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Cary cad120s running 4 ohm speakers?

Hi everyone I was wondering if some one uses or experimented with speakers that are a 4 ohm load. With the cary 120s amp?

I am currently looking at Totem Acoustic Element Metals which are a 4 ohm load but are 91db efficient.

I was originally looking at the Totem Element Earths which are 88db efficient and an 8 ohm load. But hearing how loud the metals being played with a triode corp 30watt 6ohm ultra liner amp. Can not imagine the juice pumped out by my 60 watt triode cary tube amp could run these, or even in ultra liner mode.

So my biggest question is anyone running the cad 120s on a 4ohm speaker load?
128x128jakecanada

Showing 2 responses by brf

brf
1,715 posts
 
The Totem is a 4ohm "nominal" rating. You will need to look at the speaker's impedance over the entire frequency range to see where the dips and valleys. Tube amps don't like wide impedance swings. One of the draw backs of the Cary is the absence of alternate output impedance taps like their bigger brothers.

There are always exceptions in audio, but most Totem owners run their speakers with ss amplification. On "paper" not the best match.
brf
1,715 posts
 
I could never get my Totem Mani-2 to work with tubes. Not even close or even at low volumes. My ML 20.6 mono ss amps just got them going. I hope the Element series are a " lot" more efficient and have a benign impedance curve than the Mani-2.

When ever I see a 4 ohm speaker with a min recommended power rating of 50-300wpc I always exercise concern when considering tubes.
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