802D + Mac 402 connect @ 4 ohm?

[jack d]

Hey. I've got 802Ds, HTM1D, and 804Ss for surround. I've currently got an Anthem MCA 50 driving the system but am testing a Mac 402 right now for the fronts. I've attached the speaker cables to the 8 ohm posts but I wonder if I should/could attach them to the 4 ohm posts since the 802D specs say the nominal impedance is 8ohm but the minimum is 3.5.

Thanks for any help.

[dknightd]

I'd try both 8 and 4. Sorry no first hand experience on which works better for the 802d.

[jack d]

I'd try both 8 and 4. Sorry no first hand experience on which works better for the 802d.

But is there any risk to connecting via 4 ohm?

[MacTifoso]

This has been a previous topic of discussion in the McIntosh forum at Audiokarma. Because of the B&W's impedance curve, which drops below 4 ohms in the bass, the 4 ohm taps are recommended to match the load. Ron C., the McIntosh New Products Manager, who participates on the forum, advocates this as well. Using the 8 ohm taps will not hurt anything, but may result in the 402 running warmer and a decrease in bass output.

[jack d]

This has been a previous topic of discussion in the McIntosh forum at Audiokarma. Because of the B&W's impedance curve, which drops below 4 ohms in the bass, the 4 ohm taps are recommended to match the load. Ron C., the McIntosh New Products Manager, who participates on the forum, advocates this as well. Using the 8 ohm taps will not hurt anything, but may result in the 402 running warmer and a decrease in bass output.

Thanks. I'll try it.

[jack d]

Wow! I connected at 4 ohm and really notice a difference in the first hour of listening. Of course I have to do more lisening but so far I kind of feel like I'm hearing the difference that I was expecting with the switch from my Anthem to the Mac.

I checked out the audiokarma thread and it seems to be controversial. Some people prefer using 8 ohm and others 4 ohm. Apparently BW recommends using the 8 ohm posts.

[Jesse111]

I have 501's connected to 800D's using the 4 ohm tap. It takes a bit more volume than when connected to the 8 ohm tap but otherwise the results seem to be very good.

What differences did you notice?

I am going to do some more A/B on this today.

[jack d]

I have 501's connected to 800D's using the 4 ohm tap. It takes a but more volume than when connected to the 8 ohm tap but otherwise the results seem to be very good.

That's funny. When I switched from my Anthem to the Mac using the 8 ohm tap I noticed that I had to use a higher volume level on my pre-pro. I didn't think much of it since that is just a relative scale. Switching to the 4 ohm tap I find that I am using a lower volume setting than when I use the 8 ohm but about the same level as with my Anthem.

I really don't understand any of this and reading that post on Audiokarma didn't really clear it up for me as the explanations are all over the place and contradict each other.

[jack d]

What differences did you notice?

Generally a bigger and more full sound--especially at the lower frequencies. I don't want to exaggerate, however, as I really need to do more focussed listening.

[Jesse111]

When I first got my Mac gear I used the 8 ohm tap with my 800D's. Lately I've been using the 4 ohm but since this post I decided to do some A/B to refresh my memory. With the 4 ohm tap the sound stage height increases maybe as much as a foot. Detail is further enhanced. Nothing is hidden and the sound is more neutral.

The 8 ohm taps seem to offer slightly less resolution with a slightly warmer sound that some may prefer. I would have to say that I'll stay with the 4 ohm taps. The stage image seems to be just slightly more coherent and the increased detail is something I don't want to miss out on.

However I can see where if someone had 4 ohm speakers that sounded a bit on the harsh side, they may prefer toning things down just a bit with the 8 ohm tap. The B&W 800 series does not have that problem.

I don't think I've been much help to you but I'm glad you posted this thread Jack. I feel much better confirming all this Mac tap stuff in my mind. :T

[jack d]

So I was able to spend some time listening to the 402 with the 4 ohm taps. I can hardly believe that just changing the taps could make such a difference. I was not as impressed with the 402 as I thought I would be when I used the 8 ohm taps. The sound stage just seems to have opened up with the 4 ohm taps. It's really very nice.

Originally I was going to swap my Anthem MCA 50 for the Mac 207 but after listening to the 402 on my 802Ds I'm ready to buy it. I will keep the Anthem for the center and rears and probably passively bi-amp the center with one of the extra channels on the Anthem. The only problem I have now is that I don't have any room in my equipment rack for this beast. It's just going to have to sit on top.