4 ohm speakers

Willy6

AK Subscriber
Subscriber
A friend of mine has 4 ohm speakers and wants to figure out what amp or receiver is compatible...Any input is greatly appreciated..
 
All amps that can handle 4 Ohms. It usually say what it can do in the specs.

Note: If he has an amp that is 4Ohm to 16Ohm capable, you can only use one 4Ohm speaker per channel. Do not hook up two (a/b) because then the amp must be 2Ohm stable.


I hope he isn't trying to use car speakers in a much bigger room aka house?
 
If he has an amp that is 4Ohm to 16Ohm capable, you can only use one 4Ohm speaker per channel
Actually he could hook up to 4 speakers @4 ohms if wired in series for a 16ohm load in that case.
There are plenty home speakers that are a 4 ohm nominal load.
 
Actually he could hook up to 4 speakers @4 ohms if wired in series for a 16ohm load in that case.
There are plenty home speakers that are a 4 ohm nominal load.
Not sure why but when he hooks it up to his carver amp it heats up and then goes into protection and Im not sure how to reduce the speaker ohms to make it work with that amp?
 
Which model Carver amplifier does your friend have? We'll start there, also what model speakers are we discussing here as well?
 
Not sure why but when he hooks it up to his carver amp it heats up and then goes into protection and Im not sure how to reduce the speaker ohms to make it work with that amp?

You have to increase what you call "speaker ohms" in the speaker.. I doubt you can make the amp more forgiving for small loads.
 
If you want to be absolutely secure operating 4 ohm speakers look for units capable of driving three 8 ohm speakers simultaneously ie. 2.66 ohms. The other choice is a Mcintosh unit with autoformers. Some Mcintosh integrateds have 2 ohm taps. All their older separates units will easily accommodate 4 ohms.

That said read about your speakers carefully, most manufacturers list not only their nominal impedance, but their minimum impedance. If the min is anything below 2.5 you can get into trouble real fast. Buyer beware.
 
I don't know that I've ever seen a home speaker rated at less than 4 ohms, yet some speakers will happily ruin your amp that was advertised as 4 ohm capable.

What speakers? What amp?
 
A speakers impedance can vary a lot through its frequency range, Both of these are rated 4 ohm nominal
The first one's impedance sits just above 2 ohms throughout a wide frequency range
IMG_1867.JPG IMG_1868.JPG
 
1. Far as I know, any Carver amp should be able to drive a 4-ohm nominal load per channel. Carver-branded amps are old, they were built with some questionable and sometimes "unique" parts, and every one of them needs to be rebuilt unless that's been done already. First Guess: The problem is not the speaker, it's the Carver which needs to be serviced.

2. It's not just the rated impedance, the reactance can also affect the amplifier. No-one talks about speaker and cable reactance.
 
The model number is MXR-130.does anyone know anything about this model?and where can I find a service manual.
 
I like 4 ohm speakers and have learned to use separates. Much more satisfying and you are never wondering if the speaker sounds it's best. I suspect some of the Yamaha receivers and the bigger Kenwood and Pioneer would do alright, but you aren't hearing the speaker at its best. And it's best is very very good, model depending, of course! :)
 
"Separates" implies any separate amp/preamp combo can handle 4 ohm speakers. That's a pretty wide net. You'd want to look at the specs when considering ANY piece of equipment regardless of its format.

As for where to find info on this amp, Google is your friend. Type in Carver followed by the model # to find reviews etc. Add "manual" to that to find the manual or "specs" to find specs. HifiEngine has a service manual (probably more than you need) but does not list the owner's manual. Someone should have it, but if you can find the specs listed even in a review article that's enough.
 
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