Impedance & Sensitivity of a Speaker, & Damping Factor

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by Jmobie

Wow. This is a great and informative thread. I just purchased the Yamaha RX-V663, and already have two fronts with 6 ohms and the three other channels are 8 ohms. It looks like my min impedance setting would need to be 6 ohms.

Thanks for all the great posts.

Thanks for the compliment and congratulations on your new receiver. Yamaha makes good products.

Make sure you always set your receiver to match the lowest ohm rating of your speakers. When the receiver is set to 6 ohm, it can easily handle 8 ohm speakers. Some receivers do not have an option to change the ohm setting. In that case, you need to check the manual to make sure the receiver can safely handle low impedence speakers.

[Opips2]

Big Daddy,

I understand.

I'm not sure...My receiver HK AVR-254 is not great quality.

My loudspeakers are 60 Watts at 6 Ω on a receiver is only 50 Watts x 7, seven channels driven at full power at 8 Ω.

loudspeakers are 60 Watts at 6 Ω for surround speaker. i setting -6db there the speakers but sound not great. A front speakers are 10 to 100 watts at 8 Ω are great sound and i setting -3db on the front speakers but it's not balance sound. I listen there speakers front are loud than surround speaker.

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by Opips2

Big Daddy,

I understand.

I'm not sure...My receiver HK AVR-254 is not great quality.

My loudspeakers are 60 Watts at 6 Ω on a receiver is only 50 Watts x 7, seven channels driven at full power at 8 Ω.

loudspeakers are 60 Watts at 6 Ω for surround speaker. i setting -6db there the speakers but sound not great. A front speakers are 10 to 100 watts at 8 Ω are great sound and i setting -3db on the front speakers but it's not balance sound. I listen there speakers front are loud than surround speaker.

It sounds like your speakers are not calibrated properly. I know you own an SPL meter. Use your SPL meter and adjust the level of each speaker so that they all read the same level at the main listening position. In the future, you should replace your receiver with a better quality one.

[Opips2]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

It sounds like your speakers are not calibrated properly. I know you own an SPL meter. Use your SPL meter and adjust the level of each speaker so that they all read the same level at the main listening position. In the future, you should replace your receiver with a better quality one.

I'll fix my setting on the receiver. Yes.. I've SPL meter, I"ll test my loudspeaker at 6 omh.
No problem there loudspeaker at 8 ohm. it's just great loud!

Do you think Harman Kardon is great quailty in past but not now today?

I know about it's very popular Denon or Yamaha but I heard Onkyo is popular in blu-ray.com

I've the HD receiver from Harman Kardon. the HD receiver can read decode both HD audio. I like it my HD receiver.

I planning buy new loudspeakers PSB at 4 omh for only front speaker in the future. My receiver has (pre/pro) on 7.1 channel. I can buy amplifier multi-channel soon to be on few months.

[Driver_King]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

Make sure you always set your receiver to match the lowest ohm rating of your speakers. When the receiver is set to 6 ohm, it can easily handle 8 ohm speakers.

Then should I go ahead and change the 8ohm setting on my 805 to 4 ohms? I thought it works best when left on 8 ohm mode?

[gearyt]

Originally Posted by Driver_King

Then should I go ahead and change the 8ohm setting on my 805 to 4 ohms? I thought it works best when left on 8 ohm mode?

yep... gotta be the lowest common demon...

[Opips2]

Receiver can handle only most 8 ohm, rare 6 ohm and NEVER 4 ohm!!

for example
a receiver is only 8 Ω and loudspeaker are 6 Ω. it's 25% overheat on receiver. it's okay!

if a receiver is 8 Ω and loudspeaker are 4 Ω. It's 50% overheat on receiver. it's short life cycle.that's very risk. A receiver can't handle only 4 ohm for loudspeaker.

Amplifier can handle on 4,6,8 Ω loudspeaker. it's expensively seperate amplifier.


Big Daddy,

I was test on, I change to setting on my receiver -2db there surround speakers. I checked SPL display show 81db avg. if 0db there speaker, SPL display show 89db avg.


I listen to center speaker is clear loud than surround speaker.
I was setting -3db on receiver for center speaker. a center speaker is 250 watts at 6 ohm.

[gearyt]

Originally Posted by Opips2

Receiver can handle only most 8 omh, rare 6 omh and NEVER 4 omh!!

It depends on the receiver, most have selector switches, and it also depends on how high you turn up the volume.... lotsa factors involved

btw... it's "ohm"

[Opips2]

Originally Posted by gearyt

It depends on the receiver, most have selector switches, and it also depends on how high you turn up the volume.... lotsa factors involved

btw... it's "ohm"

oops!

I turn up the volume -25db is normal sound. if -20db the volume is louder! I use Dolby HD 7.1 on "the nightmare before christmas"

"hellboy II" are 7.1 DTS HD Master. about -35db is normal sound and -20db is louder!

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by Opips2

Do you think Harman Kardon is great quailty in past but not now today?

There is nothing wrong with Harmon Kardon receivers. It sounds like you have one of the lower-end models. You can upgrade your receiver to a higher-end Harmon Kardon or any other receiver.

Don't worry so much about dbs on your speakers. The actual number is a relative number and is meaningless. Make sure that all your receivers have the same level (approximately 75db) at your listening position. If a speakers is +4db and another is -6db, it is ok.

Most receivers cannot handle low impedance speakers. Some have a switch and can handle 6 ohm speakers, but at reduced performance. Others do not have a switch and will handle both 6 or 8 ohm. Most receivers cannot handle 4 ohm speakers. Some companies like Axiom will not sell you their top speakers (rated 4 ohm) if you have a receiver. They will only sell those speakers to people with separate amplifiers.

If your speakers are rated 6 ohm or 4 ohm and your receiver is set at 8 ohm and you happen to like your music and movies very loud, you may not experience any problems in the short run. However, you are slowly decreasing the life of your receiver in the long run.

It is like people who party their entire lives and die happy at 40 or people who do everything in moderation and live to be 100.

[Driver_King]

The 805 can properly handle 4Ohm loads and has been for a few months with no problems. I've just wondered what the difference would be if I had it on 4Ohm mode when my fronts are only 4ohm and the rest are probably 8ohm.

[gearyt]

Originally Posted by Driver_King

The 805 can properly handle 4Ohm loads and has been for a few months with no problems. I've just wondered what the difference would be if I had it on 4Ohm mode when my fronts are only 4ohm and the rest are probably 8ohm.

My M&K's, except the rear surounds are 4, my 705 is doing a great job at keeping them busy. Volume is restricted to approx 75 due to wife factor
My DSP-A1 did well with them for years before being retired to bedroom

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by Driver_King

The 805 can properly handle 4Ohm loads and has been for a few months with no problems. I've just wondered what the difference would be if I had it on 4Ohm mode when my fronts are only 4ohm and the rest are probably 8ohm.

If you receiver is not made to handle 4 ohm speakers, you may not experience any problems in the short run. However, as I explained in the previous post, you are pushing your receiver and may damage it in the long run.

Edit: A receiver that is set to 4 ohm can easily handle 8 ohm speakers.

[Opips2]

Originally Posted by Driver_King

The 805 can properly handle 4Ohm loads and has been for a few months with no problems. I've just wondered what the difference would be if I had it on 4Ohm mode when my fronts are only 4ohm and the rest are probably 8ohm.

I know, I wait to see your receiver is how long life cycle.

it's slave on receiver for 4 ohm

[Driver_King]

My 805 also has 6ohm mode which is for any speakers between 4ohm and 16 ohm. 4ohm mode is only if your speakers are 4 ohms or higher but less than 6 ohms so 6ohm mode sounds best.

[Opips2]

Big Daddy,

I've a last question.


If my receiver (pre/pro) with seperates amplifier into wire to loudspeakers at any ohm. Should more increasing the life of my receiver in the long run?

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by Opips2

Big Daddy,

I've a last question.

If my receiver (pre/pro) with seperates amplifier into wire to loudspeakers at any ohm. increasing the life of my receiver in the long run?

If you amplifier can handle 4 ohm speakers, it doesn't matter what your receiver's ohm ratings are. You are bypassing the receiver's built-in amplifiers.

[Opips2]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

If you amplifier can handle 4 ohm speakers, it doesn't matter what your receiver's ohm ratings are. You are bypassing the receiver's built-in amplifiers.

oh i see, only receiver's built-in amplifiers are short life....oh i understand...

[Driver_King]

So what should I do Big Daddy? 4 or 6 ohm?

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by Driver_King

So what should I do Big Daddy? 4 or 6 ohm?

It appears that 6 ohm mode may be your best option.