8 ohm speaker hooked up to 4 ohm post ?

Given that your speakers are atypical in that respect, I
would not generalize too readily from the positive results others have
sometimes reported when they connected to the 4 ohm taps.

Regards,
-- Al
Almarg (Answers)

That's an excellent answer.

Most speakers that "sound better" ('cause it's all subjective) on 4
ohm taps have impedances at certain frequencies that approach, or are
below, 4 ohms. Therefore, the 4 ohm taps provide better tonal balance.

However, if like Al stated, your 8 ohm speakers have a benign impedance
curve that doesn't vary much below 8 ohms, then using 4 ohm taps will
probably not be of significant benefit.

Since there are no absolutes when it comes to personal preferences, the
suggestion to try both taps and choose the one you like is on target.

Tvad said
“…it appears as though you have duplicated the results of using solid state amps on the Sonata III that I was describing, e.g. the lack of a "tilted up" sound and thinness.”

Blindjim said
To me, It appears they just got completely broken in, given my above notes… and weren’t when I made the switch to lower imp output taps which would not support them quite as well.

Tvad said
“It's been some time, but I recall Alan telling me in an email that the speakers dipped to 5 ohms, “

Blindjim said
I heard him say to me, ‘six, on the phone and posted it as such’.

Tvad said
“… and Ralph Karsten suggesting to me based on his examination of the design that the Sonata III likely dip between 4 and 5 ohms. I wish I had saved those emails, but I didn't.”

Blindjim said…
Tvad… did you send your Sonata IIIs to Ralph for a look see? Or did he collect a pair locally to look into first hand?

I wish you had saved his measurements of the Sonata IIIs, were any taken during that particular ‘examination’. Hey… Maybe Ralph saved those measurements himself! Otherwise, as much as I do indeed respect Ralph C. input and experience, I guess some actual numbers would carry more weight on this topic, than would projections. I sure would have been interested enough to have both our pairs measured in fact… or find out just how the measuring should take place.

BTW... Didn’t you have some issues surrounding the demo units you purchased, not being actual demonstrators, or something? I know mine were brand new… and maybe later models. Maybe you should have gotten the other new piano black pair he had on hand at the time I got mine instead…

Honestly, I ddon’t know. I also gotta surmise such disparity between similar pairs of Sonata IIIs are more than just a listening preference thingy. Either it was that or my thoughts on manufacturing consistency might have some validity.

For some time I’ve been more slated towards a bit more syrupy sounding system because my hearing is sensitive to any brightness, harshness, grain, etc., causing me fatigue readily. Also, I simply did not believe other owners saying they needed as much as 400 hrs. to be fully run in…. I do now know they need more than 150 > 200.

Truly, there’s nothing in the sound now which is errant. It is a whole new gball game though. In fact it’s one I figured to quit chasing. You know the one… high resolution, yet still exceptionally musical. Usually one trades off to either side of that coin trying to reach that fine line. Although I may not be dead on it now, I’m closer to it than ever before. It ain’t hi fi-ish either… and it sure ain’t bad! I do still regret taking this long getting around to trying this simple switch.

Now I can gladly forgoe thinking about another set of mono blocks or speakers... for a good long while.

Blindjim, when you wrote:

With a couple solid state amps, which have no such
choice of out put taps, they play fine, and only the differences between ss and
tubes are then realized. The thinness and tilted up sound was gone.

I understood your statement to mean your observation of a lack of thinness
and tilted up sound was a result of using a couple of solid state amps.

Apparently, I misunderstood your comment, so my initial reply to you in this
thread has no relevance to your situation.

Sorry Tvad... I jumped well ahead in the time line of ownership making that statement and did not indicate it.

Now... would you mind answering the questions I asked of you? I've already answered all of yours.

Blindjim, I mistakenly thought there was new ground to cover, and that's why
I posted in this thread. Since I misinterpreted your earlier statement, thereby
making my initial post irrelevant, I see no purpose in revisiting old
discussion.

My mistake. No worries.