Is It Possible To Mix Ohm's in a 4x12?

[DeadSkinSlayer3]

I don't remember if we got an answer to this question, and the search function turned up nothing...

So, say I have 2 16 ohm speakers and 2 8 ohm speakers. Is it possible to mix the two in the same cabinet, from the same jack? I'm thinking that if you wired them up in series-parallel, you'd get 12 ohms, and running an 8 ohm head into that wouldn't hurt it?

 

[Animal]

Re: Is It Possible To Mix Ohm's in a 4x12?

Me want to know too.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Is It Possible To Mix Ohm's in a 4x12?

You guys will get all kinds of answers on this going both to the yes and to the no...to be plain and simple with an answer...Don't do it!

 

[muttonchopsrule]

Re: Is It Possible To Mix Ohm's in a 4x12?

if you wire the 8 ohm pair in series to get 16 ohms, and the 16 ohm pair in parallel to get 8 ohms, then wire the two pairs in parallel, you'd get 5.3 ohms (unless i screwed that up somehow).

you could do it safely with a pair of 16 ohm speakers and a pair of 4 ohm speakers, and get a total impedence of 16 ohms. but i'm gioing to go with the guy on this one...it's always safer to match up properly.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Is It Possible To Mix Ohm's in a 4x12?

It´s possible from an electrical standpoint with 4 and 16 ohm speakers, but not a generally recommended practice. Most popular speakers are available in different impedances anyway, so it´s really not necessary to.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Is It Possible To Mix Ohm's in a 4x12?

There's two issues. The impedence will always be off, although it probably won't hurt your amp to be mismatched a little. The other issue is that the 8 ohm speakers will be a little louder and brighter than the 16ohm speakers.

I'd do it, just to put the cab together and use it, but in the meantime, I'd have a couple speakers for sale, waiting for the right ones.