Every speaker has an impedance rating, expressed in ohms, that indicates how challenging it is to power the speaker.
Most speakers have an ohm rating of 4, 6, or 8.
The more effectively an electric signal can flow through the speaker, the lower the impedance.
If your amp isn’t powerful enough, a 6 ohm speaker could put too much strain on it because it will draw more power than an 8 ohm speaker.
Speakers that have a lower impedance, or ohms rating, will need more power because they can withstand less current.
To produce a comparable loudness of sound, a 6-ohm speaker needs more power and will draw more current from an amp than an 8-ohm speaker.
Compared to speakers with higher impedance levels, those with lower impedance ratings will require a lot more power from the amplifier.
Compared to an 8-ohm speaker, a 6-ohm speaker is regarded as being much more "power-hungry," taxing your audio receiver or amplifier.
For a given sound level, an 8-ohm speaker requires less electric power from an amp than a 6-ohm speaker.
Higher impedance speakers require less power than lower impedance speakers, such as 6-ohm speakers.
Thus, higher ohm speakers are more energy-efficient, less prone to damage, and require less power.
On your speaker, the average impedance is represented by the figure ‘6’.
The impedance of the speaker varies based on the file type and volume, from 4 to 8 ohms.
We’ll find out next whether 6 or 4 ohms is better.
The lower the impedance in ohms, which indicates how much the speaker resists current, the more power the speaker will take from your receiver.
As a result, compared to 6 or 8 ohm speakers, 4 ohm speakers are regarded as more "power hungry" and will put more strain on your amplifier.
In actuality, a speaker’s impedance can differ significantly based on the frequencies it produces.
What does it mean, then, to say that the speaker’s impedance is "6 ohms"? If you examine closely, you will see that the impedance only very briefly falls below 6 ohms at 200 Hz.
To be honest, in order to raise the impedance, we would have had to give up some sound quality.
Johnny Rocker is definitely putting more strain on his amplifier than someone who listens to a 6 ohm speaker at a reasonable volume when he listens to his 8 ohm speakers at 110 dB.
You shouldn’t be concerned about underpowering a speaker rated at 6 or 8 ohms if your receiver is a high current design capable of delivering 100 watts/channel or more without distorting.
Now let’s see which is better, 6 or 8 ohm.
The speaker manufacturer or designer has the right to determine the speaker impedance rating.
‘Nominally’ 8 ohm speakers are produced by the majority of speaker manufacturers.
Jamo produces speakers that are ‘nominally’ 6 ohms.
The ESL guys, Magnepan and Martin Logan, make ‘nominally’ 4 ohm speakers.
That being said, neither sounds superior to the other.
The majority of amps on the market are spec’d fairly well at 8 ohm loads, so the answer is probably going to be a wider market and greater acceptance.
No, is the response. They assert that for the majority of your content (music or movies), the speaker will present a load of ‘x’ ohms or higher, but occasionally it may drop to a lower value.
Can I use 4 ohm speakers with a 6 ohm receiver? is the next thing we’ll learn.
Benefit 1: Increased Power Production
The higher power output is the main benefit of utilizing a 6 ohm receiver with 4 ohm speakers.
Benefit 2: Increased Productivity
The increased efficiency that results from utilizing a 6 ohm receiver with 4 ohm speakers is another benefit.
Benefit 3: Better Sound Quality
And lastly, you can get better sound quality by using 4 ohm speakers with a 6 ohm receiver.
In summary
In conclusion, with the right safety measures, a 6 ohm receiver can manage 4 ohm speakers.