You can’t change the impedance of a 16-ohm speaker to an 8-ohm speaker. If you remove half the turns from the voice coil, one might (and I emphasize might) wind up with an 8-ohm speaker. On the other hand, you have changed the capacitance of the coil, which has an impact on impedance.
The more severe issue is that the power rating is partially determined by the maximum rated current that the coil can withstand before burning out. Because of the principles of ohms and watts, you could only reduce the power rating by half if you didn’t change the magnet wire diameters.
This article includes tips on how to change different ohms. You will find answers to frequently asked questions. You will need to follow every given step or guideline keenly to avoid mistakes or confusion. Where the need is, contact an expert for a more straightforward workflow.
Situations where you can change speaker impedance with resistors
- To use a more miniature impedance speaker than you might ordinarily use an amplifier or audio system. When a lower impedance speaker is required, a higher impedance speaker should be used.
- However, it is pretty useful when using speakers that have crossovers and in a few other circumstances that you may encounter. If you want to use a speaker with a higher impedance than what is needed for a stereo or amplifier, that is usually not an issue. As provided that the speaker impedance is equal to or greater than the minimum Ohms rating of a stereo or amplifier, it will operate safely.
Increasing the total speaker impedance by use of resistors
You can use resistors in series to increase the total resistance that the stereo or amplifier perceives, as illustrated in my figure above if you plan on utilizing a speaker with a lower impedance than the stereo or amps. Using this method, you can safely avoid heating and damaging the devices you’re connecting to.
Here’s what you’ll need:
i. To raise the speaker impedance as required, plug a resistor with the appropriate resistance (Ohms) value and with at least 1/2 the power rating of the stereo or amplifier’s power output rating. For example, to power a 50W/channel stereo, you’d use a power capacitor with a value of 25W or more significant.
ii. Protect any exposed resistance leads with electrical tape to not short to speaker wire or other metal components. Ensure that the speaker or resistor wire is completely covered and not exposed when working with them.
iii. By connecting resistors in series, you may effectively double or triple the impedance of your speaker.
Decreasing total speaker impedance by use of a resistor
In addition to increasing speaker impedance when connected to an amplifier or receiver, it is also possible to efficiently reduce speaker impedance. Although this isn’t something you’ll often encounter, there are a few instances in which knowing how to do it comes in quite handy. For example,
i. Differentiating between speaker crossovers that have differing impedance.
ii. While you wait for replacements for the original speakers, you can temporarily use additional speakers.
iii. If you replace outmoded speakers with the next best ones you can locate, you must ensure that their impedances are compatible.
- In this situation, putting resistors in series with each other will reduce the overall speaker load visible.
To accomplish this, the procedure is much the same as joining resistors in series, with the primary difference being that you will wire it in parallel rather than series:
i. Decide on the resistor value you’ll need in Ohms (typically the same as your speaker’s resistance: for example, to get a crossover, see a 4 with an eight-speaker, you’ll connect an eight resistor in parallel with the four resistors.
ii. To use a resistor with a speaker wire and a speaker, link the resistor towards the positive and negative terminals of the device (you do not have to connect the resistor directly to the speaker if that is a concern).
iii. Ensure that any uncovered speaker wire or resistor leads are completely covered and insulated so that they do not produce a short-circuit with neighbouring wiring or metal.
- If you damage the cone, surround, spider, or other components of the speaker by disassembling it, no amount of coil wrapping expertise will be used. As a result, it would be advisable to either reconfigure the 16-ohm speaker with just an 8-ohm kit or sell the speaker and purchase an 8-ohm device. Depending on the company, you may buy a speaker kit and assemble it yourself, which is a relatively simple task if done correctly.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- What does ohm rating in speakers mean?
Answer; when measuring speaker impedance or resistance, the unit of measurement is called an ‘OHM.’ It is easier for an amplifier to effectively send power to a speaker when the speaker’s impedance is low, measured in Ohms. Impedance ratings of 4, 8, or 16 OHMs are commonly found in speakers.
Conclusion
Speakers are not precisely the same as resistors. Their impedance varies depending on the sound frequency they are playing in different places due to inductance and how an alternating current (AC) harmonic signal affects the voice coil. As a result, adding a resistor can somewhat affect the sound, as it can lead a speaker to perform slightly different ways across the entire spectrum of sound frequencies. However, for most parts, this is not a significant problem. Recognize that if you detect a difference, this could be the reason for your observations.
The tweeter is often more efficient (has a greater decibel output) than the other speakers in a speakers system. When it comes to this situation, a mismatch is sometimes referred to as “too bright.” When tweeters are mismatched with intermediate or woofer full-range speakers, the sound is harsh and unnatural, and the music sounds distorted and strange. As a result of the fact that tweeters are shorter and operate in a slightly different manner than more prominent speakers such as midrange or woofers, it is not uncommon for them to sound overly “bright.”