All speakers have an impedance rating, typically 8 ohm for a pair of home speakers. To operate in the safest mode, most standard amplifiers and basic two-channel receivers are rated for an 8-ohm incoming load. To operate safely and consistently, the amp needs to see an 8 ohm load, and that’s where impedance-matching comes into play. To protect the amp, the volume control has impedance matching that you can turn on or off (manually). Impedance-matching provides more precise protection for the amplifier/receiver versus the protection built into the speaker selector. In fact, when adding impedance matching, you must turn off (disable) the protection in the speaker selector. Most impedance-matching volume controls feature three standard settings: 1/2x, 4x and 8x, while some add a 16-ohm setting like our VMS series. These settings correspond to a chart in the owner’s manual based upon the type of amplifier (4 or 8 ohm) and the number of 4 or 8 ohm speakers that you will be using in the multi-zone/room/speaker system.
What is impedance matching?
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