When it comes to speaker systems, 4-ohm speakers are wired to a 2-ohm load. When wiring 4-ohm speakers at 2 ohms, the impedance should be calculated by dividing the power rating of the amplifier by two.
That will give you an approximate number for how many watts your amp needs to deliver per speaker.
You can double that number and then divide it by four because the power rating of 4-ohm speakers is twice as much as 2-ohm speakers.
The total voltage delivered by your amp to the 2-ohm speakers will be half of what it would be for 4-ohm speakers.
This means that your amp will need to deliver twice as much power (2/1 = 2x times the power) to 4-ohm speakers in order for them to perform in the same manner as they do with 2-ohm speakers.
Table of Contents
How to Wire 4-ohm Speakers to 2 ohm
Speaker’s Impedance
Before you know about the right impedance, let’s get a bit into what it is and how it works. The impedance of the speaker determines the resistance of a speaker concerning an amplifier.
In simple terms, speaker impedance is the number that dictates how much pressure your speaker will put on the amplifier. The correlation of impedance and amplifier power is negative. That means a lower impedance will draw out a higher power from the amplifier.
Simply put, a lower impedance means a lower resistance in the current. This means more current will flow through the speakers. To produce more current, the amplifier has to use more power. And that’s how the speaker impedance matters.
Sound quality
While many people may not know this, there is a significant difference in the sound quality of these speakers. Keep in mind that I am considering the same amp for both these types of speakers.
A 2-ohm speaker allows more current to pass through. Here, more current usually means more power. With that extra power level, 2-ohm speakers can produce a louder sound. So, this means you get louder sounds from a 2-ohm speaker.
On the other hand, 4-ohm speakers don’t take as much power from the amplifier. This leads to lower power which means the sound won’t be as loud as the 2-ohm speakers. However, with more control in power, you get a distinct increase in the sound quality. This is because you use the same amplifier for both of them.
Amp compatibility
4-ohm speakers don’t need too much power as they have a higher resistance. The higher resistance restricts the flow of electricity, which eventually reduces the amount of power your speaker needs.
With a 4-ohm speaker, you have less to worry about your car amplifier. You can be pretty sure that it won’t damage or harm the amplifier in any way. So, if you have no idea about amplifier capabilities 4-ohm speaker is a safer option.
On the other hand, you have to make sure that your amplifier can handle 2-ohm power requirements. Let’s say, if the 4-ohm requires 100w of power, then the 2-ohm will require 200w. And if you have a 100w amplifier, it will take too much load from the 2-ohm.
This will cause overheating issues and may even damage the amplifier. So, you have to know how much your amplifier can take in choosing a 2-ohm speaker.
Cost
There is a significant difference between a 2-ohm speaker and a 4-ohm speaker regarding pricing and cost.
First of all, 2-ohm speakers have a higher price than 4-ohm speakers. That’s because they have a louder sound to produce, which is what many people want to have in their car speakers. Also, 2-ohm speakers come with greater fine-tuning options compared to the 4-ohm speakers.
Also, to run a 2-ohm speaker in your car, you will need a powerful amplifier. If your car already has a powerful amplifier, then you are in luck. But if not, then you have to buy one that may add a bit of cost.
So, all in all, using 2-ohm speakers come with a greater cost than using 4-ohm speakers. It will come down to whether you want to have that boost in volume or not.
Can you use 4-ohm speakers with a 2-ohm amp?
Before this article, this question would have been a nightmare to answer. But now, it won’t be that difficult to answer, will it? You already know the answer, but still, let’s get through this.
The answer is, of course, you can use a 4-ohm speaker with a 2-ohm amp because a 2-ohm amp will have more than enough power to provide to a 4-ohm speaker. To put things simply, if the amp is capable of handling 2-ohm speakers, then it can easily handle a 4-ohm speaker.
Now, things take a turn when you think of it in the opposite direction. Everything starts to go downhill when you try to power up a 2-ohm speaker with a 4-ohm amp. If you want that to work, you will need 2-ohm speakers requiring half the power as a 4ohm speaker.
For example, if you have two 120W 4-ohm amplifiers and want to use 2-ohm speakers, you have to get two 60w 2ohm speakers. With lower power, the sound quality will also go down. In the end, it won’t be worth going for 2-ohm speakers at all.
Conclusion
In order to wire a 4-ohm speaker to a 2-ohm receiver without harming the speakers, one must use a resistor. A resistor is basically a two-ended or two-pronged wire with a resistance inside, which reduces the voltage going through it and allows for less power to be sent through. This decreases the volume of the speaker but keeps the circuit happy.
FAQ:
Q: How to connect 4 speakers to a 2 channel amp?
A: First,get quality speakers and amplifiers. Then,identify the positive (+) and negative (-) terminals on the amplifier and the speakers. Finally,connect the positive terminal of the amplifier to the positive terminal of the first speaker.
Q: What is the difference between 2 ohm and 4 ohm?
A: This slight difference in weight will produce a slight sound quality difference. At 2 ohms you tend to have more projection of sound (louder), which causes poorer sound quality. At 4 ohms you will have less mid bass frequencies then at 2 ohms; however the sound quality is slightly improved.
Q: How to wire a dual voice coil speaker?
A: – What is a dual voice coil speaker? … – Single vs dual voice coil subs: which is better? … – How to choose & match a dual voice coil subwoofer to your amp – 4 Ohm dual voice coil sub wiring diagram – 2 Ohm dual voice coil sub wiring diagram – 8 Ohm dual voice coil sub wiring diagram – More helpful articles
Q: How to wire multiple speakers?
A: BASICS OF WIRING SPEAKERS. There are several ways to wire up Speakers,the most common methods are Series and Parallel which are discussed here. SERIES SPEAKER WIRING. … PARALLEL SPEAKER WIRING. … A COMBINATION OF SERIES&PARALLEL. …