How to Wire 16 Ohm Speakers to 4 Ohms

Speakers follow the rules of series and parallel circuits.

In order to reduce 16-ohm speakers down to 4 ohms you need a parallel circuit. A series circuit would cause the speaker impedance to add. For example, four 16-ohm speakers in series would equal a total impedance of 64 ohms. In a parallel circuit, two 16-ohm speakers reduce to 8 ohms. Placing four 16-ohm speakers in parallel will equal 4 ohms. Here is the math: Add the reciprocals for four 16-ohm speakers: 1/16+1/16+1/16+1/16=4/16; take the reciprocal of 4/16 which equals 16/4=4 ohms.

Things You'll Need

• Wire strippers
• Wire cutters
• Speaker wire

Instructions

1. Label the speakers SP1, SP2, SP3 and SP4.

2. Cut six equal-length wires that will run between each speaker in a chain formation using the wire cutters. Use the wire strippers to strip 1 inch of wire insulation off of each end of wires.

3. Connect the negative terminal of SP1 to SP2.

   Connect the negative terminal of SP2 to SP3.

   Connect the negative terminal of SP3 to SP4.

4. Connect the positive terminal of SP1 to SP2.

   Connect the positive terminal of SP2 to SP3.

   Connect the positive terminal of SP3 to SP4.

5. Connect the positive terminal of SP1 to the positive speaker output terminal of the receiver or amplifier. Connect the negative terminal of SP1 to the negative speaker output terminal of the receiver or amplifier.

6. Turn the receiver on and test speaker operation.

References

• Crutchfield.com: Subwoofer Wiring Diagrams
• Bcae1.com: Series Parallel Speaker Impedance