nopiano
Well-known member
- Feb 15, 2009
- 4,447
- 4,159
- 33,570
A brief recap of the basics might help. A significant proportion of speakers labelled 8 ohms are really 6 ohms nominal. Neat say the minimum impedance is 4 ohms, which justifies their 6 ohm rating. But I must stress that these are nominal figures. Look at any speaker review from HiFi News or Stereophile, or YouTube from ASR or Erin’s Corner, and you’ll see a wavy curve, not a straight line. That’s because impedance varies with frequency.
The majority of amplifiers can easily cope with 4 ohm dips, and many are comfortable down to 2 ohms. Often these low points are at a frequency with little energy in typical music, so no issues. Only when a low impedance coincides with a low frequency where big power might be required e.g. on a bass drum, might the amp sweat a little. The devil is in the detail.
That needn’t bother you if you’re in a small flat or enjoy lower volumes. Only filling a large room with a tricky loudspeaker might issues arise. The Neat’s enjoy powerful amps, and I second the typical suggestions of British amps like Exposure, Naim etc. However, Luxman deserve their reputation and may be a fine match - it’s just one I’ve never seen nor heard.
Lastly, your Yamaha isn’t ‘8 ohms’, that just happens to be the most common measurement quoted. It’s comfortable with 4 ohms and lower.
The majority of amplifiers can easily cope with 4 ohm dips, and many are comfortable down to 2 ohms. Often these low points are at a frequency with little energy in typical music, so no issues. Only when a low impedance coincides with a low frequency where big power might be required e.g. on a bass drum, might the amp sweat a little. The devil is in the detail.
That needn’t bother you if you’re in a small flat or enjoy lower volumes. Only filling a large room with a tricky loudspeaker might issues arise. The Neat’s enjoy powerful amps, and I second the typical suggestions of British amps like Exposure, Naim etc. However, Luxman deserve their reputation and may be a fine match - it’s just one I’ve never seen nor heard.
Lastly, your Yamaha isn’t ‘8 ohms’, that just happens to be the most common measurement quoted. It’s comfortable with 4 ohms and lower.
Last edited:
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram