What Is the Difference Between Low Impedance and Volt Line Audio Systems?
A comparison of Low Impedance and Volt Line audio systems, covering the meaning, strengths, and limitations of each system.
Today, the sound we hear through speakers comes from various places, whether restaurants, shopping malls, general outdoor events, or concerts. In these settings, we divide audio systems into two types: the Low Impedance audio system and the Volt Line audio system. But do you know what these two audio systems are and how they differ? To not waste time, let's take a look.
What Is a Low Impedance Audio System?
A Low Impedance audio system, also known as an ohm-based audio system, is an audio system with low resistance. In this system, the speakers and amplifier used must have high wattage and low resistance, mostly not exceeding 16 ohms. It is commonly connected to give a total resistance of 2 ohms, 4 ohms, or 8 ohms. The resulting sound is high quality, has dimension, and sounds natural. This type of audio system can be found in everyday life, such as home theater sets, karaoke shops, concerts, and small meeting rooms.
What Is a Volt Line Audio System?
A Volt Line audio system, also known as a High Impedance audio system, is an audio system with high resistance. It can run speaker cables over long distances and can connect a large number of speakers to the amplifier. The Volt Line amplifiers most commonly found are 70V and 100V. The resulting sound focuses mainly on the mid-range, causing it to lack detail and dimension. This type of audio system can be found in community public-address systems, news broadcast towers, and general shopping-mall announcement systems.
The Strengths and Limitations of Low Impedance and Volt Line Audio Systems
Strengths of the Low Impedance audio system: This type of system can reproduce the full frequency range, providing detailed sound with dimension, making the sound high quality and very natural, and this system uses few devices so it is not complicated to install. Limitations of the Low Impedance audio system: It cannot run speaker cables over long distances, because this would reduce sound quality and cause the amplifier of this system to work too hard.
Strengths of the Volt Line audio system: The Volt Line audio system's key strength is that it can connect a large number of speakers, calculated primarily from the amplifier's wattage, and can run speaker cables farther than the Low Impedance system, allowing sound to cover the desired area. Limitations of the Volt Line audio system: The sound quality cannot match the Low Impedance system, because some frequency bands are missing, especially the low and high bands, which makes it lack detail and dimension.