Comparing 4 ohms vs 8 ohms speakers, 8 ohms speakers are best as they are easy to drive and require less power from the amp. Since speaker impedance varies with frequency, make sure to note down the ‘nominal impedance’ of it. Some of the best 8 ohm speakers are from Triangle, Polk and Klipsch. You can find 8 ohm bookshelf speaker, floorstanding, etc.
Along with noting down the impedance, make sure you understand the speaker and room size. A small 8 ohm speaker will sound tinny in a large home theater. Speaker driver size and material along with engineering technologies will guarantee high quality sound. along with choosing an 8 ohm speaker, you need to be careful about amplifier or receiver’s specs.
You can easily create an 8 ohm home theater system by pairing bookshelf speakers, center and subwoofer. While choosing an amplifier or receiver make sure it has decent quality, has adequate ports for connecting all the speakers and TV or other equipment. Room calibration software in the receivers is an excellent feature to use during the setup.
Top 5 8 ohms speaker review:
Let’s have a look at the top 5 8 ohm speakers in 2022 in different categories.
Triangle floor standing speaker – Borea BR08
Specs:
- Sensitivity (dB/W/m): 92
- Bandwidth (+/-3dB Hz-KHz): 40-22
- Power Handling (W Rms): 150
- Minimum Impedance min. / max. (ohms): 3 / 8
- Dimension: 8.11 x 40.15 x 12.36”
Triangle Borea BR08 is a 3-way floorstanding speaker. It has 25mm EFS silk dome tweeter, 16cm, and two 16cm bass drivers. It disperses sound in all frequencies without any interference in transducers. According to the manufacturer, it is best for room size of 20 to 40m2. Design and driver material is chosen with precision.
The midrange driver is made of 100% natural cellulose paper that ensures precise sound. Bass drivers use fiberglass that has vibratory nature. These are some of the best 8 ohm floorstanding speaker that has exceptional performance within reasonable price. Build quality is solid and the enclosures braced internally in order to achieve rigidity.
If you look inside you will see the drive units are secured with high-density EVA foam to ensure stability. Different colors are available in this speaker model. while black is ordinary, you can also choose white or walnut based on your room décor. There is a front firing reflex port boosts the lower frequency range along with reducing any turbulence.
The speakers can get quite loud and will work with different amps, like the Cambridge Audio CXA81 amp . But, make sure to match with an appropriate amp because it has nominal impedance of 8 ohms that can go down to 3 ohms. Since these are floorstanding speakers, be cautious about speaker placement.
Before positioning the speakers, secure the pedestal with the given key. Choose the right spikes based on your floor type: rubber pad for wood floor and metal spikes for carpet or rug. Use high quality cables and leave a gap of 40cm from the wall. The image below shows details. In case you want to create a home theater, use BR02 as bookshelf speaker for rear side and BRC1 as center speaker.
These 8 ohm speakers are giant in size and ‘big’ in performance. It has spacious sound that is room filling. Every small detail is present and overall, the sound is musical. It has good stereo imaging and has a neutral profile. The upper and mid portion of the frequency response of the speakers are crisp and clear. Watching movies or listening to music will give you pleasant experience.
Polk Signature Elite ES20
Specs:
- Recommended Amplifier: 20-150 watts
- Sensitivity (1 watt @ 1 meter): 88 dB
- Crossover Frequency: 2,500 Hz
- Total Frequency Response: 44 Hz-40,000 Hz
- Dimension: 8.5″x14.8”x13.8”
Polk Signature Elite ES20 has one 1″ Terylene High-Res Dome Tweeter and one 6.5″ Dynamic Balance Mica Reinforced Polypropylene Driver. It works with 4 ohms and 8 ohms output. These are a pair of good 8 ohm speakers that delivers rich sound. it can produce tight bass with the Power Port bass enhancing technology. The room filling sound is best for overall use.
So, you can enjoy movies, music or games. The treble region is crystal clear and has ‘transparent’ midrange. They can producer louder sound without any distortion. Turbulence is minimized with speaker port resulting in clean bass. Material and design of the speaker improves and broadens the sweat spot in the room.
These 8 ohm passive speakers uses MDF material for its outside enclosure that minimizes any coloration. Anti-diffraction magnetic grille will lower any sonic interference. It has five way binding posts that are gold plated. These ports ensure direct, efficient, and lossless connection possible. They are also versatile so you can connect to any amp that meet the requirements.
Yamaha RXV-683 is one of the best receivers for 8 ohm speakers. The speakers will shine with this receiver. The sound is detailed and ‘true’ or original, just as the producers intended them to sound like. These large bookshelf speakers are budget-friendly and will sound ‘bigger’ than its price. Audio quality is superior and satisfactory even without a subwoofer.
The best speaker wire for 8 ohm speakers is 16-gauge if the run is less than 50ft. Crisp and prominent audio is lifelike and best for audiophiles. You can include other Polk speakers to create an 8 ohm 5.1 speaker system. If you want same brand speaker for surround, you can check Polk Audio OWM3 . This 100 watt 8 ohm speaker has pleasant and powerful performance.
Pyle PCB4BK 4″ Bookshelf Speakers
Specs:
- 4” Paper Cone Driver
- Power Handling: 200 Watts Peak
- Frequency Response: 80Hz – 18 KHz
- 8 Ohm Impedance
- Dimensions: 4.8”(H) x 4.8”(W) x 5.2”(D)
100 watt 8 ohm speakers
There are cases where we want a bookshelf speaker that don’t really have the space. In that case you can choose Pyle PCB4BK Mini Cube bookshelf speakers. These are some of the best 8 ohm bookshelf speakers that are affordable and sounds quite decent. The speakers look small but delivers a loud and impactful sound.
They are video shielded so that they don’t interfere with CRT monitors. Connect it to an amplifier and then you can create a home theater or pair it with TV. You can also use these to connect turntables via the amp. These are best for small spaces and a subwoofer is better if you want powerful low-end production.
JBL Arena 125C
Specs:
- Recommended Amplifier Power: 20 – 150W
- Frequency Response: 90 Hz – 40 kHz
- Sensitivity: 89 dB
- Nominal Impedance: 8 Ohms
- Dimension: 7-1/32x 21-1/2x 7-7/8”
What if you want to create a 5.1 8 ohms home theater system? Then you must need a center speaker. JBL Arena 125C is an affordable center channel speaker that uses High Definition Imaging (HDI) waveguide technology to deliver lifelike sound. it has 1” soft dome tweeter and two 5.5” woofers. The woofers are made from polycelullose and it also has rear-firing tuning.
This center channel has excellent acoustic precision and it is one of the best 8 ohm center channel speaker for overall use. So, you can enjoy movies, audio tracks or games. Place the speaker leaving a gap of 2ft from the TV. The acoustics and imaging of these speakers is superior. Create a home theater by pairing with JBL’s Arena 120/130 bookshelf, Arena 170 /180 floor-standing speakers and subwoofers.
Or, you can mismatch speakers from other brands. Broad soundstage and room filling audio along with crystal clear vocals makes dialogues prominent. You won’t face any distorted dialogues, rather movies and TV shows will be presented with clarity. The build quality is very good where the side panels are made from wood-grain laminate and the top side has a black textured vinyl finish.
Four adhesive rubber pads make sure the speaker sits on any surface firmly. It has gold-plated binding terminals that ensure better signal transfer and is also corrosion resistance. Choose an ideal amp like 75W per channel or more and you are good to go. When paired with JBL front speakers or any high-quality speakers along with a sub, the system sounds big, clear and pleasant.
If you are using front and center, then the inclusion of a subwoofer will be a complete package. Check the Acoustic Audio PSW250-6 – 6.5″ LFE Subwoofer
Acoustic Audio PSW250-6 – 6.5″ LFE Subwoofer
Specs:
- 250 watts peak power
- Frequency response: 30 – 250 Hz
- Sensitivity: 96dB sensitivity
- Dimension: 9.5×8.9×10.98”
Acoustic Audio PSW250 is a front-firing 6.5” subwoofer that enriches the lower frequencies. It has 0 – 180-degree Phase control and gain switches. There is 50 – 150 Hz Crossover control knob as well. In order to save power, it has Signal Sensing Auto feature. Simply connect it to the sub out of the amp or RCA port of the speaker. you can also connect it to the coax cable of any soundbar.
The subwoofer is made from good quality CARB MDF wood that is known to confirm stability. Unlike traditional subs with front or rear firing port, this 6-inch 8 ohm subwoofer has a bottom slotted port which is known to ensure deeper bass. The bass is decent and tight.
Polk Audio Atrium 4 Outdoor Speakers
Specs:
- Total Frequency Response: 75 Hz → 25,000 Hz
- Nominal Impedance: 8 ohms
- Sensitivity (1 watt @ 1 meter): 89 dB
- Recommended Amplifier ppc: 10-80W
- Dimension: 8.6×5.6×6.6”
Polk Audio Atrium 4 is some of the best 8 ohm outdoor speakers under $200. The speakers have one 4.5″ Mid/Woofer and one 0.75″ Tweeter. Along with outdoors, you can use them indoors as well. It is designed to place horizontally or vertically. The handles make it much easier to wall mount or attach the speakers.
Built-in stability feet firmly rest the speakers in any position. You can install it in yard, patios, garden or use it by the pool. The bracket allows you to attach the speaker on wall and then tilt it downwards by 45-degree. Connection to receiver is easy, just make sure to match color codes. Soundstage from these speakers is broad and overall, the audio sounds spacious and powerful.
The bass is average but it beams with clarity and loudness. Speaker material includes solid plastic and has a rugged design. It is ‘all-weather outdoor certified’ speaker so you can use it outdoors without any issues. Instead of having IP rating that most of us is familiar with, Polk writes ASTM D5894-UV Salt Fog, Mil Standard 810 Immersion and Mil Standard 883 for salt and corrosion.
You can even paint the grilles so that it blends well with the room décor. Warm, natural and true-to-life sound from these speakers impresses all. Polk uses patented technologies like Dynamic Balance and Klippel Distortion Analyzer. These will give you undistorted audio with optimum clarity. You can also check the JBL Professional Control 25-1L Compact 8-Ohm Indoor/Outdoor .
It is one of the best 8 ohm outdoor speakers from JBL. It has 5-¼” woofer with woven fiberglass cone and 3/4” PEI diaphragm tweeter. What makes it ideal for outdoor use is its weather resistant outer body and transducers. You can use it in pool side, yards, restaurants or any other place. The sound remains consistent at all volume levels. Low ends are pretty good despite its small size. The cost is reasonable as well.
Klipsch RP-500SA Dolby Atmos
Specs:
- Power handling (CONT/PEAK): 75W / 300W
- Nominal impedance: 8 Ohms Compatible
- Dimensions: 7.39” x 6.81” x 11.16”
While reviewing the best 8 ohm speakers, we try to give an overall review so it covers speakers in different category. Klipsch RP-500SA is an 8 ohm Atmos speaker designed with 1” Titanium LTS Vented Tweeter and 5.25” Cerametallic Cone Woofer. This will work as rear speakers as well if you mount them on the rear wall.
A crossover switch on the back panel will help you choose it as Atmos speaker or surround speaker. These Dolby Atmos Certified Elevation speaker will enrich the overall sound experience delivering cinematic experience. The vented tweeter is intentionally designed to reduce standing waves. Klipsch is quite well known in terms of performance and these speakers are an example of that.
You will receive cleanest sound with broader sweet spot. Build quality is high due to MDF enclosures. If you place it above your rear speakers, the sound from the drivers will be directed upwards so that they bounce off the ceiling and reach the user. Installation and setup is simple and it is a must have if you are a movie freak.
What is an 8 ohm speaker?
8 or 4 ohm impedance speakers are widely available. What does impedance mean? Well, impedance is the unit of resistance. Resistance of a speaker, or any circuit is the what resists the current flow. Lower the resistance higher the current or power consumption. This means a 4 ohms speaker will draw more power than 8 ohms from the amplifier.
In other words, you will need more power to drive the speakers. 4 ohm speakers are power hungry compared to 6 or 8 ohms.
4 ohms vs 8 ohms: Which is better?
While 6 ohm and 8 ohm are widely available and used. 4 ohms speakers can be as good as 8 ohms. However, since they will approximately drag twice as power, consumers can often get confused while matching an appropriate amp. This is because, simply matching an amp will not be enough, you need to make sure the speakers don’t blow up due to mismatch of power between speaker and amp.
When we say ‘blow up’, we mean this should happen but that doesn’t mean it happens necessarily. Thanks to protection circuits used in most receivers and amplifiers where the amp will shut down automatically in case of such emergency.
Parting words
While choosing the best 8 ohm speaker, make sure the receiver or amplifier has a matched impedance. Failure to do so will lead to distortion and restrict the speakers to reach optimum performance. Match a low-impedance speaker to a high wattage amplifier so avoid clipping or distortion. If you want an 8 ohm bookshelf speaker, in most cases 25W will be enough.
Once you know the right amplifier, while choosing the speaker, make sure it has broad frequency response with decent and clean bass. If you want to build a small home theater or watch movies mostly, make sure to include a center channel. If the sound system is mostly for music or bass-heavy genre, a subwoofer will cause dramatic improvement.
When paired with the appropriate amplifier, good quality speakers will shine. Speaker sensitivity of 89 or higher is good for them to perform loudly. Enclosure and build quality matters so make sure it is sturdy and durable. Speaker impedance is something to understand but not to worry too much because it won’t make a speaker sound poor.
FAQ
This FAQ is here to provide some answer to the most asked question about these speakers.
Will speaker impedance affect its performance?
Speaker impedance doesn’t affect speaker performance directly. You can say the speakers wont deliver optimum performance if mismatched with a wrong amplifier/receiver that cant deliver enough power. Lower impedance, in some cases indicates fine-tuning performed by engineers but that doesn’t mean an 8 ohm or 6 hm speaker will not be high-end.
Should I buy an 8 ohm floorstanding or bookshelf speaker?
If you have a large room and want to create a 7 channel home theater system, you can go for 8 ohm floorstanding speakers. In that case use bookshelf speakers as rear speakers.
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