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Any Reason My Amp Should Be Louder @ 8 Ohms?

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  • Any Reason My Amp Should Be Louder @ 8 Ohms?

    Vs 16 Ohms?

    I’m demoing a 2x12 cab with V30 clones in it, not sure what brand, probably some Chinese knockoff speakers...there are no labels on them. Not the best quality I’m sure. At any rate, the speakers are 8 ohm each, cab wired at 16 ohm. My amp is a DSL40C, not the CR. In my combo, with one 8 ohm 75 W Creamback in, the amp is, to me, noticeably louder and has more dynamics than when I unplug the internal speaker and plug in the extension cab. The extension can still sounds good, I just have to turn up the amp volume to get to the same room level as before.

    Also, with the Creamback, standing in front of my amp on channel 1 Red, gain at 2:00, volume at 3, I can hold an A chord and it will just develop into the most glorious feedback. It will not do that plugged into the 2x12, even with the volume on 5. It’s just a little more dull and bland with the 2x12.

    Is it possible that my amp just sounds better at 8 ohms? If so, next question is can two 8 ohm speakers be wired to run at 8 ohms? (I am terrible at electrical stuff, sorry). If so, will they sound ok wired like that? Like my amp at 8 ohms, or am I looking at having to replace the speakers to get a good 8ohm sound? Parallel vs Series and all that jazz.

    If I buy this cab, I my plan is to put my 75W Creamback in the cab, to replace one of the V30 clones, especially if it can be rewired to run at 8 ohm and sound good. Then I have a 65W Creamback in 16 Ohm that I will sell to get either another 65w Creamback or another 75w Creamback, but probably 65w, to have a mix of speakers in the cab.

    Looking forward to your input.
    Play more guitar.

  • #2
    All watts into less quantity higher efficiency speaker(s) : louder

    Some watts split to higher quantity lower efficiency speakers:
    quieter


    Also, where are you from? If America, be aware that a cab with bad sounding noname NOT-v30s of unknown origin is next to worthless here. For example, I sold a headless 212 combo shell with 2 Bugera speakers that worked a hell of a lot better than what you described for the princely sum of $40.
    Last edited by Adieu; 01-21-2021, 11:51 PM.
    "New stuff always sucks" -Me

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    • #3
      Yes, I am in America. So the issue is likely just the crappy V30 Chinese Clones, not the Ohms.....is that what I’m hearing you say? I’ve always had real Celestions and only Celestions, so that is my only reference point. I am replacing the speakers anyhow and getting the cab for a deal, so not too worried about what I’m spending.

      More worried about if I need to rewire to a different ohm to get the best sound so speakers can be replaced.
      Play more guitar.

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      • #4
        Definitely wire it the same way it is now (series for a 16ohm total from the two 8ohm speakers).
        If you wired it parallel the load would go down to 4ohm total, which is very bad with that amp.

        The reason the cb75 is louder and more dynamic is simply that it's a better-toned and more efficient speaker with that heavy H magnet, plus being in a smaller 112 shell like it is makes for a more focused midrange.(some might even say narrow and/or boxy)

        The marshall is closed-back 112 right?

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        • #5
          Yes, crappy speakers = really bad tone, I learned this a long time ago after selling some nice amps to figure out it was the cabinet I was playing thru, expensive and stupid lesson for me.

          The efficiency rating of speakers will tell you how much of the energy put into them is actually turned into sound coming out of them, but on knock-offs, good luck finding that info. Also make sure the speakers are wired in series for 16 ohms, not parallel for 4 ohms, and no, no way to wire 2X 8 ohm speaker for a 8 ohm load.

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          • #6
            Crappy speakers will usually be quieter . . . but an 8 ohm speaker has less resistance and thus draws twice the power from your amp as a 16 ohm speaker.

            Given two otherwise identical speakers into the same amp, one 16 ohm and one 8 ohm - 8 ohm should be louder.



            (Also, 16 vs 8 ohm speakers of the same type will sound similar but different. You may find you prefer the 8 ohm version of one speaker or the 16 ohm version of another - but that's another can of worms.)
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            • #7
              Originally posted by GuitarStv View Post
              Crappy speakers will usually be quieter . . . but an 8 ohm speaker has less resistance and thus draws twice the power from your amp as a 16 ohm speaker.

              Given two otherwise identical speakers into the same amp, one 16 ohm and one 8 ohm - 8 ohm should be louder.



              (Also, 16 vs 8 ohm speakers of the same type will sound similar but different. You may find you prefer the 8 ohm version of one speaker or the 16 ohm version of another - but that's another can of worms.)
              That is true for a SS amp, not for a tube amp, hence why you have separate jacks for different impedance speakers on a tube amp, they are tapping off different places on the output transformer to keep the load consistent on the power tubes. The output wattage stays relatively consistent if you are matching the speaker impedance to the correct jack.

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              • #8
                Devastone is correct. A tube-based amp produces the same wattage regardless for each of its output taps. This of course assumes that you plug in the appropriate load into that tap. If you plug an 8ohm speaker into the 16ohm tap, you will dissipate more wattage through the OT. This also changes the sound because it loads the power tubes up differently too. In either case, tube amps work differently than SS ones as it relates to power dissipation and speaker ohms.

                I think in your case, you just have vastly different efficiency speakers. The Celestion is probably a solid 98db or more at 1 watt of power. The China knock-offs may simply be less sensitive producing less output at 1 watt? The loading of the different cabinets may also be a part of things. With a SS amp, adding a second speaker and running it in parallel would achieve a higher output. You would have more power going into 2 speakers as opposed to one. With a tube amp, it works a bit differently. Because the power is the same regardless of the output tap, whether you have 1 speaker at 16ohms or 10 speakers that = 16ohms, the power supplied is still the same.

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                • #9
                  Thanks everyone for the information. Electronics are my weak spot. I’ve learned a lot and have figured out for the most part what the issues are. Crappy speakers are crappy speakers, but it’s all good. I’ll get the cab sorted, and then I’ll get some pics up.
                  Play more guitar.

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