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Guys, I have read that given the choice it is preferable to run the highest impedance selection available for the amp using the correct matching cab/speaker (ie, 16 Ohm cab and selection position for the Tramp) thereby using the full windings of the transformer. When running a lower impedance selection the tapped selection has the same effect as running a smaller, less massive transformer. I haven't tried this but has anyone tried this on their Tramp and is there is any noticeable difference in the resulting tone/sound. It sound theoretically plausible but in practice how does this shape up?

Never heard the difference personally, but also didn't really audition it. Sounds good in theory.
But if that was the case, wouldn't more speakers would have been made 16 ohms?

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Stephen
Web: www.trinityamps.com. Facebook: facebook.com/trinityamps. Twitter: @trinityamps

Yeah I thought the same and I just figured there aren't more 16 Ohm speakers because it seems so many amps just have an 8 Ohm transformer (not tap selectable) so with an 8 Ohm speaker they already use the full windings available in that OT.

So following on from that I wondered in the case of the Tramp which can be selected to run a 16 Ohm load, are we potentially "wasting" half the transformer windings/mass by running in the 8 Ohm selection with an 8 Ohm speaker and therefore in comparison (to the 16 Ohm selection and matching speaker) running a smaller OT with less mass, because it is only utilising half the windings potential of the transformer that is already installed. Compared to selecting 16 Ohm and attaching a 16 Ohm speaker the other half of the OT windings/mass is also brought into play making it akin to putting a more massive/bigger OT with double the windings in the amp?

I have no idea I'm just throwing it out for discussion and feedback, it would be interesting to try an 8 ohm versus 16 ohm version of the same model speaker with the switch in the relevant position and evaluate. Unfortunately I don't currently have access to any 16 Ohm speakers of the same type I have in my cab, but the more I think on it the more it makes sense.

Impedance ratio is not proportional to number of turns, it is a square of number of turns. To double impedance you only need to increase the number of turns by a square root of 2, meaning two sections of a 4R & 8R transformer are not identical . In all case all of the core is used, in some cases, less , but not half, of the windings are used.
There may be a theoretical tonal affect using a few more windings, but I somehow doubt it would be audible.

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Stephen
Web: www.trinityamps.com. Facebook: facebook.com/trinityamps. Twitter: @trinityamps

Hi, I put my Tramp in a 2x10 combo cab, I tried wiring both series and parallel for 4R and 16R loads (8R speakers) and did not notice any difference in tone.

Dave.

Interesting results. Thanks for sharing that. I wouldn't have expected much of anything.

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Stephen
Web: www.trinityamps.com. Facebook: facebook.com/trinityamps. Twitter: @trinityamps

Thanks guys, Dave thanks for sharing that, it's exactly what I was going to try, good to know.

Snowy