Enter the resistance of the amplifier and the impedance of the speaker into the calculator to determine the damping factor. This calculator helps in assessing the amplifier’s control over the speaker cone’s movement.
Damping Factor Formula
The following formula is used to calculate the damping factor:
DF = Z/R
Variables:
- DF is the damping factor (unitless)
- R is the resistance of the amplifier (ohms)
- Z is the impedance of the speaker (ohms)
To calculate the damping factor, divide the impedance of the amplifier by the resistance of the speaker.
What is a Damping Factor?
The damping factor is a measure of an amplifier’s ability to control the back-and-forth motion of a loudspeaker’s cone. It is defined as the ratio of the amplifier’s output impedance to the speaker’s impedance. A higher damping factor indicates better control, which usually results in a tighter and more accurate bass response. It is an important parameter for audio enthusiasts and professionals when matching amplifiers with speakers.
How to Calculate Damping Factor?
The following steps outline how to calculate the Damping Factor.
- First, determine the resistance of the amplifier (R) in ohms.
- Next, determine the impedance of the speaker (Z) in ohms.
- Use the formula from above = DF = R / Z.
- Finally, calculate the Damping Factor (DF).
- After inserting the variables and calculating the result, check your answer with the calculator above.
Example Problem:
Use the following variables as an example problem to test your knowledge.
Resistance of the amplifier (R) = 8 ohms
Impedance of the speaker (Z) = 4 ohms
