2 Ohm and 4 Ohm dumb question.
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Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2015
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From: TEXAS
2 Ohm and 4 Ohm dumb question.
Have swapped out my 2 Ohm speakers in both the fairing and saddles for 4 Ohm speakers. (J&M & Hog Tunes to Focal). They all sound very good in every category including decibels after installation.
Not real sure I am getting my arms around what to expect in terms of sound quality after having the amp DPS adjusted for such Ohm change. No noticeable listener change? Increased sound quality but less db? Amp running cooler?
I get the basics that this number is basically what is required to make the speaker dance but they seem to be dancing pretty damn good without touching a thing on the amp.
Guys, thanks for dumbing this down for me!!!!!
T.
Not real sure I am getting my arms around what to expect in terms of sound quality after having the amp DPS adjusted for such Ohm change. No noticeable listener change? Increased sound quality but less db? Amp running cooler?
I get the basics that this number is basically what is required to make the speaker dance but they seem to be dancing pretty damn good without touching a thing on the amp.
Guys, thanks for dumbing this down for me!!!!!
T.
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Joined: Oct 2012
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From: Indianapolis IN.
Now this is just me tailwind. Others may have a different opinion. But anytime you have to download a program for the amp to function properly it's an issue. I've installed many amps in my time and not a single downloaded program. Maybe I'm old school and not in touch with the latest and greatest technology. But it would appear to me a downloaded program would be like installing a governor on the amp to limit it's actual capability. or to prevent you from blowing up inferior speakers. On the other side of that the program might be taking the limitations off to unleash the true power of the amp. Who knows?
Anyway this is what I know. The 4 ohm speakers will require a tad more gain to reach the DB level of the 2 ohm speakers at the same volume. The amp will in fact run cooler with less resistance. The focal speakers are going to probably have more clarity than the JM speakers. Definitely more than the hog tunes. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
Anyway this is what I know. The 4 ohm speakers will require a tad more gain to reach the DB level of the 2 ohm speakers at the same volume. The amp will in fact run cooler with less resistance. The focal speakers are going to probably have more clarity than the JM speakers. Definitely more than the hog tunes. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
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From: Idaho
The amp will work a little easier with the 4 ohm load. The lower the impedance, the higher the load, the more the amp has to work.
There will be no noticeable difference in sound in going from a 2 to a 4 ohm load. Any difference will simply be due to the fact that you completely changed speakers.
There will be no noticeable difference in sound in going from a 2 to a 4 ohm load. Any difference will simply be due to the fact that you completely changed speakers.
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From: TEXAS
Trust me when I say that I am an OCD control freak, which is why I am trying to find out what to expect with this ohm & speaker spec change DSP so I can either get more confidence in the technology or tear it out and get back to the old school.
Optimistic as John really has been great to work with for me but "trust but verify" always applies these days as my vision of running the amp and speakers at the edge of their operating envelope might not be the same strategy as the programmer.
Hell, my Fuel Pak seemed to work for me via download so maybe everything will be perfect here too. I will continue to pay very close attention to the DSP end user impact that is noticeable, educate myself on realistic expectations, and report back so that the others like me that are currently pregnant with this level of technology can learn from my choices and experiences.
Thank you again for the education!!!! Keep track of the cold adult pops that I owe you!
T.
Optimistic as John really has been great to work with for me but "trust but verify" always applies these days as my vision of running the amp and speakers at the edge of their operating envelope might not be the same strategy as the programmer.
Hell, my Fuel Pak seemed to work for me via download so maybe everything will be perfect here too. I will continue to pay very close attention to the DSP end user impact that is noticeable, educate myself on realistic expectations, and report back so that the others like me that are currently pregnant with this level of technology can learn from my choices and experiences.
Thank you again for the education!!!! Keep track of the cold adult pops that I owe you!
T.
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From: TEXAS
Originally Posted by IdahoHacker
The amp will work a little easier with the 4 ohm load. The lower the impedance, the higher the load, the more the amp has to work.
There will be no noticeable difference in sound in going from a 2 to a 4 ohm load. Any difference will simply be due to the fact that you completely changed speakers.
There will be no noticeable difference in sound in going from a 2 to a 4 ohm load. Any difference will simply be due to the fact that you completely changed speakers.
T.
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Joined: Aug 2008
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From: S. FL
It all depends what the dsp programming is doing. My guess, if it were me building this, is that it's an EQ curve for the type of speaker since there is s tuning limitation with the stock HD radios. With regard to 2ohm and 4ohm. On an amp when tuning your gains to the radio output (kenwoods go to 35, Sony 50, etc on volume level). When turning the gain **** you set it to where there is no distortion either be ear, oscope, DDM, SMD DD1 and regardless if it's s 2ohm or 4ohm speaker the amp is putting out un distorted power, but that doesn't mean the speakers can handle it. Difference in speaker size, sensitivity, etc. so I'm not sure the DSP settings will do anything for your gains. I'm gonna bet those dials are stil there.
Road Captain
Joined: Aug 2015
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From: Durango CO
4 ohm speakers are not always better than 2 ohm.
2 ohm speakers are not always better than 4 ohm.
The issue is impedance matching. A stereo or amp has an output impedance, this should match the speakers. If a stereo has an output impedance of 2 ohms you should use 2 ohm speakers. If you use 4 ohm speakers with a stereo that has 2 ohms output impedance it would be less efficient. The stereo would still work but if you try to use speakers that don't match the stereo you should use impedance matching transformers. If we were talking about PA speakers in an auditorium that would be my recommendation (to use impedance matching transformers) but since we are talking about a motorcycle I say get speakers that match your stereo.
EDIT: what Haze324 is talking about is DSP programming to change the output impedance. If you have an OEM stereo this option is unlikely (as Haze324 indicated).
2 ohm speakers are not always better than 4 ohm.
The issue is impedance matching. A stereo or amp has an output impedance, this should match the speakers. If a stereo has an output impedance of 2 ohms you should use 2 ohm speakers. If you use 4 ohm speakers with a stereo that has 2 ohms output impedance it would be less efficient. The stereo would still work but if you try to use speakers that don't match the stereo you should use impedance matching transformers. If we were talking about PA speakers in an auditorium that would be my recommendation (to use impedance matching transformers) but since we are talking about a motorcycle I say get speakers that match your stereo.
EDIT: what Haze324 is talking about is DSP programming to change the output impedance. If you have an OEM stereo this option is unlikely (as Haze324 indicated).
Last edited by Durango Dave; Nov 21, 2015 at 11:07 AM.
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The amp will work a little easier with the 4 ohm load. The lower the impedance, the higher the load, the more the amp has to work.
There will be no noticeable difference in sound in going from a 2 to a 4 ohm load. Any difference will simply be due to the fact that you completely changed speakers.
There will be no noticeable difference in sound in going from a 2 to a 4 ohm load. Any difference will simply be due to the fact that you completely changed speakers.
can't say i agree with the bolded part. for example take one of the jbl ms series amps i am running in one of my cars. it's a 4 channel and at 4ohm it will produce ~120rms a channel (advertised as 100 per channel). at 2 ohm it jumps up to ~200rms per channel (double the advertised power). while most amps do not double in power they all produce more power at 2 than 4 ohms, so saying there will be no noticeable difference is not a true statement.
that being said there will be a difference when changing speakers as that encompasses much more than just the ohm rating (power handling capacity, sensitivity, quality of the speaker).
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From: Idaho
can't say i agree with the bolded part. for example take one of the jbl ms series amps i am running in one of my cars. it's a 4 channel and at 4ohm it will produce ~120rms a channel (advertised as 100 per channel). at 2 ohm it jumps up to ~200rms per channel (double the advertised power). while most amps do not double in power they all produce more power at 2 than 4 ohms, so saying there will be no noticeable difference is not a true statement.
that being said there will be a difference when changing speakers as that encompasses much more than just the ohm rating (power handling capacity, sensitivity, quality of the speaker).
that being said there will be a difference when changing speakers as that encompasses much more than just the ohm rating (power handling capacity, sensitivity, quality of the speaker).
Mathematically, when you go from 4 ohms to 2 ohms, you're doubling "the load". This requires the amp to put out double the power to keep everything the same. Some amps can do it, most can't. If the amp wasn't designed for a 2 ohm load, the amp can overheat, and can go into clipping. If you put a 4 ohm load on an amp designed for a 2 ohm load, the amp will be running easy.
However, and this is the important part, the OP asked about sound quality, and none of this has anything to do with sound quality, at all. Especially if you change speakers at the same time. It certainly could change where you put the volume control, but again, that's something different.