Mixing 6 Ohm and 8 Ohm speakers with the same receiver?

[RickSanchez]

I'm planning to hook up a friend's audio equipment in her new office next week. She has zero budget right now so she's just planning to use the stuff she had from her old office. My question is:

• If it's a mix of 6 Ω and 8 Ω speakers, what setting should I use on the receiver? (It has both a "6 Ohm min" and an "8 Ohm min" setting.)

Setup

• Yamaha RX-V363 AVR
• Speakers (set 1): 6 Ω Yamaha NS-AM370SBL
  • These are the primary speakers that will get used all the time.
• Speakers (set 2): 8 Ω Proficient Audio AW650BLK
  • These are the secondary speakers that will get used occasionally.

The Yamaha AVR user manual has a specific call-out saying that if you're using 6 Ω speakers to set the speaker impedance to "6 Ohm min". Does this really matter? What's the practical effect of setting it to 6 Ω vs. setting it to 8 Ω?

Thanks.

 

[sergeauckland]

Use the 6 ohm setting. The ohms rating for all loudspeakers is nominal, and they vary a lot depending on frequency, so don't worry about it. It never hurts to use a higher impedance loudspeaker unless you're trying to get the very maximum loudness out of the system.

S

 

[Head_Unit]

Here are "Head_Unit’s Rules Of Protection"(abridged):
1) If when things start to sound distorted or odd you TURN IT DOWN, you are unlikely to ever break anything.
2) If you constantly "turn it up to 11" you will break something.
3) The amp and speaker power ratings do not matter. Don’t bother “matching” the amp and speaker power. That is a seemingly sensible yet actually meaningless exercise, because:
- Speaker specifications are 92% useless (and I say that as a loudspeaker engineer).
- Specs for amps are not thorough since they are measured into resistors for pragmatic reasons and speakers are not resistors at all.
If you run both the 8 and 6 ohm speakers at once, and turn up the volume, that could strain the amp = go back to rule #1 AND monitor if the amp gets hot.

"6 ohm" or "4 ohm" etc amp settings usually reduce the maximum output voltage, thus reducing the maximum output current, thus reducing the output power.

 

[Chrispy]

Your speakers aren't simply 8 or 6 ohm, that's just a nominal rating. As long as your amp section can handle the lowest demands you're doing well, and I wouldn't limit the amp by setting the switch to a lower impedance. Try this article https://www.audioholics.com/audio-amplifier/impedance-selector-switch-1

 

[Justfish]

I'm planning to hook up a friend's audio equipment in her new office next week. She has zero budget right now so she's just planning to use the stuff she had from her old office. My question is:

• If it's a mix of 6 Ω and 8 Ω speakers, what setting should I use on the receiver? (It has both a "6 Ohm min" and an "8 Ohm min" setting.)

Setup

• Yamaha RX-V363 AVR
• Speakers (set 1): 6 Ω Yamaha NS-AM370SBL
  • These are the primary speakers that will get used all the time.
• Speakers (set 2): 8 Ω Proficient Audio AW650BLK
  • These are the secondary speakers that will get used occasionally.

The Yamaha AVR user manual has a specific call-out saying that if you're using 6 Ω speakers to set the speaker impedance to "6 Ohm min". Does this really matter? What's the practical effect of setting it to 6 Ω vs. setting it to 8 Ω?

Thanks.


View attachment 71880

Rick, I am getting the new Yamaha RX-A2A receiver when it comes out any day now. I was wondering the same thing. lookino up in the manual for the RX-A2A it says, when running 6 ohm or higher speakers, set receiver to 6 ohm, when running 8 ohm speakers set receiver to 8 ohm. But, it does not say if I can mix them. So I’m sending an email off to Yamaha and ask them.

 

[Chromatischism]

If you don't plan on listening very loud, set it to 6 ohms. Otherwise leave it at 8 ohms because you'll be limiting the dynamic capability of your speakers.

This setting has nothing to do with speaker compatibility. It is a protection for the manufacturer against liability of users overheating their amps when running low impedance speakers. On my Denon AVR-X4500H for example, and it works this way on all Denon AVRs, power draw from the wall is cut in half when using the 4 ohm setting. It is the same as turning on ECO mode to reduce power. By cutting power draw, they prevent the amps from getting too hot.

I prefer to run my front left and right off their own stereo amp and leave the AVR in ECO mode except when it comes to movie time.

 

[Chrispy]

If you don't plan on listening very loud, set it to 6 ohms. Otherwise leave it at 8 ohms because you'll be limiting the dynamic capability of your speakers.

This setting has nothing to do with speaker compatibility. It is a protection for the manufacturer against liability of users overheating their amps when running low impedance speakers. On my Denon AVR-X4500H for example, and it works this way on all Denon AVRs, power draw from the wall is cut in half when using the 4 ohm setting. It is the same as turning on ECO mode to reduce power. By cutting power draw, they prevent the amps from getting too hot.

I prefer to run my front left and right off their own stereo amp and leave the AVR in ECO mode except when it comes to movie time.

Wouldn't eco mode vary with volume level whereas the impedance switch is not flexible? My understanding of eco, but don't have it as mine are a bit older units....

 

[Chromatischism]

Wouldn't eco mode vary with volume level whereas the impedance switch is not flexible? My understanding of eco, but don't have it as mine are a bit older units....

It's the exact same thing. You're thinking of ECO Auto, which toggles on/off when the volume crosses -30.

 

[Chrispy]

It's the exact same thing. You're thinking of ECO Auto, which toggles on/off when the volume crosses -30.

Yes, ECO Auto was what I'd seen reference to then....do all units with Eco have this option or in some is it simply on/off?

 

[Chromatischism]

Yes, ECO Auto was what I'd seen reference to then....do all units with Eco have this option or in some is it simply on/off?

I am unsure if Auto is a newer thing. It could be. I normally just use on/off because I know specifically what I want depending on what I'm doing.

 

[Chrispy]

I am unsure if Auto is a newer thing. It could be. I normally just use on/off because I know specifically what I want depending on what I'm doing.

Is it really worth bothering to change? (I'd just leave it off)

 

[Chromatischism]

Is it really worth bothering to change? (I'd just leave it off)

In the summer time, I leave it ON to reduce room heating, unless watching a movie at higher levels. For music, it is always ON.

I am using a 2ch amp.

In the winter time, it's less crucial.