Should I use the 8 or 4 ohm amplifier ouput on a pair of Chorus IIs?

[Mike16w]

I have a pair of Chorus II speakers that I am trying to mate with a 300B amplifier. The bass is lacking somewhat and another person recommended hooking the speakers up through the 4 ohm winding instead of the normal 8 ohm winding. Does anyone have any knowledge about this?

Thanks

[WMcD]

This seems like a very good suggestion to me.

There are no impedance curves published for the Chorus II (or the rest of the family). I certainly suspect it dips down to 4 ohms in the bass region.

The amp will probably be more happy with the speaker on the 4 ohm tap. You will probably find there is less noise (if there was any to start with). You will probably also notice you need a bit more drive level on the preamp.

Gil

[Colin]

Many people report that this helps with lower frequency definition, but at the expense of ultimate loudness. With your super sensitive loudspeakers that should not be a problem. Be aware however, that your loudspeakers dont reach as low as they could. Since our forum profiles do NOT tell me what you have for equipment, I suggest you research a powerful sub, like the SVS tubes, to support the deepest end. That will give you the solid state punch that the 300B amplifier may be lacking. Otherwise, I am of the opinion that your Chorus mid-range and high end will love the tubes.

[Mike16w]

Thanks both of you for the information and I agree I may need to upgrade my sub. I have a small Definative Technology which is fine for home theater but does not blend very well with the Chorus. I will try the 4 ohm tap this weekend and see how it sounds.

Thanks again.

Mike