Hotsauce's comments are correct if the volume control setting is identical for the two different configurations. However, it will not be, because the listener presumably will adjust it to reflect the lower output voltage on the 4 ohm taps and the higher output voltage on the 8 ohm taps.
Also, keep in mind that speakers are probably damaged more often by underpowered amplifiers than by overpowered amplifiers. The clipped waveform that can result from an underpowered amplifier being driven hard contains high frequency spectral components not present in the original music waveform, which the speaker's crossover will route to the tweeter, not uncommonly resulting in damage to it. The chances of something like that happening would be increased by connecting an 8 ohm speaker to the 4 ohm tap, because the reduction in volume may tempt the listener to increase the volume control setting such that musical peaks exceed the voltage swing that the 4 ohm tap is capable of.
That said, as long as you exercise reasonable caution with the volume setting you are very unlikely to damage anything either way. But given the impedance curve of the particular speaker, which goes below 8 ohms only briefly, and stays well above it at many frequencies, I would expect the 8 ohm tap to provide best results.
Regards,
-- Al
Also, keep in mind that speakers are probably damaged more often by underpowered amplifiers than by overpowered amplifiers. The clipped waveform that can result from an underpowered amplifier being driven hard contains high frequency spectral components not present in the original music waveform, which the speaker's crossover will route to the tweeter, not uncommonly resulting in damage to it. The chances of something like that happening would be increased by connecting an 8 ohm speaker to the 4 ohm tap, because the reduction in volume may tempt the listener to increase the volume control setting such that musical peaks exceed the voltage swing that the 4 ohm tap is capable of.
That said, as long as you exercise reasonable caution with the volume setting you are very unlikely to damage anything either way. But given the impedance curve of the particular speaker, which goes below 8 ohms only briefly, and stays well above it at many frequencies, I would expect the 8 ohm tap to provide best results.
Regards,
-- Al