the 4 ohm rating

Why do they still make tube amps? They are less powerful and more prone to 'problems' than solid state amps(in general).

To me, a speakers numbers rate right up there with amplifier numbers...pretty much meaningless. It all comes down to how a speaker or amplifier designer's work sounds to you. Yes, some 4 ohm load speakers will limit some choices in amplifier designs, just as choosing some tube amps will limit some speaker choices. The key is synergy. If you like the sound of a speaker, you will find an amplifier to drive it easily. If you find amps that you love, you may consider changing speakers to suit it better.

I have 4 ohm speakers, I bought them because they sound terrific, period. I've found an amp that drives them effortlessly (Clayton M100 monoblocks). 100/200 wpc into 8/4 ohms of pure Class A biased power. My amps are current hungry monsters that actually feed off of lower impedence speakers. In a review, the reviewer recommended using 4 ohm speakers to get the best performance out of these amps. I agree.

So in my case, I found a pair of speakers I loved, bought them, and then found the best amp to drive them. I know some will buy an amp that they love, and then buy speakers that will support them (particularly SET fans). There's more than one way to skin a cat.

Cheers,
John

sirspeedy, even a Class A biased amp? My amp seems to run hot no matter what's connected to it. I think in my case it's just a matter of whether the energy is being used for musical purposes, or dissapated as heat.
Using your car analogy, my car (amp) runs pedal to the metal all the time. It's just a matter of if the wheels touch the ground and transport me somewhere, or simply races the engine, if the transmission is placed in park while maitaining with the pedal to the floor.
I can understand your reference regarding a Class A/B designed amp, I don't know that this is the case with a Class A biased amp.

Mike,
I didn't take it as an attack. Yes, I know speaker manufacturers make speakers with 4 ohm ratings to make their 'sensitivity' ratings look better. Yes, I know that my 90db 4 ohm speakers would be just 87 db at 8 ohms.
I've never had a problem when running 4 ohm speakers though. I guess if I wanted to run a tube amp I might. However, I can't say that I've ever made any changes in my system because I have 4 ohm speakers. My power cords on my front end equipment are thicker than my speaker cables. I've long been a fan of dedicated power lines and conditioners, regardless of speaker design.

The only drawback that I've ever thought of is running tube amps. I've never tried a tube amp yet. I would probably just get a pair of Paul Speltz's Zero's to let the amps 'see' my speakers as an 8, 12, or 16 ohm load should I ever decide to try a tube amp. I can't say that I've ever given a moments thought to buy anything because my speakers were 4 ohm (aside from tube amps). I actually bought my M100's because I liked the way that they sounded. It was afterward I found out that they love 4 ohm loads.

I would have had dedicated lines run and bought my Shunyata Hydra, etc. no matter what speakers I had.

I don't know if this helps or not. I don't know if a system (amps, wires, etc) would work harder on my 90db 4ohm speakers than it would on a 87db 8ohm speaker. If playing at 100db, what does it matter if my amp is putting out 10 watts into 8 ohms or 20 watts into 4 ohms? Both speakers would be outputting a 100db signal. Maybe someone else can answer this.
The only way I could see this affecting the amp would be if the amp doesn't 'double down'. As most high end soild state amps do, I would guess that unless using a tube amp or receiver, it wouldn't be a factor at all. If using a tube amp, it may require an additional investment of $450 for Paul's Auto-formers. That doesn't seem like much money compared to what many folks here spend. Especially since the Zero's can also replace your speaker cables.

Does this help at all? Or am I not understanding what you're trying to say?

Cheers,
John

Rabelais, excellent post! That makes sense.

Thnaks,
John