6 ohm impadence speaker be ran on a 8 ohm reciever? with out hurting anything?

Answer 1

No.

A switchable 4 to 8 Ω impedance output would be OK. More than likely that number represents a inferior speaker and it is probably is not rated over the complete audio spectrum of 20Hz to 20kHz.

Running a lower impedance load on a receiver will raise the necessary amperage and will stress an amp. You more than likely will aggravate things by having the volume up even louder to compensate for a less sensitive speaker.

Others here will tell you this is OK as long as you don't turn it up too loud and this is true, but impedance relative to output is non-linear, meaning you can only turn the amp up to 1/3 total volume, and that is the maximum output you can use before stressing the amp.

Either get the correct amp, speakers or build a LISN.

Answer 2

You probably will have no problem. Speaker impedances are only approximate, and the spec value only applies at 1000Hz. The 6 ohm speaker will draw more MAXIMUM power from the amp, but the power at listening levels is well below that. So if your amp and speaker are capable of providing typical LISTENING power (usually less than 5 watts), it doesn't matter whether the amp is supplying that to a 6 ohm or 8 ohm speaker. You would only get into trouble if you play very low notes (less than 50Hz) at loud levels for extended periods. That is the only thing that would drive the amp to maximum levels.

Answer 3

It helps if:

- You have a self-powered subwoofer and tell the receiver that those speakers are "small". This will prevent the receiver from sending the low-frequency (power hungry) signals to the speakers. (This is why subwoofers often have their own amp built in.)

- You have good space above the receiver to vent the heat away. The lower impedance speakers draw more current which generates heat and this is what reduces the life of your electronics.

- You use the speakers for movies instead of music. Music tends to drive your speakers 100% of the time. But for movies, the center is making sound most of the time, the L/R some of the time and the rears even less. And you sit in a circle of speakers so it only has to be 'loud' in one or two places in the room. This tends to need less power than a music system.

Answer 4

The actual impedance of a speaker varies considerably from its 'nominal' value - depending on frequency. Modern amps will have power supplies with automatic protection so no harm SHOULD come to it. However, keep the volume down a tad and you should be fine. Depending on the design of the amp, you may experience a slight loss of bass due to the mis-match. Be careful not to give it max as it might blow it! Tread carefully or buy a new amp or speakers.