Amplifier to Speaker Matching Tutorial | UniqueSquared.com

[@AndreaMcNeely220]

Thank you for explaining this. You saved me from making a colossal mistake in purchasing an integrated amp on eBay that looked good, but from your excellent tutorial I learned that it would not handle my speakers. :)

[@Skauber]

You can drive a 500W speaker with a 10W amp, the sound output just won't be very loud. In a home stereo, it's not crucial to have an overpowered amp for your speakers, depending on your usage. If you listen to music at comfortable and neighbour-friendly levels, a small-ish amp can drive big-ish speakers to a certain degree, lets say a 50W amp driving 100W speakers. But in a professional setup where you are looking at a high power usage scenario over prolonged periods of time, you want a more powerful amp, the manufacturers of speakers often recommend an amp which is equal or upto double the power of the speakers, i.e. 500W to 1000W amp for 500W speakers. The reason for this is that you want to avoid that the amp will start clipping at all costs. An amp that clips will blow up speakers very quickly. Then it is up to you as a sound engineer to handle this power correctly, i.e. not push the speakers too hard by setting the levels correctly on the amp. A 500W RMS speaker can handle more than 500W in short peaks, i.e. a kick drum or similar, as long as you don't push too hard.

[@rgd10]

Thank you so much. This is the first video I've seen that actually speaks to people who have little or no knowlege of the subject.

[@ΑγγελοςΜπακαλης-ζ9η]

Richard Daggett noooo he is wrong dont listen to him!!!

[@BrianButera]

Thank you for this video! It does an excellent job of summing up the pairing process as simply as possible. I've read hours of explanations online only to come away more confused. Some of the comments below are insane- the audio nuts and people who don't know what they're talking about strangely sound similar. This video just goes over the process of pairing a set of speakers to an amplifier properly. It does not cover speaker sensitivity, etc. because it doesn't matter at this point. He's clearly working with a PA system for a venue. While your home listening needs will most certainly be different in terms of speaker sensitivity, speaker size, etc. the concept is the same. If you're going for audiophile quality sound, pre amps, filters, etc. all come into play, but again, it doesn't matter at this point. Great video!

[@keithdavis3314]

Usually don't write comments but I liked your video and thought it was super helpful. Thanks a lot. Made things really easy.

[@tatalino9370]

Wonderful very easy to understand presentation, there's a lot of vids out there but this one is really makes me easily understand basic "amp to speaker matching tutorial" Thanks!!!

[@tpilot1]

I gave up mate but this video was the best I found, Now I am on battery's and they work of they same principle, My brain canot handle it, But once you got the basics than the rest will follow. Cheers for vids

[@rewindrecords3507]

Excellent video; concise, accurate and easy to follow. Thanks!

[@scottdematteo]

WOW! Best tutorial I have ever seen on this subject. Excellent video! Thanks so much for posting and demystifying this subject for me.

[@robertdenison8256]

This is the best explanation for ME I have found. Thanks so much!

[@RODE2112]

Nice flip/catch @ 4:00. Really though, This explanation made it all sooooo understandable. Great vid!

[@foxtone9]

Thanks for the quick response! Well, right now we have a 300-watt Yamaha EMX312SC Mixer with two Yamaha S112V Club Speakers (350 watt program handling each). I realized after watching your video that we're at a risk of damaging our mixer, so we're currently looking into trading up for the Yamaha EMX512SC mixer.

[@MattJasa]

Good info. Computer PSU's are kinda the same, you want to get more watts then needed or else your PSU will be less efficient at full load and run more hot and also will degrade sooner. Also a basic rule they say is to keep your cost ratio of the cpu and gpu at about 50/50 to avoid bottle necks. I wonder what the ratio would be for amp and speakers. 2/1? So roughly a $700 amp mates well with ~$400 speakers?

[@christiaanbezuidenhout6984]

05:43 And remember. Dividing the impedance by the number of speakers is only correct when all the speakers have the same impedance. If you connect different impedance speakers to a channel you'll need to calculate the net impedance differently and also keep in mind that different watts will now flow to the two speakers because of the difference in impedance. So its always a good idea to keep with the same impedance and watts when bridging multiple speakers to a channel :)

[@Jurgen67nl]

Nice video. It's not based on facts but on experience! Some things are not technical correct bit gives a nice indication.

[@alexanderjosefsen]

You say that continuous power, RMS and program power is the same thing, maybe it is maybe it isnt. I looked at some Cerwin Vega speakers online from a store here in Norway and the description says this: Power Handling (Watts): RMS 350 W | Program 700 W | Peak 1400 W The reason i ask is RMS and program is very different, who of the two should i have in mind when looking for an amp?

[@captcorajus]

That's very nice, well done and simple, though I would have added the calculation in wattage for 2 pairs of those speakers, because the xti 2002 would have been insufficient for 4 of those speakers, you would have needed a second amplifier, and thus the logic and reason for the bridging function becomes more apparent. I also would have talked about total wattage as opposed to watts per channel, as many manufacturers list their amplifiers that way. Thus you have a 1600 watt amp, not an 800 watt amp. Otherwise, outstanding job!

[@uniquesquared]

This sounds like home stereo equipment. While the same logic in our tutorial is applicable, we are discussing live sound equipment. Without knowing the specifications of your 6 speakers, this is impossible to quantify. I would recommend consulting the manual that came with your home stereo equipment as that should provide the information for a proper installation.

[@matthewgaines10]

I would not follow this guy's recommendations.

[@KolektorPhils]

best and simplest video abt this topic! question, why does my Aiwa speaker indicate that it has 7 ohms? i thought spkrs usually only came in 2,4,8 and 16 ohms.

[@gmjv-__________8802]

great video man best one ive seen all day and ive been hunting,

[@uniquesquared]

Great question! Using 1 speaker at a time should be just fine. You can run in mono as long as your speakers are matched properly. What type of PA system do you have (i.e. speakers, amplifier, mixer, wattage rating, etc.)?

[@RobbyHuang]

Very helpful, thanks!

[@jermbarnett1]

Thanks Chris this video helped me.

[@djsoundzentertainment42]

When setting gains on amp you should first set your signal levels on the mixer to just before the red meter. Then turn your gains on the amp to your desired level which should never have to be up all the way.

[@karlitosway7273]

Good job, Chris! Well, explained video. Thank you from London, England

[@harveshsinghthakur6667]

Very helpfull vedik vrish.

[@LeChrizzle]

The rule of thumb no. 1 seems to be the other way around for guitar amps and cabinets!?! Why is that? People keep telling me not to overpower my guitar cab as I might blow the speakers. Common half stacks are 120watts amp + 240-300watts cab with matched impedances. Great video! Cheers

[@NeilSmithMusic]

I was considering switching to passive speakers so my power could always stay protected in my area and less cabling to run. Since I obviously need to become a scientist to accomplish this, I think I've decided to stick with powered speakers. Thanks for helping me with this decision.

[@ppdan]

If you are not very technical your best choice is probably a powered system because everything is designed to work together in one box (well at least if the manufacturer did his homework).

[@hectorelizondo1354]

Well explained, nice job

[@patrickmatthews10]

Very informative video and easy to follow too. Thanks!

[@ronaldvega2793]

Dude you are very helpful!

[@Kumarka47]

Hi, Your info is so good and clear. Please help in the case, i have TDA7560 4 Ohms 45 W-Max 51 W then, what is voltage & amp to apply and which speaker is suitable?

[@drummer468]

I work at a club that has a Peavey xr1212 mixer. The mixer has 2 600 watt power amps at 4 ohms each. We are running 2 Peavey SP 2s (1000 watts program) off one amp. Then, we're running 2 Peavey PV monitors (500 watts program) off the other. Am I correct in assuming that we are at least under powering the mains?

[@twsteeler7]

if you added the two extra speakers as you showed, would they need more watts to power them? you would have two 500 watt speakers on each channel so would you need a 1000 watt per channel amp?

[@arvingaviola27]

Almost there.. But here's what my friend taught me. Beware,there is math... Connecting two 500 watts on a 500 watts channel is fine and actually I can add even more speakers on that channel. However, remember the Ohms thingy? You will hear exactly 500 watts from both speakers. Each speakers is 500 watts @ 4 Ohms. The total impedance is 2 Ohms, as mentioned. The amp is 500 watts @ 4 Ohms, but what it did is played thru the numbers. Since total impedance is 2 Ohms, the amps can power its channel to 2 Ohms to match the speakers producing 1000 watts. Lower Ohms can produce higher wattage but too low Ohms (let's say 1 Ohm) is dangerous.

[@TheSupertecnology]

I've been using a 60W stereo amp with 150W speakers (2 way). For almost 7 years it's been working with absolutely no issues whatsoever. Same amp, same speakers, almost 7 years. So it confuses me you say that having speakers of a higher power handling will damage the amp... [EDIT]: I think I get what you're saying now... overdriving an amp rated for a lower power output than that which the speakers can handle can actually burn them because of harmonic distortion!

[@tomtude]

i have a jbl prx612m loud speaker, now i thinking about getting a qsc plx1802 amplifier to hook them in together ,,! do you think they will help the music sound better or will be the same..? some body told if i have a loud speaker i would need an amplifier,, it that true.. ? thanks

[@pulkitanchalia]

best explanation i've ever seen

[@uniquesquared]

An 8 ohm speaker is only Nominally 8 ohms. It's impedance actually varies from about 3-30 ohms over the course of the frequency range. Amp makers PREFER you to use 8 ohms because if you crank the volume, you are less likely to over-heat the amp. Putting an 8 ohm speaker on the amplifier capable of supplying current to a 4 ohm load makes the amplifiers job easier. Please refer to your equipment manuals and contact the manufacturer to maintain the integrity of your equipment.

[@adtam010]

You are my savior dude,thanks for the video.Thumbs up!

[@foxtone9]

Thanks Chris. Our system is a Yamaha EMX312SC mixer (300w) with two S112V Yamaha speakers (350 watt). Are we at risk right now with underpowering our speakers? One thing I still don't get - if we had say a 500 watt mixer, wouldn't we blow our 350 watt speakers if we turned the level all the way up?

[@foxtone9]

Is it ok to use only one of the speakers with my PA, instead of the two? My group has a couple of practice spaces, and it would be nice if we could leave a speaker at each spot rather than travel with everything every time. Thanks for your help!

[@dmc20045]

good day! i just bought amplifier to create sound system set up,i'm not good enough to know if it is good to have a good sound to handle party event, what is written is 2500 watts peak power and can handle 7 speakers a total of 4000 watts,i don't understand. i give you the model:HW4000U brand:techpro, please help to understand well and give me advice what speakers i'm going to use. thank you very much don

[@PresenZrak]

man things get complicated in this comment section, but as much as I could summarize is that: --You need your speakers to have a higher rms than your amp, so even if you push the amp to it's limit, it won't overwhelm the speakers. This makes a little sense cause just last night I was trying out my Martin F8 speaker (150W AES/600W peak, 8ohm as it says in the manual) with my amp (which specs are below*) and I heard some clipping. Thats counting the 280w RMS from my amp and the 150w from the F8, which I took into consideration after watching this video. Amp output Power: 2 Ohms>650w RMS Per Channel* 4 Ohms>450w RMS Per Ch.* 8 Ohms>280w RMS Per Ch.* Also I tried a subwoofer (B&C 15PK40) thats 400w (Nominal, 800w Continous,) 8ohms and it had no clipping. I am somewhat new at taking into consideration the physics and numbers behind it so help me with this next one. --Am I going to screw something up if I connect: -two Martin F8s, in parralel in one channel, thus getting 4ohms of resistance, and on the other, if I connect -two 400w, 8ohm subwoofers just the same?

[@blackrosetiger135]

Presen Zrak you didn't hear clipping lmao Clipping is an electronic signal, so unless your ears are an oscilloscope you didn't hear clipping. DISTORTION is the result of clipping, and you can hear that, but actual clipping occures before a sound is produced.

[@drum101keane]

Hi i am considering buying a pair of behringer b2520 which run at 550w RMS and 2200w peak power, also the impedance is at 4ohms. which power amplifier would you recomend?

[@stevedierks74]

So, great video. Finally able to understand what all this stuff means and how to use it when getting speakers/amps and receivers. But i have a quite lengthy question for you. What i have: 5.1 surround system, VSX-321 - 600w total? 100w per channel. Two Behringer 2031A Truth Studio Monitors (TRS/TS to RCA) Now, i did some research and it states online that this model is 5.1 but can be converted to 7.1 using the RCA inputs in the back for AUX/Audio out (Left and right). I hooked it up, after some fiddling i got it to work, turned up the trim on the monitors but still can bearly hear anything out of them, they are both pre amped out of the box if that matters (ive turned this on and off to fix it) So then i read i need to buy a separate mini amp to just power the monitors because the receiver cant handle the regular satellites and the monitors. The X-over is set at 200 on the receiver by the way. So my questions are this: 1) Why do i need to buy a second amplifier for them, if they have one on the back of each the monitors? 2) Should i just go buy a newer model receiver to accommodate higher watts, and more channels - or would i still need a separate amp for the monitors (they are 140w max per monitor) (Also, i have a 4k monitor hooked up to my computer via PCM on my tv, so i really want to get one with 4k up-scaling to use it in surround while watching movies/gaming.) 3) TRS/TS better than the 5 pin (XLR?) round ones? I need to get an amp with rca's unless i can find cheap T/S's that convert to raw speaker wire. Is there a preference? Thanks in advanced for any replies, Steve.

[@lloyd.8272]

You can blow a speaker with a high or low power amp. A low power amp that is over driven will clip causing distortion and damaged to the speaker. A high power amp can also over power the speaker causing distortion and damage. A higher power amp can also clip if over driven. Either way you need to be sensible, If you hear distortion you need to turn it down. Some amps like Denon let you set a maximum volume so there's no way of accidentally damaging your speakers.

[@Michaelzeiss]

Great video. Can you help me with my problem? I have an amp that can pump 500W at 4ohms. I've attached a 4ohm speaker that's 250W. Sounds great. I want to add another speaker but it's 8ohms at 300W. Can I do this? The impedance are different. Will this blow up anything? Thanks.

[@ronmerkus5941]

well you should not need the other speaker , besides the two are different ohm ratings, unless you cannot change the ohm rating of the 8 ohm there is know use

[@FarlyNisas]

How to get wattage of the speaker ? Should I use a tester? (I do not have the specification on it )

[@steveosbu]

so you are the only one that i have found that makes this make since. So my question is, I'm looking at buying 2 speaker cabs that have 2, 15" speakers in each one. the Impedance is 4 ohms. If i try to chain these together do i divide the ohms by amount of cabinets or by the number of speakers? probably a dumb question Behringer EUROLIVE VP2520 2000W

[@AjayDhankar]

Well explained mate!

[@Zylaw1]

Thanks, Man. The Bridged Mono really was a new piece for me. The system my sound guy built has three amps, the most powerful of which is powering the four 18 inch Subs. I knew that bad boy made my butt shake, and now thanks to you, I know why! LOL Also, the other amps are powering the highs and the mids in the Marauder 2 ways via rainey crossovers. I'm still not real clear on the set up but much more than before your lesson here.

[@ricardorivera7948]

hello im ricky im about to buy my new mobile dj, and after i saw your tutorial video i thinlk im going to buy the CROWN 2002 power amplifier i really like it just because i can add 2 more speakers , now i have a question can i add a cd mixer to it , im not sure if i can and read the product features and specificacions but i couldnt figure out if i can can someone help me out please and thanks

[@ramshankardhir]

Thank you sir, for your information in a clean way. Will you please explain more about crossover matching with driver/speaker in your other video.

[@ordinaryJ03]

This video just solved every single problem I had and showed me everything I need to know, than you so much!

[@efralopez5846]

hi i have the same jbl speakers if i buy the crown xti 1000 do u think they are gona work ok ?? thanks

[@coolestrenoguy]

Wow. I just needed a refresher from memory loss. Some of your questions people are scary. I think some of you should not be allowed to plug things in, for the general public safety. Just call someone over who knows what they are doing before you burn down the house..........

[@dopeoreos]

Hey Hopefully i'm not asking something that has been asked beofore, but the amp that u are using can handle 2 ohms which means it wont die or anything nd the speakers would be fine aswell but when running 2 speakers each side would you lose power because you are not running 4 ohms you are only running 2?

[@hepheastusthefirst]

Hi there, I wanted to get a the Behringer iNUKE NU6000 which delivers 2 x 3000 Watts into 4 Ohms, 2 x 1500 Watts into 8 Ohms to power 4 Gemini GVX 15s at 500 watts RMS at 8 ohms. My question is this does the description by Behringer that the iNuke NU6000 delivers 2 x 1500watts into 8 ohms mean that each channel (the amp has two channels) on the amp delivers 1500 watts into 8ohms or the total power on both channels is 1500 watts into 8 ohms. Thanks

[@shaazkaredia7551]

While you calculate 2 speaker per channel with impedence of 4 ohm becomes 2ohms, you forget to add up the power which makes it 500w +500w = 1000w per channel while the amp should be 1500w 50% more powerful than speaker load.

[@AlistairSylance]

Thanks dude, awesome clear descriptive vid.

[@carreonj74]

Thanks for uploading Christ. This video is very helpful... Great video!!!

[@leelowlane9464]

very helpul crash course... 👍👍

[@jintannebril6384]

what speaker would you advise for the tweeter with the above set you just shared? tnx

[@nhlanhlanhleko2579]

Chris this is wonderful very informative and made simple. Keep it up Bru!

[@leonard-pr3887]

if I have a behringer pmp 6000 or 4000 they are the same amp what is the lowes watts I can use. and whats the highest watts they can handle ech channel?

[@SandanuwanDhanushka]

Awesome video!

[@jtoplinerc]

sir sorry for that anyway it's a power amp i heard it can also use for outdoor events but unfortunately i don't have any idea if its for sub or mid high... "Acoustic Drive MC 3000" also Known as "AD MC3000 SPECIFICATIONS Model MC 3000 Output 8Ohms 1KHz0.1% THD stereo Mode: 2 x 800W Output 4Ohms 1KHz0.1% THD stereo Mode: 2 x 1200W

[@javierpaiz1485]

the way you explain is good the only thing i dont get is if you have the 800 amp and 500 spk and the you ad 2 more do you need to go high on the amp or just wire good for the ohms meaning if i have 2 sets of 500 watts spk (4 spk) i can run them with a 800 watts amp if i wire them on impidence or i need to go higher

[@leegarnett3741]

hi iv just got a pair of alto ts115 speakers 1000w each at 8 ohms and they are 250w continuous each and wondering what amp I should get for these speakers so please could give me an idea of what I should be looking for thanks

[@tabliya]

Can I add a 4 channel mixer to Guitar amp speaker and use for small home gigs ? basically 3 or 4 mics coming together in a mixer and getting out into guitar amp speaker like fishman/boss/roland ?

[@rondill8429]

YES

[@dahvanka]

what kind of speakers to use with this 55/30w bi-amplifier

[@ordunaplace1]

great video. still confused. just bought a pioneer sa6300 amp. 20w per channel, stereo amp. what size speakers should i be looking at? cheers

[@matth1841]

Me too, have you got speakers for yours yet?

[@ordunaplace1]

Bought an old pair of pioneers. 60w are ok.

[@matth1841]

Thanks for the reply. Yeah I'm looking at a pair of Pioneer CS-77a. What was the model of the speakers you got?

[@ordunaplace1]

cs99a

[@rahulfromkerala]

Highly appreciate your help...

[@Robbinsffxi]

Different manufacturers measuer Watts differently. Which one is right for this tutorial?

[@hrayrohanyan4498]

Hi. I have bought PC65.2C and CXX10 and want to buy amp for thees speakers and subwoofer. Can you suggest something, as I can not figure out which one chose. as for price, I would like cheaper)) Thanks a lot

[@osamazahid715]

you did a great work! keep it up

[@SWATPhantom]

For example, let's say that I have a 1000 Watt speaker and a 100 Watt amp, as long as my amp knobs are at 0 dB and the output of my mixer is below 0 dB, I won't have any problem right?

[@dmc20045]

hello! RMS is not written in the manual.i look at the back of the amp. and i saw there are 4 pairs main speaker output and 3 pairs surround speaker output.if i will use these surround output, the speakers ratings should be the same as the speakers use in the main speakers output? i'll try to look the rms online. maybe i bought a wrong amplifier... than you very much for the reply..

[@CrackaJack022]

Yea i have a pair of behringer b212xl speakers. Theyre 200 continuous watts and 8 ohm. From this video i decided i needed a "300 watt 2 channel amp with 8 ohm load." Correct me if that is wrong please! Also, they were all around 300 dollars which is more than i payed for the damn speakers! Is there a cheaper solution? Please respond asap! Thanks

[@melvind.poloofficialytchan6856]

+CrackaJack022 u can atleast 250 watts per channel @ 8 ohms there's no problem with that...quite cheap that 300 watts model...

[@TheUfm123]

This might be a silly question .but how does the amplifier go from 4 ohm to 2ohm. Is there a switch or something. Thanks.

[@kongwee1978]

It is not switch. Amplifier can do 2ohm or lower. It is how much load it can handle before getting clip or even shot. Normally big woofer will go down very much low ohm.

[@nikkopsihos6004]

i have Alto Professional TS115A 800 watt and a Continuous: 400 watts speaker,, what type of amp should i buy?

[@claytrell]

Awesome video. Thanks for the lesson!

[@jerryecno8996]

i got tow 4" speker and a amp.. fast time they give me sound good... but now when i make bass up and also voleum up the spekers make sound sucks... can you tell me what is the problem plz....

[@mtpstv94]

That was helpful. Exactly what I needed. Thanks.

[@scamkid]

great explanation

[@jtoplinerc]

Sir is it ok if i have speakers 2pcs Crown JH-500-800 and i want to run those speakers for subs and my amp AD MC300 "800W x2 at 8 Ohms", "1200W x2 at 4Ohms" is this ok or correct?

[@alexkong247]

That was excellent explanation , great video and keep in on~cheers. ^^

[@Thiagu001]

I highly appreciate your work here Mr.Chris. You were rock on the topic bud. You really gave a clear picture of how things go with speakers and AMP. I had to watch 6 different videos to land on yours :), though they were helpful too. BTW, am from INDIA. Anyway, can you tell me 2 things ...1) I saw in a video where it was said, more the ohms of the speakers & AMP ( i.e within limits )the clearer will be the sound output like 8 ohms speakers have a clearer sound than a 4 ohms. &The more the wattage, the louder the sound is. If i bring this logic into the picture, am getting a bit confused...does this mean, i have to purchase a higher ohms AMP & speaker to have a clear sound ? & higher wattage speaker as well for louder sound ( though i understand this part, power is proportional to loudness )? 2) Can you make a video of how to connect tweeter & sub woofers to the speaker-AMP circuit/system ? is it necessary & possible? These if from a novice so plz consider even if its silly :) . I want to make a complete sound system in a box like thing ( DIY way) & gift it to a group of a people who mainly play indian devotional / spritual songs in it which has all the frequency ranges and i want everything to be heard from my system. Hope you understand my intentional. I wantto give them the best kit. Thank you.

[@jhenry248]

This definitely ease my mind on not to avoid purchasing a passive speaker system as opposed to just getting a active system which I had done in the pass. Thanks for the tutorial.

[@ronicallmen]

Dear sir i have selected the pioneer GM-6500F(760w) 4 channel amplifier and distribution of channel is pioneer TS-6975v2 (500w) each speakers for two channel and pioneer TS-WX304T subwoofer(300w)RMS for two channel so please suggest whether the configuration is proper or not also explain how to select amplifier

[@graybentley]

Great Job explaining this for me. Wow Thanks

[@jeffnhnl]

awesome instruction!

[@BMATSTUBE]

Thanks for this video. Nicely done.

[@pcostel1]

Great information! Thank you!

[@gman5303]

I want to put these new rockford fosgate speakers that I got in my truck. I am really having problems with how to power them. They are 80 watts rms a pair and 320 peak power a pair. I have an amp that puts out 400 watts x 4. Can I put my front speakers on a channel and my back speakers on a channel even though the rms is 160 a pair and my amp will be giving them 400 watts?

[@willibass2]

Please Chris..we have been using an amplifier with 500 Watts x 500 Watts to make sound two 1000 watts speakers each one...And recently the amplifier has been damaged. What amplifier should we really buy? Thanks. I amprrecciate your answer-

[@146Jarrett]

if an amp only has specs that state a minimum watt value, in my case its 100W, what does this mean in terms of how much power it can send out?

[@xtremetech21]

does the same go for home theater receivers and speakers?

[@danielkoshy7]

I have a av receiver rated at 6 to 16 ohms. But my speakers are rated at 4 ohms, can i still use those speakers and receiver combination?