series vs. parallel speaker wiring....sonic difference?

[kevlar3000]

series vs. parallel speaker wiring....sonic difference?

As to the bigger factor, if you ain't tried it?? It makes a very noticeable difference to me.

[zzmoore]

Re: series vs. parallel speaker wiring....sonic difference?

I just have more 16 ohm amps, my Traynor's only see 8 ohms, but the mismatch to 16 gives a bit more grind.

Yeah...it is the Impedance difference....not the series vs parallel.
I guess if a guy could play the same speakers, wired for the same load in series and parallel, and then identify which is which in a blind test.......

[kevlar3000]

Re: series vs. parallel speaker wiring....sonic difference?

Just gonna have to agree to disagree on this.

[zzmoore]

Re: series vs. parallel speaker wiring....sonic difference?

Just gonna have to agree to disagree on this.

Nothing "wrong" with that.
But let me ask you this.....have you ever done it.? (that is to say...in a blind test, with somebody else making the changes)
Have you ever been able to toggle between the same speakers, but one set // and the other set series.?
The closest I have ever come was with Eminence Private Jacks.
2x 8 at 4 Ohms and 2x 8 at 16 Ohms.
Not exact, but about as close as you can come.....of course the caveat is that you are running a Multi-Tap OT. Ideally it would be the same. One way has more current and less voltage.....the other (of course) has less current and more voltage.
I had just 2 players and a Marshall 1986 clone. Neither of those 2 guys could tell me which was which on a consistent basis.
Of course, "my experiment" would need to be repeated several times with many players to say it was definitive.....but I did make an effort.
In the end (as you imply).....it really only matters what each player hears.
I hate posts where some guy gets shot on because he preferred a PV Classic 30 over a Two Rock and a Red Plate.
good luck

[kevlar3000]

Re: series vs. parallel speaker wiring....sonic difference?

If you read my posts completely, yes. A Traynor Bassmaster with 8ohm Hammond iron, 2 2/12 cabs one wired par with 2-16 ohm celestion g12-65, the other wired series with 2 4ohm Emi squareback. Both speakers I am a huge fan of. One Sunn vertical 2-12 cab and one Traynor Vertical 2-12, both similar size and sound. I heard the difference so clearly that the Sunn cab was sold. I know the difference between the sound of ohm mismatching as I do it all the time, this was not the same. With 40 vintage amps, currently 7 different cabs, and a soldering iron I have used extensively, I have been able to do pretty much all the sonic experiments I have wanted vs just theorize on what they might be. I am extremely hands on with TONES vs a singular tone. Generally speaking, you change one thing sonically, it will always change another thing. I remember the days of folks saying there was no difference in the sound of an orange drop or a mustard cap, a Brit tube or a Russian tube, a tone cap in a guitar , and on and on. I as I stated I try the things I am curious about, and feel good enough about my ears to type about it.

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: series vs. parallel speaker wiring....sonic difference?

If you read my posts completely, yes. A Traynor Bassmaster with 8ohm Hammond iron, 2 2/12 cabs one wired par with 2-16 ohm celestion g12-65, the other wired series with 2 4ohm Emi squareback. Both speakers I am a huge fan of. One Sunn vertical 2-12 cab and one Traynor Vertical 2-12, both similar size and sound. I heard the difference so clearly that the Sunn cab was sold. I know the difference between the sound of ohm mismatching as I do it all the time, this was not the same. With 40 vintage amps, currently 7 different cabs, and a soldering iron I have used extensively, I have been able to do pretty much all the sonic experiments I have wanted vs just theorize on what they might be. I am extremely hands on with TONES vs a singular tone. Generally speaking, you change one thing sonically, it will always change another thing. I remember the days of folks saying there was no difference in the sound of an orange drop or a mustard cap, a Brit tube or a Russian tube, a tone cap in a guitar , and on and on. I as I stated I try the things I am curious about, and feel good enough about my ears to type about it.

... which underlines one of my favorite things about guitar playing; there are so many ways you can approach the craft from the purely electrical/engineering/scientific to the unschooled 'artiste', and all points in between. I doff my virtual hat to people like yourself and zzmore that are willing to put that much time and effort into chasing down 'the truth'; it's simply not in me.

[JeffB]

Re: series vs. parallel speaker wiring....sonic difference?

Well this has become interesting the reason I ask was I going to grab an empty 2x12. I have. an 8ohm g12m EVHeritage that I love more than anything barring old blackbacks and grey backs 12m/12h speakers I had way back when. I would buy another 8 ohm evh.

My amp will handle 8 or 16 ohms, but in messing with various speakers the amp seems to sound better to me with an 8 ohm load. Bigger, fuller.

Its all just knowledge points for me...I am mostly worried that the evh 12ms would not sound as good as a 16 ohm load.

[uOpt]

Re: series vs. parallel speaker wiring....sonic difference?

Is there one? Assume the amp can handle the load regardless of homage.

"Handle" as in you can switch it, right?

The ohm speaker switch on a tube amp works by cutting out parts of the output transformer. You run more or less of the output transformer. That has an instant impact on the sound both from saturation effects on the output transformer, and on the output impedance of the amp which influences how much it grabs on to the speakers (to stop them when the signal goes away).

[JeffB]

Re: series vs. parallel speaker wiring....sonic difference?

The amp has a single speaker jack, which is rated for 8 or 16 ohms. No switch like an old Marshall or separate Jacks for each ohmage load. AIQ is a HK Tubemeister 18.

[zzmoore]

Re: series vs. parallel speaker wiring....sonic difference?

I read your post completely.....that is why I asked.
good luck

[kevlar3000]

Re: series vs. parallel speaker wiring....sonic difference?

... which underlines one of my favorite things about guitar playing; there are so many ways you can approach the craft from the purely electrical/engineering/scientific to the unschooled 'artiste', and all points in between. I doff my virtual hat to people like yourself and zzmore that are willing to put that much time and effort into chasing down 'the truth'; it's simply not in me.

In various forums I frequent there have been fabulous opinions about what gas to run in old merc outboards, what two stroke oil, what prop, what gas in old motorcycles, what tuner for a Mustang, what guitar strings, what amp, what cord..... You see my point, we live in a world of truths. My improv nature is simply to tinker until I like it, then when I get bored, I tinker some more. To answer the question, Penzoil Sythethic blend 2 stroke, with non oxy fuel only.

[zzmoore]

Re: series vs. parallel speaker wiring....sonic difference?

"Handle" as in you can switch it, right?

The ohm speaker switch on a tube amp works by cutting out parts of the output transformer. You run more or less of the output transformer. That has an instant impact on the sound both from saturation effects on the output transformer, and on the output impedance of the amp which influences how much it grabs on to the speakers (to stop them when the signal goes away).

The "saturation" you speak of is an effect created by the Primary winding.....Not the secondary......and the primary winding does not change.
It will all track the same. The 4 Ohm tap will provide more current and less voltage.....the 16 Ohm tap the opposite. The reflected Impedance to the power tubes will be the same.....they will not know the difference.