16 AWG: 4 Ohm = 1.65 dB, 8 Ohm = .86 dB, 16 Ohm = .44 dB 18 AWG: 4 Ohm = 2.49 dB, 8 Ohm = 1.33 dB, 16 Ohm = .69 dB. As you can see, an 18-gauge cable with a 4-Ohm speaker at 100 feet results in 2.5 dB of loss. A loss of 3 dB would mean that half the amplifier’s power is being dissipated by the wire, not the speaker!
But for most set ups (those with speakers within 100 ft of the amplifier), 16-gauge lamp cord is fine. For speakers 100 to 200 ft. from the amp, experts suggest use 14 gauge. And from 200 to 400 ...
Having said that, most reputable amplifier manufacturers allow for a small safety margin, for instance it is not likely to cause any problem if you connect an "AARON" 6 ohm speaker to an 8 ohm rated amplifier output. Should you wish to put two speakers on each amplifier output a litter more care is required.
The Sonos Amp can also handle wired speakers that present less than 8 ohms of impedance, producing up to 187.5 watts per channel while driving a 6-ohm load and a whopping 250 watts with 4-ohm ...
My amplifier is rated at 8ohms for my surround sound but my speakers are 6 ohms. The owners manual says that if the speaker resistance is too low the power protector will blow and that is exactly what happens when I raise the volume on my amp. I want to increase the resistance on my 5 surround sound speakers and my subwoofer by 2 ohms from 6 to 8.
Chapter 8 skeletal system quizlet