Originally Posted by Shawn
I am not specifically car-audio savvy, but I used to design and sell nightclub sound, lighting and video systems for a nationally recognized and respected installation company. Box sales, equipment, expendables, assistance, full-design, or turn-key installations. Big, expensive ones. Like Dave & Busters, Champps Americana, and a bazillion bars and discotheques.
We used to pretty much always over-power our speakers. For instance, if the speaker is an 8 ohm cabinet looking for 600 watts RMS, then I liked to use an amp channel that had 700+ output. Build in some head-room. The speaker would distort, but probably not blow, from too much input. Then turn it down to the appropriate clean level, set the limiter (eq, crossover, delays, blah, blah, blah) and done. But if you clip the amp and send that clipped signal to the speaker (particularly the high-frequency diaphragms) then you can blow a speaker driver instantly.
Even on long runs of 70volt background speaker systems, if I could with the budget allowed, I'd always spec an amp with headroom.
Basically, more power than you need and run the amps at 75-80% all night long, night after night.
If that Bass Tube in this example wants to see 400 watts continuous RMS, then wouldn't getting a bigger amp with headroom (at whatever ohm rating and hookup procedure specified) make sense?
Originally Posted by Sentraga
Two channel at a max rating of 400watts, as thats all the tube can handle
Two channel at a max rating of 400watts, as thats all the tube can handle
I am not specifically car-audio savvy, but I used to design and sell nightclub sound, lighting and video systems for a nationally recognized and respected installation company. Box sales, equipment, expendables, assistance, full-design, or turn-key installations. Big, expensive ones. Like Dave & Busters, Champps Americana, and a bazillion bars and discotheques.
We used to pretty much always over-power our speakers. For instance, if the speaker is an 8 ohm cabinet looking for 600 watts RMS, then I liked to use an amp channel that had 700+ output. Build in some head-room. The speaker would distort, but probably not blow, from too much input. Then turn it down to the appropriate clean level, set the limiter (eq, crossover, delays, blah, blah, blah) and done. But if you clip the amp and send that clipped signal to the speaker (particularly the high-frequency diaphragms) then you can blow a speaker driver instantly.
Even on long runs of 70volt background speaker systems, if I could with the budget allowed, I'd always spec an amp with headroom.
Basically, more power than you need and run the amps at 75-80% all night long, night after night.
If that Bass Tube in this example wants to see 400 watts continuous RMS, then wouldn't getting a bigger amp with headroom (at whatever ohm rating and hookup procedure specified) make sense?
good point shawn. power does not kill speakers distortion does. Dynamic head room is very important in a amp.