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Nikko Alpha III 8 ohm to 4 ohm

A

audiac

New Member
hi i have a nikko alpha III it is 8-16 ohm Rated buuuut i just figured out later in the nikko production they did something to make them 4 ohm compatible i know this because a guy is selling one and had some but not much useful info if anybody knows anything please announce it i´d be have happy to know more he said something about some stuff in the protectioncircuit
 
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Adda said:
The Alpha III runs pretty hot, it might run significantly hotter at 4 ohms.
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yes it will but the thing is that the first alpha 3´s that were produced were 8-16 ohm but later in production nikko changed something that made them 4-16 ohm compatible and i wanna know what did they do, did they change the pcb or just some components later in production
both pics are from the back of a nikko alpha 3
1738584945492.png1738585022805.png
 
audiac said:
yes it will but the thing is that the first alpha 3´s that were produced were 8-16 ohm but later in production nikko changed something that made them 4-16 ohm compatible and i wanna know what did they do, did they change the pcb or just some components later in production
both pics are from the back of a nikko alpha 3
View attachment 3417401View attachment 3417402
Click to expand...

Well later Nikko amps are not MOSFET designs like the Alpha III, it's unique in the Nikko lineup.
The reason why later Alpha III's do 4 ohms i I donno.
 
Adda said:
Well later Nikko amps are not MOSFET designs like the Alpha III, it's unique in the Nikko lineup.
The reason why later Alpha III's do 4 ohms i I donno.
Click to expand...
yeah but the whole I/II/III series is mos and from my understanding there was not much changed but di not get so many specifics from my understanding the layout should most likely be the same
 
Hmm maybe take a look at the output MOSFETs are they the same on both? should be but who knows.
 
Nikko made many on the fly changes in this era.

Very common to find that the sm doesn't agree with the installed components, always a few silkscreen errors too. Just be sure to confirm values with your actual unit.
 
I would only run 4 ohm speakers on an amp that "had a rating" for "continuous use" (i.e, RMS) at 4 ohms, like 100 wpc @ 4ohm RMS. If it does not have that rating in the SM, then you risk damaging the amp. The service manual may also give the max watts at 8 ohm, if that is less than what the 4 ohm speakers will draw, you can again damage the amp.

Instantaneous ratings for 4 ohm and 2 ohm are not the same as a continuous rating.


And note that in the two pictures you posted for the II and III, they have the same wattage, 580. So it may be like what RVT1K said, they caved to market pressure without changing anything!
 
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One suggestion for anyone who wants to power speakers that present a difficult load with an amp that might not be up to the task is autoformers. Last I knew, there was a company making them. You will probably have to order a pair. The primary side presents a steady 8 ohm load to the amp regardless of what the speaker does, nominal impedance, fluctuations, etc. I don't know all of the pros and cons of using them, never tried them, but I would definitely want them between a lot of amps and certain speakers on the market.

One time, I was in the MHT section of BB and the sales rep was playing music through a Denon receiver and Martin Logan speakers. I love the sound of late model Denon amps, but I would not trust one to hold up to the demands of those speakers. I would most definitely use autoformers with that setup.
 
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