4 ohms vs. 16 ohms: any diff in tone?

[Lewguitar]

In a cabinet with two 8 ohm speakers we have two options:

1. Connect them in parallel and have a 4 ohm cabinet
2. Connect them in series and have a 16 ohm cabinet.

When I rewired the cabinet I put together for my friend's Vox Night Train I made it a 16 ohm cabinet because his Night Train only has an 8 ohm output and a 16 ohm output.

I used that cabinet for years as a 4 ohm cabinet and liked it but as a 16 ohm cabinet I love it. It just sounds bigger, fuller and smoother to me.

Has anyone else had a similar (or different) experience?

Always wondered why my Vox AC30 (wish I still had it) had the two speakers connected in series for 16 ohms.

And why every Fender has the speakers connected in parallel.

I suspected it was just to match the output transformer impedance but now I wonder if it makes a difference in tone. I'm wondering if 16 ohm cabs sound more "British".

That two 10 cab I rewired to 16 ohms for my friend sure seems to sound better.

 

[King IzzO)))]

Re: 4 ohms vs. 16 ohms: any diff in tone?

I've never really done the experiment myself, I did rewire my G-Flex to series, but I didn't pay all that much attention to what it sounded like before I did it. The official word is that series is more aggressive.

Sunn also wired cabs parallel.

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: 4 ohms vs. 16 ohms: any diff in tone?

If you hear any difference it would be due to the OT. The speakers themselves don't behave any differently when wired in series or parallel.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: 4 ohms vs. 16 ohms: any diff in tone?

To test this, it would take one amp with 4 ohm, 8 ohm and 16 ohm outputs. I don't have anything like that.

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: 4 ohms vs. 16 ohms: any diff in tone?

I've never really done the experiment myself, I did rewire my G-Flex to series, but I didn't pay all that much attention to what it sounded like before I did it. The official word is that series is more aggressive.

Sunn also wired cabs parallel.

The "official word" is complete BS.

When you wire two speakers of identical impedance in parallel, each one is getting half the amp's power. When you wire two speakers of identical impedance in series, each one is getting ... gee whiz, half the amp's power again!

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: 4 ohms vs. 16 ohms: any diff in tone?

To test this, it would take one amp with 4 ohm, 8 ohm and 16 ohm outputs. I don't have anything like that.

And a cab with 4, 8, and 16 ohm mono inputs, which doesn't exist AFAIK.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: 4 ohms vs. 16 ohms: any diff in tone?

The "official word" is complete BS.

Is your statement based on actual experience or theory? Seems to me that the way the speakers respond could be different. Wonder what they think about this on the audiophile type forums.

 

[King IzzO)))]

Re: 4 ohms vs. 16 ohms: any diff in tone?

The "official word" is complete BS.

When you wire two speakers of identical impedance in parallel, each one is getting half the amp's power. When you wire two speakers of identical impedance in series, each one is getting ... gee whiz, half the amp's power again!

Well, there's plenty of people whose testimony contradicts yours professor, though I concur on the OT thing. The 16 ohm tap is the end of the winding vs the middle.

Like I said, I don't know from experience.

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: 4 ohms vs. 16 ohms: any diff in tone?

Probably depends on the amp and the output transformer the amp uses, and maybe the primary impedance as well. I do think that JTM45s with KT66s sound slightly better ran through 16 ohm cabs when set on 16 ohms, than say through an 8 ohm cab set to 8 ohms.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: 4 ohms vs. 16 ohms: any diff in tone?

Did a Google search and it turns out that this question has been asked on the Gear Page and Tele Discussion Page and some Hi-Fi forums, and that the answers given are divided...just like here.

Some say no diff. Some say a subtle diff. And some say 16 ohms gives a bigger bottom with smoother treble than wiring two 8 ohm speakers to 4 ohms gives, which is what I think I heard, as did my friend.

So there may be no definitive answer.

Some hear a diff and others insist they don't.

Me? I think there is a difference but I could be fooling myself.

Wouldn't be the first time!

 

[mwalluk]

Re: 4 ohms vs. 16 ohms: any diff in tone?

I'm going throw it out there, so take it or leave it.... but the cab's ohms won't affect your tone. two 8 ohms in series is 16 ohms, while two 8 ohms in parallel is 4 ohms, regardless the speakers are still 8 ohms wired in different ways. Nothing is really changing, just how it's wired.

Think running a distortion pedal with a battery vs ac adapter. Same effect, ran different ways.

Might hear a slight difference, might not.

What actually has an MAJOR impact is the speakers themselves. My 212 cab was wired in series to 16 ohms (two 8 ohms), i replaced them with 16 ohm speakers and wired it parallel (8 ohms). That has a bigger impact since Im actually changing the speakers (in comparison to what I had previously) .

 

[CTN]

Re: 4 ohms vs. 16 ohms: any diff in tone?

There is a subtle difference, but it's essentially negligible. It doesn't change the sound of the amp really.

The difference is in the feel. Supposedly 4 ohms is more powerful/punchy, whereas 16 ohms is more detailed and fuller sounding. But that difference is so incredibly minute, it really doesn't matter. And yes, I have actually experimented with the difference on my cab.

Also, there is a way you can run 4/8/16 ohm 4x12 cabs. You can have 4/16 in mono series/parallel and parallel/series switchable wiring, and 8 ohms per channel in stereo.

I think you get more of a difference from playing with your amp's presence and depth/resonance knobs and the volume knob.

 

[mwalluk]

Re: 4 ohms vs. 16 ohms: any diff in tone?

I think you get more of a difference from playing with your knobs

THATS WHAT SHE SAID

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: 4 ohms vs. 16 ohms: any diff in tone?

There is a subtle difference, but it's essentially negligible. It doesn't change the sound of the amp really.

The difference is in the feel. Supposedly 4 ohms is more powerful/punchy, whereas 16 ohms is more detailed and fuller sounding. But that difference is so incredibly minute, it really doesn't matter.

I think you get more of a difference from playing with your amp's presence and depth/resonance knobs and the volume knob.

I guess I can feel that difference then. And so can my buddy AJ.

That's 100% of us so far, out of a sampling of two.

How a piece of equipment feels, musically speaking, is super important but it takes a skilled, sensitive and probably mature player (regardless of age) to fully appreciate it.

 

[CTN]

Re: 4 ohms vs. 16 ohms: any diff in tone?

THATS WHAT SHE SAID

hahahaha :friday:

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: 4 ohms vs. 16 ohms: any diff in tone?

I guess I can feel that difference then. And so can my buddy AJ.

That's 100% of us so far, out of a sampling of two.

How a piece of equipment feels, musically speaking, is super important but it takes a skilled, sensitive and probably mature player (regardless of age) to fully appreciate it.

Lew...I've messed with this with my Marshall 4x12 V30 cab running it with my Marshall head at both 4 ohms and 16 ohms....I totally agree in that it's in the overall "feel" of how the amp responds...Maybe it's just me Lew,but it's almost like the amp is a bit "tighter' at 4 ohms and just slightly "looser' at 16.Might be my imagination,but I don't think so? I trust my ears and years of playing,listening,etc.. ;o)

 

[trevorus]

Re: 4 ohms vs. 16 ohms: any diff in tone?

One thing I could say about the different impedance and wiring schemes is that the interaction between speakers can be a little different. I could definitely see response curves changing a bit. There is more to the interaction between amp and speaker than watts and ohms. You're dealing with a large spectrum of multi-frequency AC signal, and impedance. Resistance is more or less constant. Impedance changes with frequency.

Now, the real world effect would have to be analyzed in a more scientific and controlled way than just the human ear, if we are to make any determination of what effect it does have.

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: 4 ohms vs. 16 ohms: any diff in tone?

This is one of those things that's impossible to test properly.

If you have an amp with two or three taps on the OT that give different impedance, then of course they will sound different. That is entirely due to the OT itself though, and has nothing to do with the speakers being wired in series or in parallel. In the manual for my amp, Mesa acknowledges the difference exists. Again though, this has nothing at all to do with how the cab is wired.

I can say with certainty that electronically speaking, there is no difference in series vs. parallel wiring on a speaker cab. If you're hearing a difference, it's a result of the OT, not the speakers.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: 4 ohms vs. 16 ohms: any diff in tone?

This is one of those things that's impossible to test properly.

If you have an amp with two or three taps on the OT that give different impedance, then of course they will sound different. That is entirely due to the OT itself though, and has nothing to do with the speakers being wired in series or in parallel. In the manual for my amp, Mesa acknowledges the difference exists. Again though, this has nothing at all to do with how the cab is wired.

I can say with certainty that electronically speaking, there is no difference in series vs. parallel wiring on a speaker cab. If you're hearing a difference, it's a result of the OT, not the speakers.

I actually don't hear a tonal difference Matt...It's more of a "feel" thing...Might be just me and not really an easy topic to discuss with 100% certainty.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: 4 ohms vs. 16 ohms: any diff in tone?

I actually don't hear a tonal difference Matt...It's more of a "feel" thing...Might be just me and not really an easy topic to discuss with 100% certainty.

Lew...I've messed with this with my Marshall 4x12 V30 cab running it with my Marshall head at both 4 ohms and 16 ohms....I totally agree in that it's in the overall "feel" of how the amp responds...Maybe it's just me Lew,but it's almost like the amp is a bit "tighter' at 4 ohms and just slightly "looser' at 16.Might be my imagination,but I don't think so? I trust my ears and years of playing,listening,etc.. ;o)

I think we're hearing or feeling the same thing, John. To me the tone is more relaxed. Rounder is the word that AJ used. I think both apply. But again: I could be wrong.