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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
wsrrsw's avatar
wsrrsw
1,096 posts
 

Yep... Try both...Please let us know if you hear any difference. I have done this and could not tell any difference. 

einsteindisguised
4 posts
 

Yeah. In my experience, disregard the advice some give to go with the tap that sounds loudest. I'm not informed on the science but I suspect more is going on than matching average impedance. My Audion 845 valve monos sound better on the 4 ohm tap into Coincidence Super Eclipses (92dB, nominal 14 Ohm) than they do using the 8 Ohm tap.

audiokinesis
2,753 posts
 

The tap that's loudest is the best impedance match.

The tap that sounds best is the tap that sounds best.

The two are usually, but not always, the same.

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