2. amps-preamps
  3. 1018586281

Running 4 ohm speaks on bridged amp...ok?

I am contemplating using a Classe CAV-75 to drive a pair of Magnaplanar 1.6 speakers. Since the Maggies need lots of power, I plan to bridge two of the amp's channels to 150w. However, since these speakers are already 4 ohm, does the bridging effectively make them 2 ohm, and can the amp handle it?
mzallen

Showing 2 responses by danielk141

danielk141
489 posts
 
I think you should bi-amp rather than bridge, if possible.
Remember, bridging cuts the damping factor (bass control) in half. I used a stereo amp on each of my MG3.3Rs & it worked great.

Daniel
danielk141
489 posts
 
I'll try again. When you bridge an amp and use it to drive a 4 ohm speaker, the amp sees a 2 ohm load. NO, the impedance of the speaker doesn't change, but the impedance load the amplifier sees driving the speaker is halved. I have had several conversations with dealers here in Phoenix, and I did talk to Jeff Rowland (the man) when he came here one weekend, specifically about this issue.
Some amps sound worse bridged, some the same, some better. I used a Parasound 1200II THX to drve a pair of Snell Sub 550THXs. Everyone who heard the system agreed the amp sounded stronger in stereo versus bridged.
Yes, a big power supply helps, but the quality of the bridging circuit counts too.
As always, listen & trust your ears....
More to discover