More resistance is less load??

Since gardening season is starting here, this thread makes me wonder about the impedance of my watering faucets…I don't want to water a 2 ohm garden with a 16 ohm hose.

This is because, regardless of the amplifier technology (tube, traditional solid state or class D), the distortion will be higher driving lower impedances. This is both measurable and audible.

Ralph, is this true for amps that double down to one or two ohms and are stable into those loads?

^^ Yes. Take a look at the specs and you will see.

almarg - believe it or not I didn't "realize, the signal provided to a speaker consists of various frequency components each of which is AC (alternating current)".

I'm kind of amazed, now, at how little I know and how little I questioned. This stuff is actually quite fascinating.

Ok, here's another question: why can't the resistance from the speaker, that the amp relies on be built into the amp itself? Why build a product that has a vulnerability even though the manufacturer knows the amp will be paired with an unknown speaker, of unknown quality and impedance?

Jim, yes, any frequency other than zero Hertz (which is DC) is alternating current. And of course a music signal nearly always consists of a mix of a great many AC frequencies that are simultaneously present, at a wide variety of "amplitudes" (i.e., strengths, or magnitudes).

why can’t the resistance from the speaker, that the amp relies on be built into the amp itself?

In order for a speaker to absorb electrical power, some fraction of which it converts into sound, it has to have resistance. And for it to absorb a reasonable amount of power when provided with voltages that are reasonably practical, that resistance has to be relatively low (e.g., in the vicinity of 4 or 8 or 16 ohms or so). If a similar resistance were placed into the amp, the resistor in the amp would absorb power but convert it into heat rather than sound. So that resistor would serve no useful purpose, but would reduce the amount of power the amp would be capable of providing to the speaker.

Best regards,
-- Al