Ok gear hounds - series or parralel cab wiring?

[Kapo_Polenton]

About to order a few speakers.. I already have a 4 x 12 with 4 8 ohm speakers wired to 8 ohms. I want to pick up another 2 x 12 and was thinking of going with another 2 8 ohm speakers and wiring them in series for a 16 ohm cab. Are there really any sonic differences between series and parallel? I've been reading that less high end and fizz is the reason a lot of people play the series/16 ohm cabs. Any truth to this? I know the EVH cab is 16 ohm and it sounds amazing.

Discuss....

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

Don't be shy audiophiles..

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

What is the friedman way? i assume you mean using parallel and series in a 4 x 12

 

[racerevlon]

Correct. Here's the math:

4 x 8 ohm speakers wired parallel = 2 ohms. Series = 32 ohms

4 x 16 ohm speakers wired parallel = 4 ohms. Series = 64 ohms

So, by combining series AND parallel wiring you get usable loads for guitar. I think only PA and bass can handle 2 ohms. Going higher won't TECHNICALLY hurt anything but your tone.

Feel free to correct me if I got it wrong. Allergies are killing me today...

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

Except I asked about loading a 2 x 12 .... you guys blew your loads at 4 x 12!

 

[glassjaw7]

Good thread on this from TGP a few years ago.

Especially found this excerpt helpful:

comparing a 2x12 while in parallel versus series is the most extreme example, great way to identify the baseline differences while comparing 4x12 in series-parallel versus parallel-series the differences are more subtle

webers take is great-

I have two 8 Ohm speakers that I can wire either parallel or series to my tube amp for an impedance of either 4 or 16 Ohm. My amp has both 4 and 16 Ohm output taps. Are there any sonic differences or benefits of series over parallel wiring or vice versa? Gerald, connecting two speakers in parallel is an old trick to smooth out speaker response and enhance the damping of either speaker. HIFI designers took it one step further by connecting two speakers of different sizes in parallel. A speaker has a large impedance increase at its fundamental resonance, and depending on the installation, this can cause the speaker to sound boomy or out of control. By connecting two speakers in parallel, particularly two speakers of different sizes with different resonant frequencies, each speaker will tend to quench or dampen the boominess of the other. Since no two speakers are exactly alike, even two of the same size, that damping will occur, however slight, for any speakers connected in parallel. For speakers connected in series, there appears to be less control, and more of what is called 'back EMF' from the speakers fed back into the output circuit. While that seems rather chaotic, many players prefer the series connection, as it gives them a more textured tone, enhanced breakup, and overall a more desireable tone for guitar work. It's totally subjective, of course, and many factors affect the end result, such as voice coil size, gap energy, closed back/open back, output circuit damping, etc. The best thing to do, in my opinion, is try both arrangements since you have the luxury of impedance tap selection, and go with the configuration you like the best.

Here's the link to the thread:

http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=564593&page=2