8Ohm and 16Ohm speakers in a 2x12?

[DeadSkinSlayer3]

Alright; I've currently got 2 16ohm speakers in my 2x12, but I'm thinking about buying a speaker to mix in off one of our forum bro's. The problem is, his speakers are 8 ohm.

If I were to buy the 8 ohm and have it in the same cabinet as the 16ohm, how would I wire it up, and what ohmage would I set my head to?

 

[75lespaul]

Re: 8Ohm and 16Ohm speakers in a 2x12?

If I'm wrong guys, please correct me but that's a big no no. If you wire them up in series, you would have 24 ohms and in parallel you would have 12 ohms I think. The impedences would cook your amp. :smack:

 

[kmcguitars]

Re: 8Ohm and 16Ohm speakers in a 2x12?

Does your cab have a parallel output jack? I have a simiular post on the
board right now . I have two 8 ohm speakers in my cab in parallel = 16 ohms.
If i add 16 ohm ext. speaker to the cab. in parallel I should have a 8 ohm load? check my post if you can. there's a cool link.

 

[DeadSkinSlayer3]

Re: 8Ohm and 16Ohm speakers in a 2x12?

I'll go check it out...but;

If you have 2 16 ohm cab's, it becomes an 8 ohm load. if you have 2 8 ohm cabs, you have a 4 ohm load.

 

[D-EJ915]

Re: 8Ohm and 16Ohm speakers in a 2x12?

Well...you could add some high-wattage resistors into the circuit to "simulate" the additional impedance of the speaker...but I don't know exactly how that'd change the sound.

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: 8Ohm and 16Ohm speakers in a 2x12?

I don't believe you can mix impedences. You have to have 2 of the same impedence speakers in a 2x12 combo, 4 of the same in a 4x12.

 

[The Golden Boy]

Re: 8Ohm and 16Ohm speakers in a 2x12?

I'll go check it out...but;

If you have 2 16 ohm cab's, it becomes an 8 ohm load. if you have 2 8 ohm cabs, you have a 4 ohm load.

It depends on if they're in series or parallel. You can "daisy chain" cabs to "double" the impedance.

 

[The Golden Boy]

Re: 8Ohm and 16Ohm speakers in a 2x12?

Well...you could add some high-wattage resistors into the circuit to "simulate" the additional impedance of the speaker...but I don't know exactly how that'd change the sound.

The problem is a resistor isn't a reactive load- as the resistance in the speaker isn't fixed at 8 ohms or whatever, it changes as you run the speaker, and your amp is based around that.

 

[D-EJ915]

Re: 8Ohm and 16Ohm speakers in a 2x12?

Yeah, there's a bump at the low end and then it shoots off to 'infinity' as the frequency shoots up, I don't know the exact graphs but that's generally what happens for woofers.

I wasn't sure if it'd work or not, haha. I guess I just wasn't thinking clearly.