Plugging in Kanta 2 8 ohm speakers into McIntosh 4 ohm port.

[dman777]

I was in the hi fi store and I heard the McIntosh 12000 with the Focal Kanta 2s. I loved the sound...it really appealed to me. To me, it was really great synergy. Those are 8 ohm speakers (at least by Focals website). At the store, they were plugged into the McIntosh 4 ohm port. The person said he finds them to have a warmed sound on the 4 ohm. I am considering this system. If I bought this system and used the Kanta 2s, which are 8 ohm, and used them on the 4 ohm connection of the McIntosh, would I eventually damage the speakers or amp over time?

 

[Dialectic]

No.

 

[DVDdoug]

You won't damage anything. Higher impedance (speakers) mean less current.*

But the lower output-impedance setting also means less voltage so you won't get full power from the amplifier.

If you have the opposite situation with speakers of lower impedance than the amplifier setting you'll get excess current and possibly damage the amplifier.

The person said he finds them to have a warmed sound on the 4 ohm.

I don't believe it. McIntosh has a reputation for good sound and the "wrong" impedance is unlikely to hurt, or help, the sound.

"Warmth" doesn't have a well-defined meaning. I used to think it was a boost in the mid-bass, but to some people it's "pleasing distortion". Those are both defects I wouldn't expect, even with the wrong impedance.

Most solid state amplifiers don't have any sound of their own. Listening tests should be blind and level matched.

What is a blind ABX test?

Audiophoolery





* Impedance and resistance (both measured in Ohms) is "the resistance to current flow".

 

[dman777]

I'm confused, because I thought 8 ohms is less wattage and 4 ohms is more wattage. Doesn't more wattage mean more current?

 

[DVDdoug]

I'm confused, because I thought 8 ohms is less wattage and 4 ohms is more wattage. Doesn't more wattage mean more current?

Yes. An 8-Ohm load means less current and less power, with the same voltage.

The McIntosh is unusual with its output transformer ("autoformer"). When it's set to 4-Ohms it puts-out less voltage but it's capable of more current. At the 8-Ohm setting it puts-out more voltage but capable of less current.

Power is calculated as Voltage x Current so it works-out to the same power (when set correctly).

With a "normal amplifier" there is no impedance setting so the amplifier just puts-out a voltage and you get more power at lower impedance, as long as the amplifier can supply the current. Often, you don't quite get double the power at 4-Ohms because it can't supply the additional current, and power supply "sags" so you're not getting the same maximum voltage. If the impedance is too low, you can fry the amplifier or push it into thermal shut-down by "pulling" too much current.