Using 8 ohm Speakers on 6 ohm Stereo

[odeezy2ez]

Found some similar information in the forums but not exactly what I’m looking for. I have 2 questions. This is the situation. I own a Philips FW-C399 stereo which I’ve replaced the speakers with 2 Pioneer S-G300B-K I found. The speakers seem very similar to the stereo in specification and wattage, and the speakers have even been working fine for the most part. Only issue is the woofers on the speakers distort quite a bit on certain songs (any genre) at higher volumes. I understand that over powering speakers can cause distortion. The main difference is that the speakers are rated at 8 ohm impedance and the stereo at 6 ohm. I have knowledge of electrical system but do not specialize in audio. I’d like to know

1.Is this configuration safe for the speakers and stereo?

2.Is there a way to properly change the resistance to adjust the impedance down (i.e. running in parallel with 25 ohm resistor) and how would that be done?

specs
stereo
speakers

Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[ronintexas]

When you use speakers that have a higher impedance (8 ohms vs. 6 ohms), the sound levels will be lower, as the power (wattage) to the speakers will be lower due to the higher impedance of the speakers. Running a resistor in parallel will lower the impedance to that the stereo sees, but the actual power in the speakers won't increase.

As for the distortion, a speakers wattage rating is how much power can be dissipated by the speaker without causing damage to the speaker. Since the speakers are higher impedance as compared to the other speakers, a lower amount of wattage is being dissipated by the speakers. Speakers have different efficiency ratings - basically, they will have a different reaction to sound and the very low end of the volume scale and the very high end of the volume scale. At low volumes, you don't have enough energy to effectively drive the speakers, it will distort. If too much energy, specifically bass sounds (drums, bass guitar, etc), you will distort on the high volumes.

It is more a matter of the efficiency of the speakers. Generally speaking, higher rated impedance (more ohms) will provide less sound from the stereo, but they are safe for the stereo. Lower rated impedance (less ohms) could damage the stereo because too much current is flowing through the circuit.

In looking at the specs for the stereo & speakers, the stereo outputs 120W RMS (this is not the actual maximum output), which would be reduced by 33% to 80W RMS (8 Ohms vs. 6 Ohms). The speakers are rated for 10-100W RMS, so there shouldn't be a problem.

Different speakers will have different reactions - so if the old speakers could handle the bass at a level of "8 of 10" without distortion, the new speakers may max out at "7 of 10".... Every speaker/amplifier combo will be slightly different.

 

[TbsToy]

Short response. Higher ohm ratings won't harm the electronics but the other way could. Sound quality, and things like distortion are the product of speaker quality for the most part.
W.P.