Speaker impedance is the measure of the opposition amount to the flow of current in an electric circuit. Ohms is used for measuring speaker impedance and it is essential for speakers, AV receivers, or amplifiers connected to one another since distortion may occur as a result of mismatched impedance.
Learning how to change ohms or impedance on speakers is probably something you are interested in. But is it possible? How is it done? Continue reading below to know more about ohms or impedance on speakers.
Can You Change Ohms on Speakers?
You can only change ohms on speaker or speaker impedance if you also replace the speaker components. Speaker impedances are often manufactured to adhere to a particular efficiency standard. The values of speaker resistance cannot be changed if the rated intention of the speaker is to remain unchanged.
Although speaker parts like speaker wires and speaker cones can be changed easily without changing speaker impedance, this will alter the overall quality of sound as it adds unwanted distortion or lowers the sound of the speaker.
This degradation will go unnoticed by many audiophiles since they prefer sounds that are heavier on bass. However, this process might still eliminate the required quality in the production of their speakers for music fans who rely more on clear vocals.
Effects of Too High or Too Low Speaker Impedance
Speaker distortion may take place if there is too low speaker impedance since the output voltage of an amplifier will decrease as it tries pushing the speaker cone through excessive air. Aside from this, the speaker can also produce lots of heat as it works very hard in this case. it can damage its overall quality and probably even result in speaker failure.
If there is a too high speaker impedance, on the other hand, the power of an amplifier might not drive the speaker at all even if the still speaker will continue to work just well with other amplifiers.
This kind of situation can take place if the speaker needs an impedance of 8 ohms, but you end up connecting it to an amplifier rated with 4 ohms. The result is that your speaker may not give off sounds at all and if this happens, you need to check if there is an issue with speaker impedance.
How to Measure Speaker Impedance
Speaker impedance is measured in terms of speaker ohms and is the opposition of the speaker to the current flow.
Although speaker impedances are usually rated at 8-ohm, 4-ohm, or 2-ohm loads, these can range from 6Ω to 32Ω for each speaker. The speaker impedance values listed on the rear part of speaker boxes often don’t include any decimal point, and this might mislead an unknowing buyer. A speaker rated with 8 ohms, for example, works best in systems with 8 full ohms present.
The speaker ratings may vary between 1Ω and over 20Ω which depends on the shape and size of the speaker components.
Calculating Speaker Impedance
Impedance is the measurement of an electrical circuit’s amount of opposition to the current flow. This is typically measured in terms of ohms wherein 1 ohm is equivalent to 1 volt of voltage for every amp of the current low.
For instance, you can measure the power amount drawn at the wires of the speaker that you were able to do without making any changes to the speakers. You were also able to determine the amount of current being used all over the entire circuit. Through this, you will be able to easily figure out the amount of existing resistance that will let you identify the speaker impedance.
Will Speaker Impedance Affect the Quality of Sound?
Yes, speaker impedance affects the quality of sound due to the inability of the speaker to effectively generate bass-heavy sounds. Speaker impedance is just the opposition of the speaker to the current flow to the amplifier.
When you swap the speaker components, but you didn’t change ohms or speaker impedances on speakers, this will lower the efficiency of the speaker and lead to unwanted distortion.
You need to consider the speaker box every time you think about speaker impedance. The box itself, in this case, is the speaker that is designed with a particular range in mind. However, it requires sufficient power from the audio source like a receiver or an amp so that a sound reproduction will take place.
Will Speaker Impedance Affect the Speaker Volume?
No, speaker impedance doesn’t have a direct effect on the volume of your speakers. But speaker impedance may cause an indirect change in the speaker volume as it changes the speaker’s sound quality. This means that you need to consider speaker efficiency when it comes to speaker impedance.
Speaker efficiency refers to the specific amount of power turned into acoustic energy that is emitted from the speaker enclosure.
Most of the time, electrical speakers need amplifiers to generate sound. Other speakers, however, like those found on musical instruments or guitars, still don’t require an amplifier because they have a built-in one already. But this kind of speaker needs amplification from a different source to generate sounds.
The volume of electrical speakers is partially affected by speaker impedance as it affects its overall output. Electrical speakers considered most efficient are often 8 Ω and can produce the highest levels of volume in speaker cabinets completely stuffed with speaker wires.
It is a must to know the speaker impedance before you use it in systems with another existing speaker since mismatched speaker impedances can create lower overall sound quality and unwanted distortion, especially once the music gets distorted.
The electrical speaker impedance can also indirectly affect the speaker volume by changing its efficiency. The electrical speaker efficiency pertains to the capacity of converting electrical energy to acoustic energy and the other way around. This is measured in dB or decibels and is often indicated on the speaker components like tweeter drivers or speaker cones.
Understanding ohms can have significant implications for your speakers. Learning how speaker impedance works and how to change it can help you hear all notes clearly without interference or distortion from other nearby speakers.