4 ohm or 8 ohm tap on old tube amps?

You can decide which tap you like better based on person taste, but you should also listen for which tap gives better power transfer. One tap should sound more powerful and that is the tap that matches best with your speakers.

Since speakers are not a consistent impedance over there whole frequency range you really have to try both taps and see which you prefer.
Alan

One advantage of using the 4- versus 8-Ohm tap is that the amp will have twice the damping factor so the bass probably will sound better damped...which may be better or may be worse.
.

Yes I heard about the damping factor. My bass is really tight for an old tube amp, and I wonder if the system will be less so on the 8 ohm tap. I'll try it tonight and post back.

BTW I read on some site that Sid Smith and Saul Marantz disagreed about whether there should be a low frequency filter built into the 8B to filter out turntable rumble, so they compromised and made the "test" outputs without the filter (as Saul wanted) and the normal outputs with it, as Sid Smith wanted. So the "test" outs are the ones to use.

Jim

I think user name KT88 gives an idea of what happens in this other thread.