A 16 ohm speaker was designed for high efficiency and damping when the amps did not have high damping factors because of high output impedance so they made the speakers that way to control the sound themselves and not rely on an amp to do it for them. the main benefit of that is that the speakers respond very quickly to the input from an amplifier in the micro dynamic sense because of this, they have a tendency to make the music come to life and breathe the air in the room turning your room into the studio where the recording was made. the key is to find the best recordings to play on them and when you do you will know it because the sensitivity of the mic that was used will match the sensitivity on playback and you will hear what you have been missing.
16 ohm speakers: any amp sounds better with more resolution. speaker cables less critical.
First,
Thanks to anyone who responds with whatever answers/opinions/advice comes from this. I'm retired, covid bound, Donna is taking care of everything holiday related, too much time, always curious.
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I happened across this in an old thread started by Ralph (atmasphere)
"Sixteen ohms, BTW is a very simple means for getting more resolution out of your system, as nearly every amplifier made sounds better on 16 ohms than it will on 4 or 8 ohms. Speaker cables become far less critical too."
My speakers are 16 ohms (Electrovoice horn tweeter, horn mid, 15" woofer, crossover, rheostats, from 1958).
Extremely efficient, I have more than enough power. Amp, now and in the past all had 16 ohm taps.
Of course I can hook them up to my Cayin's 8 ohm taps now and listen, but facts, opinions, advice, to learn is good.
...........................
Lots of Questions?
1. why/how do 16 ohm speakers make amps sound better, with more resolution?
2. why speaker cables less critical? perhaps this is why I/we don't hear cable differences in my system?
I'm using my homemade twisted pair of cat 5 now (8 individually insulated small diameter solid core).
3. to get exterior bias control: use 8 ohm tap for my 16 ohm speakers? (get alternate amp 4/8 no 16 tap,)
lose advantage(s)? 'sounds better'; 'more resolution'; 'speaker cables less critical'?
this says slightly more mids:
http://blog.hughes-and-kettner.com/ohm-cooking-101-understanding-amps-speakers-and-impedance/
I can fine tune my speakers via their two rheostats: 'presence' and 'brilliance', so not really an issue for me.
4. Importance of Bias Control
how important is Bias? (I don't care about heat, power output, or tube life, just as bias affects sound). Frankly, using vintage tube receiver Fisher 500C, 800C and Fisher Mono Blocks 80Z, I have never checked or adjusted bias. I just put the control in the center position when cleaning insides/controls.
I have always used 16 ohm taps of various vintage tube and SS amps and newer current tube Cayin A88T. (original version, the only one with 16 ohm taps). It's bias control is internal, versions with safer external bias do not have 16 ohm taps.
5. replace their two rheostats? ('presence' and 'brilliance': copper wire-wound on ceramic body, mid/neutral position).
I have them in neutral position now, l/r frequency response equal.
do I need to keep rheostats 16 ohms? use 8 ohm rheostat with 16 ohm drivers?
sales sheet says 16 ohm, but data sheet shows range 1.0 to 5k ohms.
https://www.mouser.com/datasheet/2/303/controls_rheostats-1228697.pdf
does that mean, the drivers will draw whatever they draw (varies thru frequency range anyway), doesn't matter as long as rheostat range starts 1.0 ohm, extends past say 100.0 ohms?
https://www.mouser.com/datasheet/2/303/controls_rheostats-1228697.pdf
...........................................
thanks, Elliott
Thanks to anyone who responds with whatever answers/opinions/advice comes from this. I'm retired, covid bound, Donna is taking care of everything holiday related, too much time, always curious.
..................................
I happened across this in an old thread started by Ralph (atmasphere)
"Sixteen ohms, BTW is a very simple means for getting more resolution out of your system, as nearly every amplifier made sounds better on 16 ohms than it will on 4 or 8 ohms. Speaker cables become far less critical too."
My speakers are 16 ohms (Electrovoice horn tweeter, horn mid, 15" woofer, crossover, rheostats, from 1958).
Extremely efficient, I have more than enough power. Amp, now and in the past all had 16 ohm taps.
Of course I can hook them up to my Cayin's 8 ohm taps now and listen, but facts, opinions, advice, to learn is good.
...........................
Lots of Questions?
1. why/how do 16 ohm speakers make amps sound better, with more resolution?
2. why speaker cables less critical? perhaps this is why I/we don't hear cable differences in my system?
I'm using my homemade twisted pair of cat 5 now (8 individually insulated small diameter solid core).
3. to get exterior bias control: use 8 ohm tap for my 16 ohm speakers? (get alternate amp 4/8 no 16 tap,)
lose advantage(s)? 'sounds better'; 'more resolution'; 'speaker cables less critical'?
this says slightly more mids:
http://blog.hughes-and-kettner.com/ohm-cooking-101-understanding-amps-speakers-and-impedance/
I can fine tune my speakers via their two rheostats: 'presence' and 'brilliance', so not really an issue for me.
4. Importance of Bias Control
how important is Bias? (I don't care about heat, power output, or tube life, just as bias affects sound). Frankly, using vintage tube receiver Fisher 500C, 800C and Fisher Mono Blocks 80Z, I have never checked or adjusted bias. I just put the control in the center position when cleaning insides/controls.
I have always used 16 ohm taps of various vintage tube and SS amps and newer current tube Cayin A88T. (original version, the only one with 16 ohm taps). It's bias control is internal, versions with safer external bias do not have 16 ohm taps.
5. replace their two rheostats? ('presence' and 'brilliance': copper wire-wound on ceramic body, mid/neutral position).
I have them in neutral position now, l/r frequency response equal.
do I need to keep rheostats 16 ohms? use 8 ohm rheostat with 16 ohm drivers?
sales sheet says 16 ohm, but data sheet shows range 1.0 to 5k ohms.
https://www.mouser.com/datasheet/2/303/controls_rheostats-1228697.pdf
does that mean, the drivers will draw whatever they draw (varies thru frequency range anyway), doesn't matter as long as rheostat range starts 1.0 ohm, extends past say 100.0 ohms?
https://www.mouser.com/datasheet/2/303/controls_rheostats-1228697.pdf
...........................................
thanks, Elliott