Using two different impedance speakers

[Silvio55]

Hi! I have two speakers, one 16 ohms and one 8 ohms, can I use both with the same amp? I´ve read that it can be done using the 8 ohms output of the amp with the 16 ohms speaker and the 4 ohms out for the 8 ohms speaker. Is it safe?
Thanks!

[Bruce / Mission Amps]

Hi! I have two speakers, one 16 ohms and one 8 ohms, can I use both with the same amp? I´ve read that it can be done using the 8 ohms output of the amp with the 16 ohms speaker and the 4 ohms out for the 8 ohms speaker. Is it safe?
Thanks!

I'd just run them in parallel and plug the two into the 4 ohm tap.
The 16 ohm will not draw as much power as the 8 ohm but you'll be able to tell how it sounds... and it is of course, safe.

[Steve Conner]

I´ve read that it can be done using the 8 ohms output of the amp with the 16 ohms speaker and the 4 ohms out for the 8 ohms speaker

This ought to work fine. It will present the right load to the output stage and drive both speakers with the same power.

[pdf64]

From the Book of Aiken (about 3/4 down) Tech Info

'Q: Attempting to simultaneously operate a 4-ohm and a 8-ohm speaker from the 4-ohm and 8-ohm secondary taps of an output transformer...not a good idea---but, why?
A: If you run a 4 ohm speaker on the 4 ohm tap, it will reflect back, say, 8K to the primary. Now, if you also connect an 8 ohm speaker to the 8 ohm tap, it will also reflect back as 8K to the primary, so the tubes now are seeing a 4K load instead of the 8K they require. That's why it is a bad idea. Now, if you connected an 8 ohm speaker to the 4 ohm tap, and a 16 ohm speaker to the 8 ohm tap, the reflected impedance would be correct.'

Pete

[g1]

Agree with above that it should work out ok. However there are some amps that use odd switching arrangements with the speaker jacks.
Just to be sure, it would help if you would tell which make and model amp you are doing this with.

[Silvio55]

Ok! So it is safe using the 4 and 8 ohms taps. But will the two speakers handle half the power each? Or the 8 ohms speaker will receive more than 50% of the output power?

[pdf64]

Although it's not explicitly stated, as each secondary tap load contributes equally to the reflected primary load, then each should receive half the power.
Pete