Entertainment remains the best way to make ourselves comfortable during a recess. Electronics are the major source of entertainment and the speakers and receivers/amps are inclusive. Well, mixing 6 ohm and 8 ohm speakers is possible, but there are consequences.
You are an enthusiastic electrician with the aim of mixing 6 ohm and 8 ohm speakers? Don’t worry, our article will tell you everything you need to know. A good number of these speakers are associated with excellent sound. Therefore, mixing them can leave you with an exciting sound, as long as you play with volume.
With the help of simple tools, I would wish to take you through several disciplines. By the time you are through reading our report, you will have grasped essential information on mixing 6 ohm and 8 ohm speakers. Remember, this is 21st century where we can easily acquire knowledge for DIYing.
Is there any problem mixing 6 ohm and 8 ohm speakers?
Some of my lads had a lot of things to pass when we interacted while at college when it comes to intermixing speakers rated at 6 and 8 ohm. In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with mixing 6 ohm and 8 ohm speakers. You are likely to get yourself into a problem with vast variations, such as 16 ohm and 4 ohm intermixing.
Typically, the speaker’s ohm rating determines its efficiency; simply the amount of power it can drain from your amplifier to run the speaker. Therefore, 8 ohm speakers remain the most efficient and were used many years ago when amplifiers were not so powerful. Nowadays, 6 ohm speakers are the best, but for excellent sound quality, you require a robust amplifier. When treated well, these speakers are famous for producing good bass when connected to almost all modest amplifiers.
Factors to consider when mixing 6 ohm and 8 ohm speakers
For you to achieve the best from your speakers, it’s advisable to have the following knowledge;
- Amplifier/receiver specifications
Mixing 6 ohm and 8 ohm speakers is possible, but you will have to ensure your amplifier or receiver is 6-8 switchable. Alternatively, it should be rated at 8 and 6 ohms; it can accommodate both currents. For instance, Yamaha receivers run both 8 and 6 ohm speakers. To achieve this, you are requiring changing the setting via the menu; to decide whatever you want to drive.
Checking the specifications of your amp is therefore inevitable as it educates you about the ratings. Typically, you can use 8 ohm amps with 6 ohm speakers. However, it is likely to pump out excess power at lower speaker impedance ratings.
- Volume level
Mixing 6 ohm and 8 ohm speakers drains more energy from your amplifier, reducing the lifespan of the receiver. Cranking the volume to the highest level may leave you with clipping. But, when you reduce the volume, the speakers produce better sound. We are therefore good to say that minimizing the volume is necessary to achieve impressive sound quality.
- Sound quality
The quality of sound is what you expect from a certain speaker. Connecting the right speaker to your amp therefore plays a vital role in enhancing the sound quality. Unfortunately, 6 ohm speakers tend to be unjust, meaning that they consume a lot of power. Draining such an amount of power from your amplifier puts it at risk of damaging the devices.
Such speakers tend to be power hungry at lower levels, making them lower frequency. On top of that, mid ranges are also powerful at minimized volume levels. A good example of such a device is Aiwa surround 6 ohm. The device produces great sound at lower levels than higher volumes; it distorts, draining more power from the amplifier.
Wiring 6 ohm and 8 ohm speakers
On occasions where you are having 6 ohm speakers at the center and 8 ohm in front, there is not a big issue mixing them up. However, you should ensure the amplifier rating supports a 6-ohm speaker on the middle channel.
On the other hand, if you’ve a 6-ohm speaker on the right and an 8-ohm on the left, then there could be an issue when mixed. Yes, you are likely to experience unbalanced sound quality because one of the speakers will be getting more power compared to the other. Additionally, your amplifier will experience unstable load, which is dangerous as it can damage it.
Note: Some amplifiers are associated with challenges when it comes to too low impedance. Thermal problems are involved. However, the impedance ratings an amplifier sees from your speaker can be quite complicated and it should therefore not be used to determine how loud the speaker sounds. This is a totally different characteristic and therefore mixing 6 ohm and 8 ohm speakers should be a non-issue from thermal perspectives but in one condition; don’t connect the speakers in parallel.
You might be interested to read our complete guides about Can I Use 6 Ohm Speakers With 4 Ohm Amp?
FAQs:
- I want to connect multiple 8-ohm speakers. Is it possible?
It depends on whether you want to use a parallel or series method of connection. For instance, if you own two 8-ohm speakers, connected in parallel format, you will get 4 ohms net impedance. You arrive at this after dividing 8 by 2. Alternatively if you have three 8-ohm speakers, the net impedance will be 2.66 ohms.
- What will happen if I connect 8-ohm speakers on my 6-ohm receiver?
Using speakers with higher impedance ratings i.e., 6 vs. 8, you are likely to experience lower sound levels. Higher impedance reduces power transfer to your speakers.
- Can I really mix speakers of varying impedance?
Leave alone mixing, you can even match them. Therefore you don’t have to hesitate mixing them if you have one in the backyard. In fact mixing and matching them can equip you with unique sound quality.
Final words
With the help of our above knowledge, you can realize that it is possible to mix 6 ohm and 8 ohm speakers. However, there are also reliable considerations that we have discussed too. Therefore, these factors should guide you when mixing the speakers for better results.
