In general, you should match impedances. If you must mismatch, mismatch in the right direction, but stay as close as possible. So whats the right direction?
With tube gear it’s better to have the speaker impedance lower. Connecting a 4 ohm load to an 8 ohm amp may be OK, but connecting a 16 ohm load to an 8 ohm amp is probably not. Connecting a 16 ohm load to a 4 ohm or 2 ohm amp is begging to destroy the amp. Running too high of a load on tube gear can fry anything (and occasionally everything) in the outputs, including tubes, transformers, resistors and tube sockets. With solid state gear it’s better to run a higher impedance. Connecting an 8 ohm load to a 4 ohm amp should be fine. Running too low of a load with solid state will fry your output transistors, and possibly more. For more information, and to see when you might be able to get away with impedance mismatching in the wrong direction, see LV’s explanation (“Long Answer”) below and the AGA Technical FAQ. -Miles Long Answer: Actually, this thread pops up every month or so. It always winds up the same way, too…
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