What happens to an amp below 2 ohms?

Are you saying that people who have electrostatic or ribbon or planar speakers where the load impedance dips below 2 Ohms are not enjoying quality sound & that they are merely reveling in high SPL music environments in their respective homes?????

No, what I am saying is that if those 'electrostatic or ribbon or planar speakers' were higher impedance the owners would be enjoying even better quality sound.

We can look at this from a very basic point of view. If a speaker has a reputation of being 'difficult to drive' due to low impedance, the reason that phrase is used has to do with the fact that the amplifier has a difficult task. Don't think for a minute that there is no price paid for that! The amp simply will not sound as good.

In addition, speaker cables get **critical!** when you are driving lower impedances. With higher impedances the cables are far less critical and can be run longer distances.

10-13-11: Atmasphere

No, what I am saying is that if those 'electrostatic or ribbon or planar speakers' were higher impedance the owners would be enjoying even better quality sound......

In addition, speaker cables get **critical!** when you are driving lower impedances. With higher impedances the cables are far less critical and can be run longer distances.

ah, I see! Thanks for the clarification.

If a speaker has a reputation of being 'difficult to drive' due to low impedance, the reason that phrase is used has to do with the fact that the amplifier has a difficult task.

Ralph, I did not understand this comment - amplifier has a difficult task & the use of phase. Please elaborate. thanks.

Ralph I am a soundlab m2 owner and have been wondering if using Ma1's with zeros would yield the same speaker performance as using the Ma2;my opinion would be the ma2's would control the panels better than the ma1's and result in a better sound;would you agree with that analysis?

my opinion would be the ma2's would control the panels better than the ma1's and result in a better sound;would you agree with that analysis?

correction! this is not an analysis - it's your opinion (as you correctly write at the begin of this sentence)....

Rleff, its a matter of power- in some rooms you have enough power with MA-1s on the big Sound Labs and in some rooms you simply need more. But you would not need ZEROs in any event.

Bombaywalla, the word was 'phrase', not 'phase'...