah what MarkW said.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohm's_law#Resistive_circuits

 

[markw]

Although both are expressed in "ohms", DC resistance, as in a resistor, is NOT the same as impedance in a speaker

DC resistance does not vary while impedance goes up and, more of a concern, down depending on the frequency. That's why they refer to it as "nominal" restistance.

 

[Aaron Bilger]

So I need an exact answer if I run 1 pair of speakers hooked together making them into 4 ohms and then hooking them up to the amp the amp sees the load of 4 ohms and each speaker is 8 ohms is this going to damage the speakers 2 speakers of a load @ 4 ohms on channel 1, and then the 2nd pair of speakers as the same load and hooked up to channel 2 any damage to the speakers? I'm not the best at understanding things sometimes.

 

[lovinthehd]

There is no exact answer.

 

[Aaron Bilger]

There is no exact answer.

What about am i safe to use my speakers in the way that i have described? ONLY FROM YOU KNOW AND THINK

 

[ski2xblack]

For the sake of clarity, let's assume the speakers are a perfectly flat 8 ohm load. Two such speakers wired in parallel does not cause their impedance to sum together but rather divide in half, as far as the load they will present to the amp.

You really need to be cautious with parallel wiring as it can easily result in a load that is too demanding for the amplifier. You've already demonstrated that once already, and it behooves you to understand why so you don't repeat the mistake.

In reality, your speakers most likely present an even more challenging load than my perfect 8 ohm example. And you've already toasted the amps in the old Yamaha. Do you think it's safe?

 

[markw]

What about am i safe to use my speakers in the way that i have described? ONLY FROM YOU KNOW AND THINK

You've gotten some really really, good explanations, in plain English, from several knowledgeable people in an attempt to explain to you what's going on but you haven't picked up on one damn thing that's been laid out. You want us to tell you everything is unicorns and rainbows, but it isn't.

I've wasted enough time trying to educate you.

 

[herbu]

So I need an exact answer if I run 1 pair of speakers hooked together making them into 4 ohms

Aaron, let me give this a try. When you see "nominal" impedance, it's kind of like seeing "average" speed on a trip to the grocery store. Some of the time you go 55mph, some time 35mph, and some time you stop at a light. But the average speed may be 40mph.

"Nominal" impedance in your speakers is the same way. Bass frequencies take more power because they move a bigger speaker. Mid frequencies take less, and high frequencies take even less. But music is a combination of them all. When you play a song, the impedance your receiver sees varies, (a lot), with each note. So a nominal impedance of 8ohms may really vary quite often within a single song between 2ohms and 8 or 10 or 12.

When you connect 2 8ohm speakers to the same terminal, your receiver doesn't just see 4ohms. It sees the normal variations, but now they are HALF what they would be with one speaker. So instead of a variation between 2-12ohms, it may see 1-6ohms. It is the low impedance of 1ohm that will damage your receiver. A short is 0ohms. 1ohm is getting pretty close.

Connecting 2 speakers to the same output undoubtedly puts more of a strain on your receiver. You may get lucky and it works for a while. Sooner or later, your receiver will die, just like you shorted your speaker outputs. It is NEVER recommended.