8 ohm +16 ohm in a 2x12

[sam30328]

What happens when you mix an 8 & 16 ohm speaker, parallel, in the same 2x12 cab? Any chance of damage?

[Ventor]

You'd end up with a 5.3333 ohm cab, but you'll have a hard time finding a head that can match that I think.

[hamfist]

You would end up with a 5.33 ohm cab, as Ventor said. This would generally be fine with either a 4 or 8 ohm output from a tube amp.
Also be aware that the when an 8 ohm and a 16 ohm speaker are wired in parallel, the 8 ohm speaker is noticeably louder, as it will take more of the current than the 16 ohm speaker.
In the same vein, you would need to make sure that the 8ohm speaker on it's own would be pretty much up to safely taking the whole wattage of the amp, as it would be taking the majority of the current, and therefore wattage.

[sam30328]

hamfist and Ventor,
Thanks for your help. Maybe a less efficient 8 ohm speaker such as a Greenback would help offset the difference in loudness ?

[rockon1]

Originally Posted by sam30328

hamfist and Ventor,
Thanks for your help. Maybe a less efficient 8 ohm speaker such as a Greenback would help offset the difference in loudness ?

Yep but it would be getting 2/3 oif the power as previously mentioned - as long as the amp is 30 watts or less your probably ok. Bob

[VikingAmps]

I do it all the time. In fact I have one that I run a series/parallel switch on the cab in case I want to hear more of one speaker than the other. It also lets me switch the impedance of the cab easily. As long as the impedance match is close you're OK with most amps.

[zzmoore]

Would it be flip of me to ask, why don't you just buy another 8 or 16 ohm speaker?

[TooManyHobbies]

My knowledge comes from the car audio arena, but isn't it TOTALLY safe to run a cab with a higher ohm rating than your amp output? The only expense is the level of output, whereas conversely, it would increase output and strain on the amp.

So running a 5.33 ohm cab into anything with a 4 ohm impedance should be safe, and you'd only experience slightly less output.

http://www.termpro.com/articles/spkrz.html

[sam30328]

Originally Posted by zzmoore

Would it be flip of me to ask, why don't you just buy another 8 or 16 ohm speaker?

I'm mixing what I have available---if I find the right combination,then I'll try to swap or buy to match the ohms.Too many speakers already!!
From what RedMan says, I may like the mix better than a match.

[5er Driver]

I found this to be useful. It contains a myriad of set ups. Speaker Impedance Calculator: http://www.duncanamps.com/technical/impedance.html