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Speaker impedance explained: the "4 ohm" or "8 ohm" number on the back of your speakers tells your amplifier far less than you think. We break down what that rating actually means under the IEC 60268-5 standard, why a speaker rated at 8 ohms can legally dip to 6.4, and what happens when manufacturers ignore even that.

Using published measurements from Stereophile and Audioholics, we look at an 8 ohm rated Infinity speaker that failed the standard, the GoldenEar BRX marketed as "compatible with 8 ohms" that bottomed out at 3.24 ohms, and why phase angle matters as much as impedance. Keith Howard's equivalent peak dissipation resistance shows some speakers load an amp like a 1.5 ohm resistor.

Then we answer the real question: will 4 ohm speakers kill your amp? We cover AV receiver impedance selector switches, why they exist for UL certification, what Audioholics found when testing them, and why protection circuits usually shut an amp down before it fails, while clipping puts your tweeters at risk.

What impedance are your speakers? Tell us in the comments, and subscribe to Pro Audio Exposed for the measurements behind the marketing.

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