Audible difference in class D 4,2,or 1 ohm load?

[45js45 10+ year member]

Is there a noticable difference in the quality of the sound from subwoofers when droping the ohm load?I am trying to decide the impedance of the sub I am looking to order.

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[Delusnl 10+ year member]

what was the point of making a new thread about this...why didnt you just state this question in the thread about class A/B amps vs Class D?

 

[theMessenjah44 10+ year member]

not as long as you know how to set gains

 

[cleansoundzz 10+ year member]

Yes there is a difference in sound. Do the subwoofers at a 2 ohm load. For the tightest bass use 4 ohms however finding lots of power at 4 ohms isn't going to come cheap.

 

[Shinju 10+ year member]

what was the point of making a new thread about this...why didnt you just state this question in the thread about class A/B amps vs Class D?

Because he asked about the quality of a class d amp at different ohm loads.

Yes there is a difference in thd the lower you drop the ohm load the more total harmonic distortion (thd) the amp will.produce. if you adjust your gain settings with a Dmm and o-scope you will avoid sending a clipped signal to your sub.

If you do not have access to an o scope a Dmm (digital volt meter) will be fine.

There is a lot of topics about all this if you use the search function here on the site.

 

[blazeplacid 10+ year member]

I have my tc sounds sub wired at 1 ohm and its one of the best sound quality subs i've heard in a long time.

Any proof that a sub will sound better at 4 ohms?

The reason for low impedance is more power from an amp

 

[Shinju 10+ year member]

I have my tc sounds sub wired at 1 ohm and its one of the best sound quality subs i've heard in a long time.
Any proof that a sub will sound better at 4 ohms?

The reason for low impedance is more power from an amp

Only half correct.

Read the specs on that Nine.1 you have you will see it will have less THD at 4ohm then 1 ohm meaning less distortion at a higher ohm load.

 

[n2audio 5,000+ posts]

Any amp of reasonable quality will not exceed 1% at rated output. Rated output is only going to be achieved at or near full volume during a very strong bass hit.

If you can detect

 

[blazeplacid 10+ year member]

yeah but can your ears hear it?

 

[VWBobby 10+ year member]

Depends on how you define "hear".... //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif Sounds like a politician. Some amps just sound weak and buzz on hard bass hits. Even with strong electrical, 0 gauge wiring, etc. A good clean amp will sound so loud and full, doesn't have that traditional buzz/knock SPL sound. Its hard to describe how clean something sounds. Try borrowing a friend's amp of comparable power and set it properly. See if you hear a difference.

 

[n2audio 5,000+ posts]

Depends on how you define "hear".... //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif Sounds like a politician. Some amps just sound weak and buzz on hard bass hits. Even with strong electrical, 0 gauge wiring, etc. A good clean amp will sound so loud and full, doesn't have that traditional buzz/knock SPL sound.

That doesn't sound to me like anything having to do with impedance or thd etc.

That sounds like a very poor quality and/or defective amp, and/or a very poor quality sub/enclosure.

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

This is one of the few instances where damping factor actually comes into play. Of course the issue is that to actually test whether or not you could hear the difference, you'd have to find an amp that produces the same power across the different impedances or gain match the amp to produce the 4 ohm power at all impedances.

 

[VWBobby 10+ year member]

The gain match test goes along the lines of the Richard Clark test... //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif If all else is "equal" and 2 different amps have a different response depending on the frequency...this is the 'color' that you hear in sound when you compare 2 amps that are supposedly set exact. Unfortunately, I don't think its possible for most home hobbyists to set 2 amps exactly the same. I'm just reminded of times like trying out several 500-watt class amps and choosing which one has the best output and sound characteristics. Nothing really scientific, just letting my ears be the judge.

 

[RAM_Designs 5,000+ posts]

Nothing really scientific, just letting my ears be the judge.

Yep, IMO always let your ears be the judge.

 

[gunz4me2 10+ year member]

Yep, IMO always let your ears be the judge.

I'll have to disagree on that point because one's ears are the absolute WORST quantifier when it comes to detecting differences in sound. Why? Because they are attached to a brain that is easily influenced by psychoacoustic factors. Furthermore, auditory memory is virtually nonexistent in most individuals.

I'll take my uncalibrated Behringer ECM 8000 or my calibrated Dayton EMM-6 over one's ears when it comes to measuring sound!