Can I connect my 4 Ohm speakers to my 8 Ohm amplifier?!
The short answer (TLDR): absolutely YES!
All of our Arendal Sound Speakers are 4Ohm nominal.
The actual impedance varies with frequency. It is not a constant.
You can see this here in the measured impedance curve.
Only a small section dips below 5Ohm.
The majority of today’s amplifiers or AV-receivers, even entry-level ones, are stable enough to handle loads below 4Ohm.
Combined with a good sensitivity this means a very easy load for the amplifier.
Impedance switch
Always leave the switch or setting in 8Ohm/high mode!
This will give you the full power output with no restrictions.
The exceptions are tube amplifiers. There you have to experiment with which output sounds best.
Manufacturers implemented this function to get a 4Ohm rating for a certain device temperature.
This is important to get a certification in some countries.
But all it does is limit the power and you risk getting into clipping much sooner, which can damage your speakers or amp.
The only thing you need to keep in mind is to monitor the temperature.
Always give your amp room to breathe.
Other than that there is nothing to worry about.
