# Impedance Riddle



## WirelessG (Mar 22, 2009)

I'm currently running a Pioneer 1020-k with 2 Klipsch RB-62ii's for the front speaker, a Klipsch RC-62 center speaker, two energy take 5.1 bookshelves for surround speakers and the energy take 5.1 sub woofer. My previous received (Onkyo 706) fried because the left surround speaker. The new new Pioneer receiver can't get past calibration when it tests the surround speakers and it shuts down. I've checked the impedance and here's what I found:

Klipsch RB-62ii at the speaker post and wired to the receiver - 4 ohms

Energy speaker at the receiver posts and wired - 3-4 ohms
Energy speaker at the speaker location, wires disconnected and measured direct on the wires - 5 ohms
Energy speaker at the speaker post with wires disconnected - 4 ohms
Energy speaker at the speaker post with wires connected - 2-3 ohms

So the wires coming out of the wall with no speaker attached is 5 ohms, the speaker by itself is at 4 ohms, but the combination of the wires connected to the speaker drops the impedance down to 2-3 ohms. Does this make any sense? I'm using a new Fluke T5-1000 to measure the impedance and the probes zero out, so I believe it's working correctly.

I would appreciate any thoughts that you might have. I have two bookshelf speakers left over from the original Take 5.1 set. I was thinking about hooking them in series with the two surround speaker to increase the impedance. I believe that would reduce the current and protect the amp, but it would reduce the output and I'm not sure how the calibration would handle that. Thanks.


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## AllanJ (Nov 24, 2007)

The wires should measure "infinite" inpedance if there is no speaker attached, otherwise you have a short circuit in the wires.

Do not measure impedance across the speaker wires while both are connected to the receiver or amplifier. This gives no useful information and can blow the amp.

When connecting two speaker units to the same amplifier channel with the same impedance (two wires) connect one wire from the amplifier to one speaker, connect the other wire from the amplifier to the other speaker, and connect a short length of wire between the other terminals of the two speakers (a series connection).

Provided both speakers are each twice or more impedance as the amplifier you can connect them in parallel -- one amplifier wire to both speaker red terminals, tohe ther amplifier terminal to both speaker black terminals.


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## WirelessG (Mar 22, 2009)

Thanks. The wires were tested at the speaker location while still connected to the receiver (which was turned off). I contacted Klipsch and they said I would have to open the speaker and test the components individually, which is not something I want to do. 

They said that the surround speaker were a bad match for the front speakers and they suggested another model. They also told me that I could uninstall all the speakers and then hook the rear speaker to the front channel one at a time and slowly increase the volume and see if the receiver cuts out and goes into self protect mode. I'm not anxious to do this because I'm worried that the receiver will get damaged (happened to the last one). I may get an audio/video company to come out and take a look at it.


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