single amp, multiple speakers w/ different impedence?
 

hey there...

i know this may sound like a stupid q but i did a tonne of searching and have NOT found a clear answer...

can you mix speaker impedence if the amp supports it? do all 4/5/6 chan amps allow this?

the scenario:
fronts: Focal components: 4ohm @ 60w rms
rears: Infinity Reference: 2ohm @ 100w rms (no posted 4ohm rating)
sub: Infinity 1230w: 4ohm @ 300w rms
amp(s): unknown

i am trying to plan out amp purchase but am concerned that the mixed impedence ratings would force me into 2/3 amps....

what are your thoughts?

Yes you can do this. Most 5 channel amps are all stable to 2 ohms on the main 4 channel section, the 5th channel are usually stable to 2 or 1 ohm depending on the manufacturer. Most 5 channel amps do not have a solid amount of power into 4 ohms, it is at the 2 ohm or 1 ohm rating that they finally get around to business. From what I can see the only thing forcing you into 2 amps would be the sub channel power.

So running the amp @ 2ohm wont cause any problems while my focals are rated @ 4ohm?

If the 4 channel section of the amp is rated at 2 ohms then the amp can run 2 channels at 2 ohm and 2 channels at 4 ohm. What amps are you considering?

at this time, its up in the air...

i have the opportunity to snatch up a JL 500/5 but the guys asking a bit and concerned it wont power rear channel very well...

any suggestions for good (and not toooo expensive) for a good 5/6 chan?
id like to stick to one amp but have no problems running 2 if thats the best thing

Whatever the speaker ohm load is what the amp sees. The ohm rating on the amp is it's minimum. You can go higher than the rated 2ohm no problem. So running 2 ch at 2ohm and 2ch at 4ohm is no problem with an amp capable of running 2ohm across all channels.

I've used 8ohm mids in the rear deck to set the staging better to the front of the compartment. The amp used was stable down to 2ohm per channel.

Thanks!

(correct me if im wrong just incase i misunderstand buutt...)
So if I buy a multichannel amp that runs stable @ 2ohm, i can run 2ohm and 4ohm speakers without worry of incompatibility or the like? but i couldnt run 1ohm speakers....

Quick answer, yes.

You can run 2, 4, 8 ohm speakers on any given channel of an amp rated for 2ohm. A 1ohm speaker is under the rated limit of the amp and will void the warranty and likely fry it. But pairing a 2 and 4ohm speaker on the same channel complicates things and will not work wired in parallel with a 2ohm amp. In that case, the amp will see a 1.33ohm load. Not good if it's rated for no lower than 2ohm.

Most common drivers are either 2ohm or 4ohm. Most amps will handle this load. 1 driver per channel is the safest route.

In the case of subs, if you use 2 subs at 4ohm each, they will give you a 2ohm load wired in parallel. Mid to high end amps will handle 2ohm bridge no problem. Commonly low end amps will only go down to 4ohm bridged or maybe 3ohm at best.