Why are low impedance speakers harder to drive than high impedance speakers


I don't understand the electrical reason for this. I look at it from a mechanical point of view. If I have a spring that is of less resistance, and push it with my hand, it takes little effort, and I am not working hard to push it. When I have a stiffer spring (higher resistance)  I have to work harder to push it. This is inversely proportional when we are looking at amplifier/speaker values.

So, when I look at a speaker with an 8 ohm rating, it is easier to drive than a speaker with a 4 ohm load. This does not make sense to me, although I know it to be true. I have yet been able to have it explained to me that makes it clear.  Can someone explain this to me in a manner that does not require an EE degree?

Thanks

128x128crazyeddy

Excellent clarification from Al, with more specifics. No surprise there! Timbre77, you missed the important qualifying adjective of the amplifier scenario I described---"tube". As Al stated, while the power solid state amps create increases with dropping impedance, the opposite is generally true of tube amps, with the notable exception of the unique Music Reference RM-200, which actually behaves more like a ss amp in that regard.

As Al detailed, the different impedance taps on a tube amp allow the amp to provide similar power to all the taps---that's one task of tube amps output transformers. However, if your tube amp has 4, 8, and 16 ohm taps (typical in tube amps, though the RM-200 offers 2, 4, and 8 ohms), and you hook up an, say, 8 ohm speaker to the 4 ohm tap, the power available to the speaker will be less than it would be if connected to the 8 ohm tap. But, says Music References Roger Modjeski, a tube amp so employed will usually be producing not only less power, but also less distortion, and better sound. As Al mentioned, Roger calls this tactic "light loading". In addition to lower distortion, an additional benefit of using a lower impedance tap is that the amps output impedance will be lower---it will have a higher damping factor, and will interact less with the varying impedance characteristics of the speaker load, resulting in a more predictable frequency response.

if your tube amp has 4, 8, and 16 ohm taps (typical in tube amps, though the RM-200 offers 2, 4, and 8 ohms), and you hook up an, say, 8 ohm speaker to the 4 ohm tap, the power available to the speaker will be less than it would be if connected to the 8 ohm tap. But, says Music References Roger Modjeski, a tube amp so employed will usually be producing not only less power, but also less distortion, and better sound. As Al mentioned, Roger calls this tactic "light loading". In addition to lower distortion, an additional benefit of using a lower impedance tap is that the amps output impedance will be lower---it will have a higher damping factor, and will interact less with the varying impedance characteristics of the speaker load, resulting in a more predictable frequency response.
While generally true, a problem that can turn up when doing something like this is that the transformer can 'ring' if insufficiently loaded. In addition, with such a load, it will not be as flat across its bandwidth, as the transformer will tend to express less of its turns ratio and more of its inter-winding capacitance. The 'lighter' you load the transformer the more of a problem this becomes.

So the result, while possibly reducing distortion in the output tubes, will be to **increase** distortion from the transformer (ringing) and degrade the frequency response. Of course, if the amp employs negative feedback some of this will get sorted by that, but a problem with negative feedback is that while reducing distortion overall (in particular lower ordered harmonics), it actually **introduces** higher ordered harmonics that otherwise may not have been present at all! Its best not to give feedback too many places to screw up.

 

Excellent additional information from the always illuminating Ralph Karsten! Thanks as always. Modjeski designs his transformers and has them built to his specs (even winding them personally, for those willing to pay him to do so). Perhaps he does so in a way that takes light loading into consideration. I don’t employ it myself, needing all the power I can get for the rather insensitive 8 ohm loudspeakers I use the RM-200 with.

Light loading like many audio techniques has to tried on an individual basis, results will vary depending on circumstances. My amplifier has 8 and 16 ohm taps and my speakers are 14 ohm nominal. The 16 ohm tap sounds better than using the 8 ohm tap.

Charles

It is not a matter of "harder to drive" but of a "proper amplifier" to match the lower impedance.

Amplifiers have different "abilities" that need to be "matched" with any given speaker.

Amplifier match is, subjective, and, YMMV, like everything else in audio.

NO speaker has a pure 8 ohm resistance across the audio spectrum, by the way.

Speakers are also electro-mechanical .....not mechanical.