Hi Gdhal,
I’ll begin my answer to your question by referring you to this Wikipedia writeup on voltage divider networks:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voltage_divider
In the first figure, consider Z1 to be the amplifier’s output impedance, Z2 to be the speaker’s impedance, Vout to be the voltage seen by the speaker, and Vin to be the voltage the amplifier would be putting out if no load were connected (putting aside the fact that tube amps should not be operated without a load). Vin, in other words, corresponds to the voltage provided to the amplifier’s input at any instant of time multiplied by some gain factor.
If Z1 is significantly greater than zero (i.e., if it is 1 or 2 or several ohms, as is the case for most tube amps), and if Z2 (the speaker’s impedance) varies significantly over the frequency range, then since (as shown in the writeup):
Vout = Vin x (Z2/(Z1 + Z2))
... it can be seen that for a given input voltage to the amplifier the speaker will see a voltage that varies significantly depending on the frequencies which comprise that input voltage. In this situation (Z1 high, Z2 varying significantly as a function of frequency), the result (compared to a situation in which Z1 is negligibly small, as is the case with most solid state amplifiers) will be increased voltage and hence increased emphasis of frequencies for which speaker impedance is high, and decreased voltage and hence decreased emphasis of frequencies at which speaker impedance is low.
In other words, the frequency response of the signal provided to the speaker will be significantly non-flat.
The resulting tonal balance will still be essentially correct, however, if the amplifier’s output impedance is in the area of what the designer of the speaker was anticipating the speaker would be driven with. But since few amplifiers have output impedances as high as the OP’s, especially if its higher powered ultra-linear mode is being used (the main exceptions probably being some very low powered SETs), it is safe to assume that a considerable majority of speakers are not designed with the expectation that they will be driven from such high output impedances.
As I indicated previously, though, if a speaker has a relatively flat impedance curve (in contrast to the Triton One) its tonal balance will vary much less dramatically as a function of amplifier output impedance, and the choice of suitable amplifiers will be much broader, everything else being equal.
I’ll add that none of this necessarily has anything to do with the musical resolution of either the amplifier or the speaker. As I’ve said in a number of past threads, the ability to resolve musical detail and the ability to resolve hardware differences do not necessarily correlate with each other.
I hope that clarifies more than it confuses :-)
Regards,
-- Al
I’ll begin my answer to your question by referring you to this Wikipedia writeup on voltage divider networks:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voltage_divider
In the first figure, consider Z1 to be the amplifier’s output impedance, Z2 to be the speaker’s impedance, Vout to be the voltage seen by the speaker, and Vin to be the voltage the amplifier would be putting out if no load were connected (putting aside the fact that tube amps should not be operated without a load). Vin, in other words, corresponds to the voltage provided to the amplifier’s input at any instant of time multiplied by some gain factor.
If Z1 is significantly greater than zero (i.e., if it is 1 or 2 or several ohms, as is the case for most tube amps), and if Z2 (the speaker’s impedance) varies significantly over the frequency range, then since (as shown in the writeup):
Vout = Vin x (Z2/(Z1 + Z2))
... it can be seen that for a given input voltage to the amplifier the speaker will see a voltage that varies significantly depending on the frequencies which comprise that input voltage. In this situation (Z1 high, Z2 varying significantly as a function of frequency), the result (compared to a situation in which Z1 is negligibly small, as is the case with most solid state amplifiers) will be increased voltage and hence increased emphasis of frequencies for which speaker impedance is high, and decreased voltage and hence decreased emphasis of frequencies at which speaker impedance is low.
In other words, the frequency response of the signal provided to the speaker will be significantly non-flat.
The resulting tonal balance will still be essentially correct, however, if the amplifier’s output impedance is in the area of what the designer of the speaker was anticipating the speaker would be driven with. But since few amplifiers have output impedances as high as the OP’s, especially if its higher powered ultra-linear mode is being used (the main exceptions probably being some very low powered SETs), it is safe to assume that a considerable majority of speakers are not designed with the expectation that they will be driven from such high output impedances.
As I indicated previously, though, if a speaker has a relatively flat impedance curve (in contrast to the Triton One) its tonal balance will vary much less dramatically as a function of amplifier output impedance, and the choice of suitable amplifiers will be much broader, everything else being equal.
I’ll add that none of this necessarily has anything to do with the musical resolution of either the amplifier or the speaker. As I’ve said in a number of past threads, the ability to resolve musical detail and the ability to resolve hardware differences do not necessarily correlate with each other.
I hope that clarifies more than it confuses :-)
Regards,
-- Al