Bridging is one thing, but paralleling is another.
You certainly won't get an increase in power by paralleling since the voltage applied to the load will be the same (assuming each output stage has infinite internal impedance), and power is voltage squared divided by load impedance. Bridging works because it effectively places the two channels in series (an oversimplification, I know)and doubles the voltage across the load (which in theory yields 4X the power).
Real amplifiers don't have infinite internal impedance.
If you parallel the two channels as Jeffreybehr suggests, then the load impedance that each channel sees is the speaker impedance in parallel with the impedance of the output stage of the other channel.
Most transistor amps have very low output impedances (inversly proportional to the damping factor), usually well below 1 ohm. Thus the load each channel sees will also be below 1 ohm, since the effective parallel impedance will be less than the smaller of the two loads in parallel (the other channel and the speaker).
Most amps will activate protection circuitry, blow fuses, or worst case smoke in this scenario.
It's just basic Ohms law.
You certainly won't get an increase in power by paralleling since the voltage applied to the load will be the same (assuming each output stage has infinite internal impedance), and power is voltage squared divided by load impedance. Bridging works because it effectively places the two channels in series (an oversimplification, I know)and doubles the voltage across the load (which in theory yields 4X the power).
Real amplifiers don't have infinite internal impedance.
If you parallel the two channels as Jeffreybehr suggests, then the load impedance that each channel sees is the speaker impedance in parallel with the impedance of the output stage of the other channel.
Most transistor amps have very low output impedances (inversly proportional to the damping factor), usually well below 1 ohm. Thus the load each channel sees will also be below 1 ohm, since the effective parallel impedance will be less than the smaller of the two loads in parallel (the other channel and the speaker).
Most amps will activate protection circuitry, blow fuses, or worst case smoke in this scenario.
It's just basic Ohms law.