ProSoundWeb Community

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

Pages: [1] 2  All   Go Down

Author Topic: 1 4 ohm amp 4 4 ohm speakers  (Read 9024 times)

Robert Hunt

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 14
1 4 ohm amp 4 4 ohm speakers
« on: December 03, 2012, 01:12:21 PM »

What is the correct way to wire 4 4 ohm speakers to 1 4 ohm amp? Two speakers per channel.
Logged

Charlie Zureki

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1244
  • South Eastern Michigan (near Windsor)
Re: 1 4 ohm amp 4 4 ohm speakers
« Reply #1 on: December 03, 2012, 02:48:13 PM »

What is the correct way to wire 4 4 ohm speakers to 1 4 ohm amp? Two speakers per channel.

   Robert.. can you give us some more info?  Is this a stereo receiver/amp combo? A guitar Amplifier? or a system amp for a sound system?  What kind of amp make/model?

  You could wire two speakers in series for an 8ohm load for each channel of the amp.

  Hammer
Logged
Do it the right way....don't be a Dino!

Tim Tyler

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 278
  • Richmond, Va USA
Re: 1 4 ohm amp 4 4 ohm speakers
« Reply #2 on: December 03, 2012, 03:49:16 PM »

What is the correct way to wire 4 4 ohm speakers to 1 4 ohm amp? Two speakers per channel.

1.  1 speaker per channel = 4 ohms per channel
2.  2 speakers parallel = 2 ohms per channel
3.  2 speakers series = 8 ohms per channel

-Tim T
Logged

Robert Hunt

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 14
Re: 1 4 ohm amp 4 4 ohm speakers
« Reply #3 on: December 03, 2012, 05:11:07 PM »

   Robert.. can you give us some more info?  Is this a stereo receiver/amp combo? A guitar Amplifier? or a system amp for a sound system?  What kind of amp make/model?

  You could wire two speakers in series for an 8ohm load for each channel of the amp.

  Hammer
This is a church PA set up 4 EV mains 4 ohms each, run from one amp 4 ohm output. I have a choice of a Peavy map or QSC but both are 4 ohms out. If I can't make them 4 ohm is it better to run 2 ohms parallel or 8 ohms series? Or I guess I could use two amps and run them bridged? Thoughts?
« Last Edit: December 03, 2012, 06:31:34 PM by Robert Hunt »
Logged

Ivan Beaver

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 9538
  • Atlanta GA
Re: 1 4 ohm amp 4 4 ohm speakers
« Reply #4 on: December 03, 2012, 06:55:51 PM »

This is a church PA set up 4 EV mains 4 ohms each, run from one amp 4 ohm output. I have a choice of a Peavy map or QSC but both are 4 ohms out. If I can't make them 4 ohm is it better to run 2 ohms parallel or 8 ohms series? Or I guess I could use two amps and run them bridged? Thoughts?
If the amp is only rated for 4 ohms-DO NOT run them at 2 ohms.  You risk damaging the amp at worst-and just bad sound at best.

If you must run all 4 speakers off of a single 2 channel amp-then in series (AND WIRED UP PROPERLY ELECTRICALLY-NOT JUST PHYSICALLY IN SERIES) is your option.

If you have 2 amps (4 channels) the DO NOT run them bridged.  It will be even worse than a single amp running 2ohms per side.

THe best way would be to parallel all the inputs-and hook a SINGLE speaker to each output.  Adjust levels as needed.
Logged
A complex question is easily answered by a simple-easy to understand WRONG answer!

Ivan Beaver
Danley Sound Labs

PHYSICS- NOT FADS!

duane massey

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1727
Re: 1 4 ohm amp 4 4 ohm speakers
« Reply #5 on: December 03, 2012, 11:17:36 PM »

I've never seen a 4-ohm amp :)
Logged
Duane Massey
Technician, musician, stubborn old guy
Houston, Texas

Ivan Beaver

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 9538
  • Atlanta GA
Re: 1 4 ohm amp 4 4 ohm speakers
« Reply #6 on: December 04, 2012, 07:28:45 AM »

I've never seen a 4-ohm amp :)
Do you mean an amp that is rated only down to 4 ohms?

Those used to be "the standard".  2 ohm standard is only a last decade and half type of thing.  Yeah there were older amps that could drive a lower impedance (DC300 for example), but they were rare and far between.

Some would drive a lower impedance-but with greatly reduced output.

For example a Peavey CS800   300 watt @8 ohm- 400 watts @ 4 ohm and 250 watts @ 2 ohm.

You could load them all the way down to 0 ohms and they would not break.

In fact the test for a repair was to short the outputs and drive the amp into full clip untill it overheated and shut down.  Then remove the short and if the amp still works-you did a good repair.  I did it many times.
Logged
A complex question is easily answered by a simple-easy to understand WRONG answer!

Ivan Beaver
Danley Sound Labs

PHYSICS- NOT FADS!

Brad Weber

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2208
  • Marietta, GA
Re: 1 4 ohm amp 4 4 ohm speakers
« Reply #7 on: December 04, 2012, 07:38:38 AM »

This is a church PA set up 4 EV mains 4 ohms each, run from one amp 4 ohm output.
Why four mains and how are they arranged, e.g. two left channel and two right channel, four mono, two mains and two fills, etc.?
 
 
I have a choice of a Peavy map or QSC but both are 4 ohms out. If I can't make them 4 ohm is it better to run 2 ohms parallel or 8 ohms series? Or I guess I could use two amps and run them bridged? Thoughts?
If you have two two-channel amps then that's one speaker per channel and nothing needing to be bridged, but I think there may be some confusion being caused by the references to amps versus amp channels. 
Logged

Robert Hunt

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 14
Re: 1 4 ohm amp 4 4 ohm speakers
« Reply #8 on: December 04, 2012, 09:48:00 AM »

Why four mains and how are they arranged, e.g. two left channel and two right channel, four mono, two mains and two fills, etc.?
 
 If you have two two-channel amps then that's one speaker per channel and nothing needing to be bridged, but I think there may be some confusion being caused by the references to amps versus amp channels.

There are 4 speakers that are currently running off one two channel amp. Two right speakers and two lefts. I do have the option of running  2, 2 channel amps or 4 channels total. But that brings up the problem of how do I get two left signals and two right signals from the console for each side of the amp. Both the amps I have can be run in bridged mode (8 ohms), so my thought was I could use one amp for both rights and one amp for both lefts running the speakers in series (8 ohms total also).
Logged

Rick Powell

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 921
Re: 1 4 ohm amp 4 4 ohm speakers
« Reply #9 on: December 04, 2012, 09:55:02 AM »

There are 4 speakers that are currently running off one two channel amp. Two right speakers and two lefts. I do have the option of running  2, 2 channel amps or 4 channels total. But that brings up the problem of how do I get two left signals and two right signals from the console for each side of the amp. Both the amps I have can be run in bridged mode (8 ohms), so my thought was I could use one amp for both rights and one amp for both lefts running the speakers in series (8 ohms total also).

Yes, you could do as you suggest. 

You could also get Y-cords to deliver the same signal to both sides of the amp (for each amp) while running in stereo "non bridged" mode - I'd prefer running the amp in stereo mode rather than bridged myself, this way each side of both amps are delivering @ 4 ohms.
Logged

ProSoundWeb Community

Re: 1 4 ohm amp 4 4 ohm speakers
« Reply #9 on: December 04, 2012, 09:55:02 AM »


Pages: [1] 2  All   Go Up
 



Site Hosted By Ashdown Technologies, Inc.

Page created in 0.037 seconds with 25 queries.