Using resistors, you can alter the load which the amplifier perceives, but you will permanently lose more power than you acquire. You can connect an 8-ohm resistor in line with an 8-ohm speaker to create a 16-ohm load. You’ll lose 6 dB of output, and the amplifier’s practical damping factor will decrease to roughly 1 (meaning the bottom end will become boomer and looser).
You can connect a 16-ohm resistor in series with a 16-ohm speaker to create an 8-ohm load, but half of the power from your amplifier will be squandered on that parallel resistor. Alternatively, you can have the speakers re-coned and indicate that the new voice coil has the impedance you like, but in that case, it is no longer the same speaker.
The difficulty with resistors is that they are not reactive. Thus they will not respond in the same way as speakers, which have greater impedance at specific wavelengths and lower impedance at the others; parallel resistors alter the speaker’s tone entirely. The article has the answers to the frequently asked questions.
Conditions in which resistors are used to modify the impedance of speakers
- The use of amplification or an audio system allows you to use a speaker with lower impedance than you would otherwise use. Whenever a lesser impedance speaker is desired, a more extraordinary impedance speaker must be utilized instead of the reverse.
- However, it is pretty handy when using speakers who have crossovers and in a few different situations that you may come across in your music listening journeys. If you use another speaker with a higher impedance than what is required for a stereo or amplifier, this is usually not a problem to overcome. Provided the speaker impedance is equal to or greater than that of the minimum Ohms rating of a system or amplifier, it will work acceptably.
How resistors are used to increase the total impedance of the speaker
Suppose you plan on using a speaker with a lesser impedance than the stereo or amplifier. In that case, you can use resistors in series to raise the total resistance which the stereo or amplifier sees, as represented in my image above. By employing this strategy, you can avoid overheating and harming the equipment to which you are connecting.
What you’ll need;
i. To boost the speaker impedance to the needed level, connect a resistor with the suitable resistance (Ohms) value with a power rating of at least 1/2 the scale of the audio or amplifier’s power output rating to the speaker terminals. For example, a power capacitor with a rating of 25W or larger would be required to power a 50W/channel audio system.
ii. Using electrical tape to cover any exposed resistance leads to not damaging the speaker wire or other metal parts. When working with speakers or resistors, always ensure that the cables are entirely covered and not exposed.
iii. You can essentially double or triple the impedance of the speaker by connecting resistors in series.
Using a resistor to lower the total speaker impedance
Furthermore, when a speaker is linked to an amplifier or receiver, it is feasible to decrease speaker impedance effectively. The ability to do this will come in handy in a few situations, although it isn’t something you’ll encounter very often. Consider the following example:
i. Distinguishing between speaker crossovers with varying impedances.
ii. You can temporarily employ additional speakers while you are waiting for the replacement of the old speakers.
iii.It is necessary to check that the impedances of obsolete speakers and the next best ones you can find are compatible with replacing them.
- Putting resistors in series together will minimize the overall speaker load evident in this case.
It is pretty similar to connecting resistors in series to do this, with the critical difference being that you will connect it in parallels rather than series:
i. Determine the Ohms value of the resistor you’ll need (this usually is the same as the resistance of your speakers: for example, to create a crossover between a four and an eight-speaker, you’ll connect an eight resistor in parallel with the four resistors).
ii. For example, to utilize a resistor with a speaker wire and a speaker, you must connect the resistor to the device’s positive and negative terminals on both ends.
iii. To prevent short-circuiting with nearby wiring or metal, ensure that any exposed speaker wire or resistor leads are thoroughly covered and insulated.
ü If you disassemble a speaker and damage the cone, surrounds, spider, or other speaker components, no quantity of coil wrapping expertise will help. As a result, it would be prudent to either configure the 16-ohm speaker with only an 8-ohm kit or sell your speaker and get an 8-ohm device. Depending on the brand, you may be able to buy a speaker kit and construct it yourself, which, if done correctly, is a reasonably straightforward operation.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- What are ohms in a speaker?
Answer; a speaker’s impedance, which is defined as the attribute of a speaker that limits the flow of electrical energy through it, is measured in ohms. Speakers with impedance ratings of 4 ohms, 8 ohms, or 16 ohms are the most commonly encountered.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the tweeter in a speakers system is frequently more efficient (has a higher decibel output) than other speakers in the system. The term “too bright” refers to a mismatch in this condition, which is sometimes described as such. When tweeters are used in conjunction with midrange or woofer full-range systems, the music is distorted and unnatural due to the mismatch. The fact that tweeters are shorter and function differently than larger systems such as midrange or woofers causes them to sound “bright” more frequently than more prominent speakers.
Speakers are not precisely the same as resistors. The impedance fluctuates depending on the amount of sound being played at different locations on the speaker’s impedance curve. As a result of inductance and how an alternating current (AC) harmonic signal interacts with the voice coil, this is the situation. A resistor can therefore affect the sound. However, in the vast majority of cases, this is not a significant issue. Acknowledge that if you notice a difference, this may be the cause of your observations.