New speakers - 8 or 16 ohms?

P

PSGuitar

Active member
Hey guys!

Is there any reason to replace 16 ohm speakers in 212, cabs with 8 ohm speakers? I often hear that 8 ohm speakers are fatter, warmer, bigger sounding. Or, is it really just that 16 ohms is a tough brighter which is easily remedied with an EQ adjustment.

My 412 cabs have 8 ohm speakers and my 212 cabs are all 16.
I keep watching videos comparing 8 to 16 and I prefer 8 as it seems thicker and warmer, more mid forward.

I know guys who have replaced all their 16s with 8s but that's a lot of work and money.
 
To me and a lit of people, the difference is not just high end. It's an overall character that is hard to describe.
Here is an example:
 
Spaceboy said:
Yes, 8 ohm speakers sound significantly better to me, especially when playing loud. The fact that many 2x12s are loaded with 16 ohm speakers is a major reason I could never bond with 2x12s.
Click to expand...
That's what my ears are telling me.
I'm in a position where I may need to use some smaller cans on parties or gigs and I'm looking to replace my 16 ohm speakers. Sucks having to do this.

You would think amp or cab builders would stop with the 16 ohm speakers.
 
The vast, vast majority of classic Marshall 4x12s, as heard on famous records, etc are 16 ohm cabinets. The V30 video example above is a bad one because they managed to make the 16 ohm sound fizzy and the 8 ohm sounds muffled with blankets. In practice there's only a slight perceivable difference, all else equal.

This is a better example because both versions sound good. The 16 ohm has better harmonics and more life but the 8 ohm sounds thicker and a bit more solid. Which is better depends entirely on the amp it's connected to.

Edit: Can't embed the referenced video. Search "Celestion Greenback G12M 16 Ohms VS 08 Ohms" on Youtube by user Del Rei Rock
 
I am with Thegame here. I use only 8 ohm speakers because i was mixing speakers and could only find one set in 8 ohm as opposed to 16. But if 8 ohm was soo much better, why did EVH load all his cabs with 16? I don't think he would have tried to keep all the tone to himself.. doesn't seem his style. But I am not really huge on conspiracies. I would worry more about pairing the amp with type of speaker than anything else.
 
thegame said:
The vast, vast majority of classic Marshall 4x12s, as heard on famous records, etc are 16 ohm cabinets. The V30 video example above is a bad one because they managed to make the 16 ohm sound fizzy and the 8 ohm sounds muffled with blankets. In practice there's only a slight perceivable difference, all else equal.

This is a better example because both versions sound good. The 16 ohm has better harmonics and more life but the 8 ohm sounds thicker and a bit more solid. Which is better depends entirely on the amp it's connected to.

Edit: Can't embed the referenced video. Search "Celestion Greenback G12M 16 Ohms VS 08 Ohms" on Youtube by user Del Rei Rock
Click to expand...
Thanks bro.
I definitely prefer thicker for most things.
I don't think it's just something you can EQ out either.

Like this?


Anorher:
 
I am going to order a pair of 8 ohm speakers that are identical to my 16 ohm speakers in my other 212 and do a side by side. It just seems like my 212 cabs always have this strident hard to play feel. I need to see if the 8ohm speakers thickens that up.
 
I’m not going down this rabbit hole. My 16ohm Bogner 4x12 with 2 RI Greenbacks top/English V30’s is the best cab I’ve ever heard. It’s my personal benchmark. Anytime I see stuff like this that makes me want to second guess it, I plug into her and she always sounds good. I’m afraid to mess with it.
 
Are they 8 ohm speakers?
I have 16 ohm cabs that use 8 ohm speakers.
I not saying one is better but we all have preferences.

But Mr. Willy, I really respect your approach.
 
I’d have to have two identically loaded cabs (just 8 vs 16, of course) side by side and go back and forth to make an educated decision.
 
PSGuitar said:
Are they 8 ohm speakers?
I have 16 ohm cabs that use 8 ohm speakers.
I not saying one is better but we all have preferences.

But Mr. Willy, I really respect your approach.
Click to expand...
I’m pretty sure they’re all 16ohm. Pretty sure it’s wired in series parallel. It’s been awhile since I’ve pulled the back off. I know it’s 16 and don’t wanna mess with it. Lol.
 
PSGuitar said:
I am going to order a pair of 8 ohm speakers that are identical to my 16 ohm speakers in my other 212 and do a side by side. It just seems like my 212 cabs always have this strident hard to play feel. I need to see if the 8ohm speakers thickens that up.
Click to expand...
Lots of variables at play. Yes the slight physical differences in the speakers construction between 8 and 16 models sound a little different. The various speaker taps off the amp's transformer sound different. Wiring methods (series vs. parallel) sound and feel different. Unfortunately a 2x12 cabinet is the least suitable for the type of evaluation you want to do. Your 16 ohm speakers in your 2x12 must be wired parallel to get an 8 ohm load. If you buy 8 ohm speakers for a 2x12, they will end up at 16 ohms wired series or 4 ohms in parallel. So in a 2x12, you're going to hear only series OR only parallel wiring. Not applicable in a 1x12 and most 4x12s are wired series/parallel or parallel/series (they're a mix of both methods and both ways result in the same total load).
 
My 4x12's are all stereo...16ohm speakers wired in parallel for 8 ohms per side.
I also have a 2x12 wired stereo with 16ohm speakers...to my ears..the parallel 16s in the big cab sound a tad brighter than the 16s in the 2x12.
That's regardless if I go into either cab with the Fireball 100 or the rack.
 
Really simple.

8 ohms : more midrangey , less top end and low end.

16 ohms: more scooped, more
Top end and bottom end, sound bigger.
 
Picked up two 8 ohm Redbacks to compare to my 16 ohm Redbacks. 16 ohm Reds set up as 8 ohm parallel.
Two 8 ohm Reds set up at 4 ohms. I also tried it at 16 ohms.
Either way, the 8 ohm Reds sound fuller, fatter and smoother. Leads are fatter and feel better.
Some say they don't hear a difference but I do. I'll give it some days and try again and see if my ears hear the same thing.
 
I went down this rabbit hole myself. Mostly for V30s. But, there is quite a big difference in my experience. I have/had both 8ohm and 16ohm of both Mesa and Marshall versions in different cabs. I have also have/had vintage(1982) G12-65s and DV77s. The 16ohm speakers all tend to be tighter and have a very pronounced upper mid range with the exception of the DV77. The DV77s are kind of an anomaly. They have a scooped upper midrange. So, being 16ohm kind of suites them well. The vintage G12-65s have a very pronounced upper midrange, but unlike the 16ohm V30 speakers they aren't harsh at all. I no longer own any 16ohm Mesa V30s because they were just too harsh for me. In the room they sounded fine, just not mic'd up. Putting the 16ohm speakers in 4x12s does seem to tame them a bit, but the 8ohm speakers all sound much more balanced in my opinion. The only cab with 16ohm speakers that I have kept around is a Marshall 4x12 loaded with Marshall V30s and DV77s.
 
Mr. Willy said:
I’d have to have two identically loaded cabs (just 8 vs 16, of course) side by side and go back and forth to make an educated decision.
Click to expand...

A lot is personal preference. I did a side by side that was apples to apples and I preferred the 8 ohms but I know guys who prefer 16 ohm speakers. There is no right or wrong. If you are happy as is, no need to mess with it. :)
 
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