[SOLVED!] 4 Ohm Amp Into 8 Ohm Speaker: A Beginner’s Guide

Once it comes to amplifier and speaker pairing, 4 Ohm amp into 8 Ohm speaker is a topic that piques the curiosity of many music enthusiasts. You intend to hook up 4 Ohm amp to 8 Ohm speaker and want to know what to expect from the setup? Then it’s highly likely that this article is going to be of use to you. Down below is everything that you must know before running 4 Ohm amp alongside 8 Ohm speaker. 

Summary

All in all, if you have the skills and tools, it’s possible to connect 4 Ohm amp to 8 Ohm speaker. In times of need, you could even wire a single 4 Ohm amp to two 8 Ohm speakers that share the same wattage rating in parallel. While the setup won’t damage your amplifier and speaker, it’s going to result in less power output for each speaker. However, the amount of distortion should be low in most of the cases which is a big plus. 

Note: Keep in mind that the reverse (4 Ohm speaker and 8 Ohm amp) is not practical, The heat buildup over time could damage the amp as well as the speaker. 

Connecting One 4 Ohm Amp To Two 8 Ohm Speakers: Insights

If you wire two 8 Ohm speakers in series, the impedance will be doubled (16 Ohm). On the other hand, if you wire two 8 Ohm speakers in parallel, the impedance will halve to 4 Ohm which lets them work alongside the 4 Ohm speaker.

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A Guide On Impedance 

Breakdown

In essence, the impedance determines the degree of resistance of a circuit/components in a circuit to electrical current. The higher the Ohm, the more significant opposition to the power flow experience. Another concept of impedance is nominal impedance which is the average impedance of the components. 

Importance

Many users have already known that poor impedance between the amplifier and the speaker can lead to amplifier/speaker damages, excessive clipping, low-quality sound, etc. Hence, whenever you buy new amps and speakers, you should pay attention to the impedance which is calculated in Ohm. At all times, the overall speakers’ impedance must match the amp’s impedance to ensure smooth operation. If you neglect to match the impedance, the setup can be damaged. 

Mismatches of impedance lead to speakers receiving inadequate currents in the course of operation. If the issue is not addressed in time, the setup could burn and all of its components would sustain damages. 

Wiring In Series And Parallel: Insights

A series connection includes all components connecting end-to-end to create an individual path for the current flow. Meanwhile, a parallel connection consists of all components linking across each other via electrically common points. 

The nature of the connections means impedance varies even if they use the same components. In a series connection, the impedance will be added up. For example, with two 8 Ohm speakers in a series connection, the overall impedance will be 16 Ohm. On the other hand, the impedance will be halved in a parallel connection. With the same two 8 Ohm speakers, when wired in a parallel connection, the overall Ohm will be 4 Ohm. 

TOTAL IMPEDANCE = 11IMPEDANCE 1 + 1IMPEDANCE 2 + …