Fixr1984 Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Has anyone compared the diference in sound between 2 cabs, one 8 ohm and the other 16 ohm? I'm sure they will not be the same but how? The reason I ask is that I currenty have a Marshall TSL 60 head and I am using a crate 4x12. I like the sound that I'm getting but I just dont need that much cab and am thinking of rebuilding into a 2x12. The current cab is 8 ohm, if I only use 2 speakers it will be 16 ohm. Not a big deal I can flip a switch on the back of the head for 8/16 ohm. I know it wont sound the same being that I will lose 2 speakers and that it will be a smaller cab but is it really that big of a deal if I make it 16 ohm. I think the cab is rated for 120 watts. My head is 60 watts. Would I still be safe power wise? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riffster Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Theoretically the 16ohm tap will use more windings in the output transformer but every amp is different so there is really no way of knowing. I would not anticipate the tone to change significantly. A sbetss practice the speaker wattage ratio on tube amps is supposed to be 2 to 1 meaning the speaker(s) should be able to handle twice the amp wattage. The peak watts on speakers are rated differently from one manufacturer to the next so the 2 to 1 rule is to make absolutely sure you do not blow the speakers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saturn Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 OK, since we're on the subject; on a 2X12 combo amp where each speaker is 16ohms, should the impedance switch on the back of the amp be set to 8 or 16 ohms? I don't want to hijack the thread, but I thought someone could answer this at the same time. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riffster Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Two 16 ohm speakers would most likely be wired as a parallel connection making the load 8 ohms. The only other way to wire two 16 ohm speaker is in series, that would make the load 32 ohms. There are output transformers with 32 ohm taps but it is not common at all. The equation changes on a 4x12. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeRom Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 OK' date=' since we're on the subject; on a 2X12 combo amp where each speaker is 16ohms, should the impedance switch on the back of the amp be set to 8 or 16 ohms? I don't want to hijack the thread, but I thought someone could answer this at the same time. Thanks [/quote'] Only two ways to wire the (2) 16 ohm speakers, in parallel which will give you an impeadence of 8 ohms or in series which will give you an impeadence of 32 ohms. Since 32 ohms isn't one of your choices make sure they are wired in parallel and use the 8 ohm output on your amp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saturn Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Thanks guys. That's what I thought. But the guy in Guitar Center put a doubt in my mind. As I said in another post, I was looking at a used Carvin amp and it had 2 16ohm speakers. The switch on the back was at 16 ohms and I asked him if it shouldn't be set on 8 ohms. He said no, with 16 ohm speakers it should be set on 16 ohms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikko18 Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 what a total *** hat (the guy at guitar center). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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