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Should I use Impedance 4 or 8?

Maybe someone out in Audiogon land can definitively answer a basic impedance question for me.I own Klipsch Lascalas paired to a Raven Audio Blackhawk. Obviously they are rated as 8 ohm and the Raven provides both 4 and 8 ohm taps. The impedance tests on Lascalas show the impedance going very low at certain frequencies. (Like 3 at some frequencies) I've tried the 4 ohm taps which does squeeze a tad of hum out of the tunes but it seemed flatter and duller.Any advice? Will I damage my amp? Why the downgrade in dynamics at 4 ohms?

allears4u
jasonbourne71's avatar
jasonbourne71
1,273 posts
 

No risk of damage. Use the taps that sound the best to you.

carlsbad2's avatar
carlsbad2
1,923 posts
 

use the ones that sound the best.

 

stereo5's avatar
stereo5
6,497 posts
 

Try them both for a day or so, whichever one you like best. There is no right or wrong way.

viridian's avatar
viridian
5,149 posts
 

There is no damage that will happen in using an output transformer into an unmatched load, however the amount of power available will be greatest into a matched load. Ie 8 ohm tap, 8 ohm speaker.

That said, the damping factor of the 4 ohm taps should be almost double that of the 8 ohm taps. That may be the source of your reduced dynamics issue; overdamping of the woofer. The damping factor (output impedance) will interact with the design of the woofer differently, and since there is no clear guidance, as others have suggested, it seems best to pick the sound that you prefer.

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