Help please - should I switch my AVR to 4 Ohms ?

[TheRooster]

Hi - I have a Denon AVR 6400 which I have had for a while which was powering my Tannoy speakers in 5.1 configuration.

I have recently upgraded my speaker package to Monitor Audio Gold 200 (L&R) 150 Centre and FX rears (With a velodyne SPL1000 sub)

While looking through the manual for something else I saw that if you are running 4 Ohm Speakers (which these are) then I should switch the AVR to 4 Ohm mode.

I have done this but to my surprise the amp is now running at about half the power.....even though 4 ohm speakers require more power to be optimum...so i am a little confused.

Am I correct in thinking that the 4 Ohm system is to protect the AVR as it is not really powerful enough for my speakers ? and if that is the case I really need to be looking at external amplification for all my channels.....or risking it in 8 ohm mode ?

What I don't want is to be massively compromising on quality just to save the AVR, because then it would have been a total waste of money investing in such good speakers...

Thanks

 

[Deleted member 116933]

Some amp's can sense the load others can't as your speakers are a heavy load switch it over, the amp will then send more power to the amps (simplifying it) to better drive the speakers

 

[TheRooster]

Some amp's can sense the load others can't as your speakers are a heavy load switch it over, the amp will then send more power to the amps (simplifying it) to better drive the speakers

Thank you for your reply. Yes this is what I thought but what confuses me is the amp is now running at half the power it was and essentially running in Eco mode, meaning it is actually sending less power ? I also find that I need to now push the volume wheel higher to acheive the levels I was getting before.

 

[Deleted member 116933]

40 is the new 30 let say. It's nothing to worry about it certainly won't be working in eco mode far from it
You now certainly have it in the right setting now.

This is why I always recommend efficient speakers, especially with AV amps your Roksan won't, have any such problems though

 

[abacus]

This should help

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ou5bO8P2Drw