If you're saying you mismatched impedance, then I think there can be a tonal difference. If you're matching impedance, I think any tonal difference between 8 and 16 would be very subtle.
are there any?
i ran it 16 ohms today to try the speakers seperately in my 2x12 and thought it sounded better. am i hearing things?
are there any?
i ran it 16 ohms today to try the speakers seperately in my 2x12 and thought it sounded better. am i hearing things?
If you're saying you mismatched impedance, then I think there can be a tonal difference.
Indeed,
I have been running my stock 8 ohm Rivera into a series wired 2x12 16 ohm cab, dramatic diff with this mismatch.
In each example above, a change was introduced unlike running an 8ohm cab from a 8ohm tap or a 16 ohm cab from a 16ohm cab. If there is any difference with this, its only due to peculiarities in the OT windings.
If I understand your question, what you did was disconnect one of the two speakers in your 2x12, and adjust the impedance setting on the amp to match the new 16 ohm impedance. Is that correct?
Well, running your amp into only one of the speakers of your 2x12 is giving that one speaker twice the power load. The speaker is going to respond differently with twice the power going into it. In fact it may be near the upper limit of its power handling and compressing and otherwise coloring the tone - thereby sounding "better".
I've noticed in his books Geral Webber (Kendrick amps) reccomends running the amps at their highest impedance setting, with propper load, as you are using the full OT and not a tap off it.
That would actually be a lower impedance. 0 ohms is a solid short. It is also the highest impedance possible. 16 ohms is the lowest impedance on a tranny tap thats 4/8/16 At 4 ohms you would be putting out the most power to the speaker. Ohm values work opposite of the number. The lower the value the closer you are to a solid short.
I should have said ohms. The way I heard it explained is teh closer to zero the more it is like the door is open wider. Thus the tubes tend to run hotter because the load is like, "hey send me more, I can take it." From what I read at higher ohms there is a more resistive effect which tends to keep the tubes in check (basically buffeting them somewhat) I don't know if this is hogwash but it seems possible. I do know that 0 ohms would be a dead short a result in blown fuses and such.
After all of this talk about mismatching, I think I'm going to play it safe and get a Weber Z-Balance for my Super. No sense in screwing up my amp or not hearing the speakers with the correct load after all of the money being spent on this makeover.
I've noticed in his books Geral Webber (Kendrick amps) reccomends running the amps at their highest impedance setting, with propper load, as you are using the full OT and not a tap off it.
Of course, I believe I read somewhere that Eric Johnson likes running his Marshalls at 8 ohms so what do I know.
I think this is one of the big factors in why I think a vintage Marshall sounds the best running at 16 ohms into a Marshall 16 ohm 4x12. It's also why I've never really liked using a Marshall with a 2x12 which are usually 8 ohm cabs. It just sounds best to me at 16 ohms.
While the tone difference may be subtle, the feel of the amp is much more noticeable. Of course, I believe I read somewhere that Eric Johnson likes running his Marshalls at 8 ohms so what do I know.
A speaker's load should match the output tranny ...that's the moral of the story. A vintage Marshall sounds good at 16ohms because that is what it was designed and voiced for; nothing magic or beneficial running at an impedance greater than what the amp was designed for. If it does not match, a "one-step" mismatch between tranny and spkr is generally tolerable for most modern trannies ...BUT check your manual/factory as this is not a rule as much as a generality.
Edward