How to change a 16 ohm speaker to 8 ohm?

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roymail

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How to change a 16 ohm speaker to 8 ohm?
« on: 20 Jul 2015, 11:20 am »
How to change a 16 ohm speaker to 8 ohm?  Can anyone help me with this?  Is there a simple way to do it?  Thanks!

FullRangeMan

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Re: How to change a 16 ohm speaker to 8 ohm?
« Reply #1 on: 20 Jul 2015, 11:40 am »
Only changing the VC.

Mark Korda

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Re: How to change a 16 ohm speaker to 8 ohm?
« Reply #2 on: 20 Jul 2015, 12:58 pm »
Hi Roy Mail, I always wanted to ask that question. In the classic Dynaco speakers was the A-50. It used what looked like 2 Dynaco A-25 woofers in one cabinet. The problem with woofer replacement was that the woofers for the A-50 were 16 ohms instead of 8 ohms like the A-25 used and were still findable because of the many multitudes made. (Ebay)  I always thought maybe you could add a 8 ohm resistor or some other configuration like that to make the A-25 woofer work. It never occurred to me that it was the voice coil was the solution. Thanks Fullrange Man. My lesson of the day!....thanks...Mark Korda

FullRangeMan

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Re: How to change a 16 ohm speaker to 8 ohm?
« Reply #3 on: 20 Jul 2015, 01:55 pm »
Not easy change the VC, It is inside the motor.
I would say impossible why VC is attached to the cone and suspension.

You would connect two 8 ohms woofers in series which will be 16 hms.
8+8=16ohms

FullRangeMan

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Re: How to change a 16 ohm speaker to 8 ohm?
« Reply #4 on: 20 Jul 2015, 01:59 pm »
Useless info:
A 16 ohms VC have half the magnet wire of a 8 ohms VC.

Speedskater

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Re: How to change a 16 ohm speaker to 8 ohm?
« Reply #5 on: 20 Jul 2015, 03:13 pm »
A 16 Ohm VC could have 1/2 the cross-section wire compared to an 8 Ohm VC. Or twice the length of an 8 Ohm VC.
Converting a loudspeaker from 16 to 8 Ohms and having it still sound the same is a very challenging task.

roymail

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Re: How to change a 16 ohm speaker to 8 ohm?
« Reply #6 on: 20 Jul 2015, 03:26 pm »
Thanks, guys.  I was hoping for something external but that must not be an option.  There are some nice 16 ohm drivers available, especially vintage.  Guess I need a tube amp with 16 ohm taps.

Appreciate the information and advice.  :green:

Speedskater

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Re: How to change a 16 ohm speaker to 8 ohm?
« Reply #7 on: 20 Jul 2015, 03:51 pm »
Almost any reasonable (8 Ohm) amplifier will do just fine playing conventional 16 Ohm loudspeakers.

roymail

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Re: How to change a 16 ohm speaker to 8 ohm?
« Reply #8 on: 20 Jul 2015, 04:23 pm »
I recall reading somewhere that using an 8 ohm amp to drive 16 ohm speakers would limit them in some way.  Don't recall the specifics of that article.  Is that not true?  Would appreciate some input on this question, too.

Speedskater

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Re: How to change a 16 ohm speaker to 8 ohm?
« Reply #9 on: 20 Jul 2015, 04:58 pm »
The differences only matter at full volume!

Why?
Because at full volume:
Low impedance speakers (4 Ohm) need lots of current but not much voltage.
High impedance speakers (16 Ohm) need lots of voltage but not much current.
So at any price point an amplifier can have lots of voltage or lots of current or a comprise of both.
But this only matter at full volume.

Davey

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Re: How to change a 16 ohm speaker to 8 ohm?
« Reply #10 on: 20 Jul 2015, 05:26 pm »
I recall reading somewhere that using an 8 ohm amp to drive 16 ohm speakers would limit them in some way.  Don't recall the specifics of that article.  Is that not true?  Would appreciate some input on this question, too.

You might be getting yourself confused here because of the difference between tube amps and solid-state amps.  Transformer-coupled tube amps allow to "tap" across the secondary of the transformer at different points to provide a better power transfer into the nominal impedance.  However, the world is not going to end if you put a 4 ohm speaker on the 16 ohm tap or a 16 ohm speaker on the 4 ohm tap.  I suggest to start by putting any speaker (regardless of impedance)  on the highest impedance tap.  On solid-state amplifiers this is obviously irrelevant.
Speaker systems have wild looking impedance curves anyways so the concept of "impedance matching" to the proper tap is essentially meaningless.

The answer to your original question is.....You really don't need to worry about it.  :)

Dave.

Wind Chaser

Re: How to change a 16 ohm speaker to 8 ohm?
« Reply #11 on: 20 Jul 2015, 05:53 pm »
How to change a 16 ohm speaker to 8 ohm?  Can anyone help me with this?  Is there a simple way to do it?  Thanks!

I'm surprised no one has mentioned this yet, but the easiest way is to buy a pair of THESE and use them in reverse.

FullRangeMan

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Re: How to change a 16 ohm speaker to 8 ohm?
« Reply #12 on: 20 Jul 2015, 07:18 pm »
Almost any reasonable (8 Ohm) amplifier will do just fine playing conventional 16 Ohm loudspeakers.
Especially tube amps.