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4 Ohm Vs 8 Ohm


xgsjx
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[quote name='gsgbass' timestamp='1384132742' post='2273177']
I believe if the 4 ohms is the amps max, it will have an edge over the amp @ 8 ohms. More power normally pushes more sound from it.
[/quote]Rule # 1 of loudspeaker design: There's no such thing as a free lunch. What you gain with respect to voltage sensitivity with a lower impedance load comes at the expense of increased current draw. To preserve a balance between voltage and current headroom you should avoid running an amp into its minimum rated impedance load.

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[quote name='Bill Fitzmaurice' timestamp='1384136580' post='2273187']
Rule # 1 of loudspeaker design: There's no such thing as a free lunch. What you gain with respect to voltage sensitivity with a lower impedance load comes at the expense of increased current draw. To preserve a balance between voltage and current headroom you should avoid running an amp into its minimum rated impedance load.
[/quote]
What effect does increased current draw have?

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[quote name='subrob' timestamp='1384155395' post='2273210']
Damping factor is also halved.
[/quote]Damping factor is moot.
http://www.diyspeakers.net/Articles/Richard%20Pierce%20DAMPING%20FACTOR.pdf
[quote]What effect does increased current draw have?[/quote]Potential for clipping, and heat, which shortens the life of amp components. Think of an amp as an engine. You wouldn't want to drive a car with the RPMs always red-lined.

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It doesn't make a difference if the cabs are designed right. If you cut corners when designing the alternate impedance version of the drivers and the related crossover then it's perfectly possible for a 4 ohm and 8 ohm version of a cab to sound different. And if one has a sound which you prefer then you might declare that your amp sounds better into that impedance - but the difference wouldn't be because of the load or the power output but because the drivers sound different!

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[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1384252390' post='2274386']
The extra speaker will ensure that any 2 x 112 rig will sound better than a 1 x 112 rig.

My 2p is that, with modern speaker design 2 good 112 cabs (or equivalent 212) paired up with a good 500 watt amp are the perfect semi pro bass rig.
[/quote]

I get the 2x12 as there's a good mass coverage, but why a 500w amp?

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A 500 watt amp will give as much volume as you want while maintaining headroom, so providing better and more dynamic tone at high volume.

I use a lot of bass in my sound and an amp running close to its limit won't produce full bass as well as an amp that's just ticking over.

Having said that, my Berg CN212 has surprised me by being as loud as my other rig at about a third less volume. I don’t know, there might be other commercially available cabs out there which are that sensitive, but, IMO, as the difference in cost between a 500 watt amp and a lower wattage amp is not very much why bother with anything less than 500 watts.

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[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1384261169' post='2274530']
Having said that, my Berg CN212 has surprised me by being as loud as my other rig at about a third less volume.[/quote]

Not only the sensitivity, but the voicing. The Berg CN is voiced with quite a forward mid tone, which does make everything seem louder.

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[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1384261360' post='2274535']
The Berg CN is voiced with quite a forward mid tone, which does make everything seem louder.
[/quote]

Is that deliberate, or is the cab just less mid-scooped than other cabs (including other Bergs)?

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[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1384263250' post='2274575']
Is that deliberate, or is the cab just less mid-scooped than other cabs (including other Bergs)?
[/quote]

Definitely deliberately voiced like that. To be honest, I think a lot of the modern compact cabinets are voiced in this way to enable maximum volume from the size they are.

Bergs have a certain class about their tone though...

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[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1384266310' post='2274625']
Bergs have a certain class about their tone though...
[/quote]

I'm sure you're right... but I just can't help wondering if a lot of that is due to the general quality of the fit and finish? A classy package that delivers a "classy" tone?

In the same way that some people refer to a certain "rawness" in the tone of a lot of BareFaced cabs, maybe?

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[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1384269869' post='2274671']
I'm sure you're right... but I just can't help wondering if a lot of that is due to the general quality of the fit and finish? A classy package that delivers a "classy" tone?

In the same way that some people refer to a certain "rawness" in the tone of a lot of BareFaced cabs, maybe?
[/quote]

I think a lot of it comes down to Jim Bergantino's excellence when it comes to voicing bass guitar cabinets, (and indeed amps like the IP cabinets).

He has a lot of experience in working with PA/Bass cabs, and worked on Sadowsky cabs before working on his own.

According to those who seem to buy a lot of his product, a lot of it is in his crossovers. Eg, the transition between the driver high end and the horn.

Yes, his fit and finish is immaculate, but it definitely SHOULD be at that price. It's expected.

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