Enter the impedance of each individual speaker and select whether they are connected in series or parallel. The speaker impedance calculator will display the equivalent total impedance of the setup.

Speaker Impedance Formula

The following is the speaker impedance formula:

Parallel: I = 1 / [ (1/X1) + (1/X2) + ( 1/X3) … ]

Series: I = X1 + X2 + X3 ….

  • Where I is the equivalent impedance of the speaker setup (ohms)
  • X1,X2, etc are the individual impedance of each speaker (ohms)

Speaker Impedance Definition

A speaker impedance is defined as the total impedance of the electrical circuit connecting 1 or more speakers. Impedance is a measure of the resistance to an alternating current. Impedance is a combination of typical ohmic resistance and reactance.

Speaker Impedance Importance

Why is speaker impedance important? A speaker impedance is a key factor in the power required to achieve a certain signal level. This can be seen if you look at the formula for power, P = V^2 / Z, where P is the power, V is the voltage, and Z is the impedance. When an impedance is lower, the required power will be higher, and when the impedance is higher the required power will be low.

Therefore, a high impedance system will be less taxing on an amplifier when trying to achieve the same voltage.

How to calculate speaker impedance?

Example Problem:

First, determine whether the speaker is in parallel or series. For this example, the speaker is in parallel.

Next, determine the impedance of each individual component. For this problem, these are 4, 12, and 14 respectively.

Finally, calculate the speaker impedance using the formula above:

Series: I = X1 + X2 + X3 ….

Series: I = 4 + 12 + 14

Series: I = 30 ohms

FAQ

Does speaker impedance effect volume?

A speaker impedance typically only affects the total voltage that is required to meet a certain power level. So, if there is a proper amplifier the impedance should not affect the volume.

Can you mix speaker impedance?

Yes, you can have more than 1 speaker with varying impedances, but it should be noted that you should have an amplifier capable of handling the equivalent impedance.