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What does Nominal Impedance mean?

What does Nominal Impedance mean?

I’m trying to decide on some new speakers (Clarisys Minute). They are rated at 86-88 sensitivity and a nominal impedance of 3.5 flat. Although graphs show it about 6 ohms from 20hz-500hz and at 2Khz and above about 3 ohms.

My present speakers, Focal Sopra 2 are rated as 91 sensitivity and 8-ohm nominal impedance, but minimum is 3 ohms.

So, I am presently using Bob Carver 350 amps (rated as 350 Amps/channel 8 ohm and 400 watts /channel 4 ohm) which are tube mono blocks. and I like to crank it up at times!

Can someone explain about Nominal Impedance and if my amp(s) will have a problem driving the Clarisys Minute speakers?

ozzy

128x128ozzy
michaellent's avatar
michaellent
178 posts
 

Given that it is 8 ohm speaker….Y

Bent

ozzy's avatar
ozzy OP
7,204 posts
 
amir_asr, Thank you for that info. I wonder though if most tube type amps would also show a large amount of distortion? BTW, I like the sound of the Carver amps. Previously I owned Atmasphere, Pass, Krell and a few others. ozzy
ozzy's avatar
ozzy OP
7,204 posts
 

I was just reading a review of the Rockport Orion speakers in The Absolute Sound by Robert Harley.

They weigh about 350lbs! Cost over $133,000 and it is still a 4-ohm speaker!

ozzy

wolf_garcia
6,602 posts
 

Nominal impedance means blah blah blah blah, meh...that said, Almarg was one of the reasons I bought a Pass XA-25. A cool guy who's missed around here. 

ozzy's avatar
ozzy OP
7,204 posts
 

So, I guess I understand that now, nominal impedance is just a number. Highly questionable, I guess that is so with sensitivity ratings. Different frequencies produce different amounts of energy, so that could be all over the map in reality.

But if 8 ohms is optimum then why are there so many 4-ohm speakers? I put together a DIY speaker a while back and I was able to use all 8-ohm speakers. So, the drivers are out there.

And companies like Rockport, Wilson, etc. claim to make their own drivers, but they design them with lower ohms. Why?

ozzy

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