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Measuring impedance with multimeter

I am measuring a new full range speaker impedance that is advertised as 12 ohms and I am getting  a consistent reading of 4.2. 

I checked the multimeter on another bookshelf speaker advertised as 6 ohms nominal and I get exactly that.

I am using a multimeter at the speaker leads not connected to amp.

Why is this reading so low?
recluse
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erik_squires
15,871 posts
 
Dayton Audio DATS is the only answer to this question.
joegtech
6 posts
 
Erik, thank you very much for the information on the DATS system.  It seems to be excellent for my situation and a good option for Recluse's situation.  I will likely purchase it. 

Do I understand correctly that it will not calculate the watts in a 70v system as some of the high-end hardware units do?
http://www.gold-line.com/zm1.htm

However I don't see any reason why DATS is "the only answer" to Recluse's question.   Some people may prefer the convenience of a very portable, small, dedicated piece of hardware.   A sound tech on a ladder troubleshooting a problem with ceiling speakers would appreciate the convenience of a small battery powered hardware tester rather than a laptop computer.  
erik_squires
15,871 posts
 
Of course it is not "the only answer" but I wanted to avoid endless hackery and half baked solutions propping up here.
DATS is pretty comprehensive, allowing the measurement of drivers, entire crossovers and every component thereof. 
It is inexpensive, USB driven and pretty accurate. Certainly accurate enough for Magico to use (but not of course alone).
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