8 ohm speakers with HTIB

[browndk26]

You all talk about not using lower ohm speakers(3-4 ohms) with 8 ohm AVR's. What would happen if you did the opposite? Hooked 8 ohm speakers to an HTIB that has 3 ohm speakers matched to it?

Owners manual says 143 watts per channel at 3 ohms(surround mode).

Sony DAV-HDX500

[Steve]

I think this writeup will answer your question.

[xneox]

That write up is way over complicated.

The short answer is this:

If you have speakers with a lower numerical ohm rating than your amplifier is rated for, do NOT use them together, or you will overdrive your amp and kill it.

If you have speakers that have a higher numerical ohm rating than your amplifier is rated for (typical scenario when using standard home speakers with HTiB amplifiers), you CAN use them together, and you will NEVER hurt anything, but you will be getting a LOT less power from your amp than whatever it pushes at its native resistance. In your case, I'd be surprised if you were getting 50wpc at 8ohms.

[browndk26]

Thanks for the answers. That is what I thought would happen. Not going to do it. Just a what if question.

[Steve]

Originally Posted by xneox

That write up is way over complicated.

The short answer is this:

If you have speakers with a lower numerical ohm rating than your amplifier is rated for, do NOT use them together, or you will overdrive your amp and kill it.

If you have speakers that have a higher numerical ohm rating than your amplifier is rated for (typical scenario when using standard home speakers with HTiB amplifiers), you CAN use them together, and you will NEVER hurt anything, but you will be getting a LOT less power from your amp than whatever it pushes at its native resistance. In your case, I'd be surprised if you were getting 50wpc at 8ohms.

Very good explanation. Thanks for posting.

[bigred7078]

Originally Posted by xneox

If you have speakers that have a higher numerical ohm rating than your amplifier is rated for (typical scenario when using standard home speakers with HTiB amplifiers), you CAN use them together, and you will NEVER hurt anything, but you will be getting a LOT less power from your amp than whatever it pushes at its native resistance. In your case, I'd be surprised if you were getting 50wpc at 8ohms.

Well not exactly true. Impedence is a nominal rating (an average). Throughout the frequency range of the speaker you will have peaks and dips in the impedence. Just because you have a speaker rated at 8ohms does not mean it will not have dips down to 2ohms (like some higher end Klipsch speakers and many others).

HTIB speakers are designed for specific use with its receiver. You start using something like home theater speakers and you could have yourself a firework show if its a sucky unit .

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by xneox

That write up is way over complicated.

If you find that write-up too complicated, try this simpler explanation in Impedance & Sensitivity of a Speaker.

[xneox]

Originally Posted by bigred7078

Well not exactly true. Impedence is a nominal rating (an average). Throughout the frequency range of the speaker you will have peaks and dips in the impedence. Just because you have a speaker rated at 8ohms does not mean it will not have dips down to 2ohms (like some higher end Klipsch speakers and many others).

All true. None of it changes the fact that an amp built to handle a 3ohm load will handle 8ohm 'nominal' speakers just fine.

HTIB speakers are designed for specific use with its receiver. You start using something like home theater speakers and you could have yourself a firework show if its a sucky unit .

Ohms, watts, volts and amperes don't know the difference between a HTiB and a B&W/Classe setup. A Samsung HTiB (3ohm) will drive standard 8ohm speakers for YEARS (and run very cool while doing it). It'll just be very low output and sound like shit.

[bigred7078]

Originally Posted by xneox

All true. None of it changes the fact that an amp built to handle a 3ohm load will handle 8ohm 'nominal' speakers just fine.



Ohms, watts, volts and amperes don't know the difference between a HTiB and a B&W/Classe setup. A Samsung HTiB (3ohm) will drive standard 8ohm speakers for YEARS (and run very cool while doing it). It'll just be very low output and sound like shit.

ahhh i guess i misread what you were saying.

Yup it can be done its just the distortion levels will be....eeeek

[94GTStang]

I'm currently running 8ohm speakers on my Sony HTIB setup that originally had 6 ohm speakers with it. I know for a fact my speakers aren't running at all the frequencies and power because of my receiver is now the weakest link. The receiver doesn't get hot and the sound is improved over what came with the HTIB, I just know my speakers can sound light years better with a new receiver. A Denon790 is the next item I need to get

[Dark Horse]

Originally Posted by 94GTStang

I'm currently running 8ohm speakers on my Sony HTIB setup that originally had 6 ohm speakers with it. I know for a fact my speakers aren't running at all the frequencies and power because of my receiver is now the weakest link. The receiver doesn't get hot and the sound is improved over what came with the HTIB, I just know my speakers can sound light years better with a new receiver. A Denon790 is the next item I need to get

I'm glad that I ran across this thread today, as it was a question I was just about to ask. A few years ago, I got an Onkyo HTiB that won't process audio through the HDMI cable, and won't do HD audio. I really want to upgrade my system, and have been debating between getting a new receiver first, or getting new speakers. I'd love to upgrade both at the same time, but there will probably be at least a 6 month wait between the two upgrades. I'd been thinking speaker upgrade first, since receivers tend to change models/price/technology rather quickly. But then, if I got speakers first, would I notice any difference with the old receiver? It's so confusing...

The center channel that came with the HTiB is horrible. I constantly have to turn the volume up/down depending on if it's just characters speaking, or if there's more sound to it than that. I thought just upgrading the speakers would make a world of difference, but this thread has given me some things to ponder. Now, I'm debating if I should do one first, or the other... or just wait a long time, save up some money, and upgrade it all together.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[solarrdadd]

Originally Posted by Dark Horse

I'm glad that I ran across this thread today, as it was a question I was just about to ask. A few years ago, I got an Onkyo HTiB that won't process audio through the HDMI cable, and won't do HD audio. I really want to upgrade my system, and have been debating between getting a new receiver first, or getting new speakers. I'd love to upgrade both at the same time, but there will probably be at least a 6 month wait between the two upgrades. I'd been thinking speaker upgrade first, since receivers tend to change models/price/technology rather quickly. But then, if I got speakers first, would I notice any difference with the old receiver? It's so confusing...

The center channel that came with the HTiB is horrible. I constantly have to turn the volume up/down depending on if it's just characters speaking, or if there's more sound to it than that. I thought just upgrading the speakers would make a world of difference, but this thread has given me some things to ponder. Now, I'm debating if I should do one first, or the other... or just wait a long time, save up some money, and upgrade it all together.

Any advice would be appreciated.

upgrading can be expensive, which is fine as long as you are aware of that up front. you can save and buy your system individually but, you can also get some pretty sweet deals on newer, modern HTiB systems. lots of them will do all the HD Audio Codecs, offer between 2-4 HDMI input switchers built in (don't get anything that says "straight thru"/repeater in the HDMI section and it should be v1.3 or greater, have descent speakers too, offer nice receivers with multichannel analog inputs and some come with blu-ray players too. all designed to work together with no problems; that's the one good thing about HTiB, it made to work properly with everything it comes with. the good thing about a good HTiB, is that you can always upgrade the speakers if it comes with a good receiver, in the future. you could always buy your own receiver, speakers, blu-player and do it that way. it depends on what you want to do and how much you have to do it with and also when you want to do all of this.

i hope this helped a little.
best of luck, keep us posted.

[Dark Horse]

Thanks for the reply, Solarrdadd. I'd been trying to avoid the HTiB thing since it didn't work out so well for me the first time, but I've also noticed that the receivers coming with the HTIBs have had some drastic improvements in the past year or so. I know that Onkyo is putting some of their nicer receivers with their HTIB systems now, so that might be a consideration for a while.

I think I'll do some more research about the newer crops of HTiB receivers, and go from there. Thanks again for the suggestion.