Ampeg 410HE + 210HE. Bad idea?

BassmanAd · #1 09-17-2010, 07:48 AM

I'm currently rockin' an SVT 3 Pro through a 410HE but I have a chance to pick up an old 210HE fairly cheap, so I can run with a 6x10 setup. Is it a good idea to pair these two cabs together?

They're both 8 Ohm cabs, the 410HE handles 500W and the 210HE handles 200W. Im guessing the running at 4 Ohms the amp will send 250W to the 210HE. Is this going to kill the little cab?

Thanks all...

mazdah · #2 09-17-2010, 08:05 AM

Should be just fine. I don't like tweeters, so I'd turn at least one down in this cab config.
Currently I'm using single '15E with 3pro and it's doing great. No problems at all.

Devo-lution · #3 09-17-2010, 08:08 AM

If you turn it up bigtime... the little cab will suffer.

Also mind that you will not get a true 610 effect, as the 210 will receive twice the watt per speaker. Might make for some volume inbalances as JimmyM pointed out to me recently.

BassmanAd · #4 09-17-2010, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Devo-lution

If you turn it up bigtime... the little cab will suffer.

Also mind that you will not get a true 610 effect, as the 210 will receive twice the watt per speaker. Might make for some volume inbalances as JimmyM pointed out to me recently.

This is what I was worried about...

To be honest even with just the 4x10 and my 3 Pro running at 8 Ohms I never find myself wanting more volume. The only times I find myself getting a bit lost is bigger stages so I figured a couple more speakers running the amp down to 4 Ohms would give me a bit more kick.

What was JimmyM's take on it?

gricko · #5 09-17-2010, 08:39 AM

get 210, sell both and buy 610?

billfitzmaurice · #6 09-17-2010, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BassmanAd

They're both 8 Ohm cabs, .

That's a problem. The 210 and 410 will get the same power. To successfully run a 210 and 410 the 410 impedance should be half that of the 210.

BassmanAd · #7 09-17-2010, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gricko

get 210, sell both and buy 610?

This is an option that I hadn't previously thought of...

BassmanAd · #8 09-17-2010, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billfitzmaurice

That's a problem. The 210 and 410 will get the same power. To successfully run a 210 and 410 the 410 impedance should be half that of the 210.

Hmmm... I had a feeling something like this would come up. I guessed it might be something like the old 4x10 + 1x15 debate.

Like I said before, I wouldn't be really cranking the volume or anything. Would it cause any damage to either the cabs or my amp?

billfitzmaurice · #9 09-17-2010, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BassmanAd

Like I said before, I wouldn't be really cranking the volume or anything. Would it cause any damage to either the cabs or my amp?

You won't be able to get full output from the 410 without toasting the 210. If you're not really cranking the volume why do you need more than a 410?

Devo-lution · #10 09-17-2010, 12:36 PM

I am going to do the same... but I'll buy a 8 ohm 210 and a 4 ohm 410.... (you'll get an impedance of 2.67, so you'll need an amp that can run at 2 ohm safely)

for example: If you have 1000 watt while doing it like that...

- 333.3333333 watt goes to the 210
- 666.6666667 watt goes to the 410

Each speaker gets equal watt...

JimmyM just told me that I might get a volume imbalance if the ohm value of both the 410 and the 210 was the same. He also said that he didn't know if that would be a great problem or not.

AlexanderB · #11 09-17-2010, 05:45 PM

"To successfully run a 210 and 410 the 410 impedance should be half that of the 210."

Well, these cabs have very little in common, aside from the logo, tolex and piping. The 210 is vented and uses a sturdier woofer type than you will find in the sealed 410. It might work fine, from a power handling / compression POV. However, these two cabs have different group delay in the lower bass, so there might be some cancellation effects in the lows. Try it and see if it works!

/Alexander

I Forget · #12 09-17-2010, 05:55 PM

For what it's worth (probably not much) I think the 410hlf and the 210he sound great together. Much better than either one on it's own. The hlf is 4 ohms too.

BassmanAd · #13 09-17-2010, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billfitzmaurice

You won't be able to get full output from the 410 without toasting the 210. If you're not really cranking the volume why do you need more than a 410?

I mostly play on smallish stages doing what I do (garage rock / punk) so the 4x10 manages fine for those. When I go on bigger stages though I sometimes don't get the kick I want from it. I just figured that an extra cab to take the amp down to 4 Ohms would give me that extra push.

I don't know much about amps so I thought it would be ok to throw a half decent 8 Ohm cab into the mix to help me out.

I'd never really crank the amp, I normally play with the gain set at 9 o'clock and the master volume at 3 o'clock.

eastcoasteddie · #14 09-17-2010, 07:14 PM

I'm doing this with SWR cabinets and my 2-Pro. Both are 4 ohm (2 ohm total) and it sounds pretty good. I can get ths setup pretty friggin loud and thumpin', and at those volumes, if the 2x10 is coming in slightly louder than the 4x10, you really can't notice.

But sometimes I feel like I just want to get another 4x10 instead...but that means another giant box.

I Forget · #15 09-17-2010, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BassmanAd

I mostly play on smallish stages doing what I do (garage rock / punk) so the 4x10 manages fine for those. When I go on bigger stages though I sometimes don't get the kick I want from it. I just figured that an extra cab to take the amp down to 4 Ohms would give me that extra push.

I don't know much about amps so I thought it would be ok to throw a half decent 8 Ohm cab into the mix to help me out.

I'd never really crank the amp, I normally play with the gain set at 9 o'clock and the master volume at 3 o'clock.

It's true the power distribution per driver is not ideal. But I don't think it's going to be a problem. The 3pro puts out 275w into 8ohms and 450w into four. So with both cabs your 410 will see pretty much the same amount of power it sees now and 225w is almost exactly what the 210he is rated for.

It will definitely be quite a lot louder than what you are running now and you may well like the way it sounds. If it's cheap I'd just grab it and give it a run.

BassmanAd · #16 09-17-2010, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by I Forget

It's true the power distribution per driver is not ideal. But I don't think it's going to be a problem. The 3pro puts out 275w into 8ohms and 450w into four. So with both cabs your 410 will see pretty much the same amount of power it sees now and 225w is almost exactly what the 210he is rated for.

It will definitely be quite a lot louder than what you are running now and you may well like the way it sounds. If it's cheap I'd just grab it and give it a run.

Pretty much what I wanted to hear.

Fingers crossed I bag this bad boy then I'll give it a shot and see how it goes...

slick_tu · #17 09-17-2010, 07:52 PM

FWIW the 410HE is a sealed cab and the 210HE is a ported cab.

billfitzmaurice · #18 09-17-2010, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BassmanAd

I mostly play on smallish stages doing what I do (garage rock / punk) so the 4x10 manages fine for those. When I go on bigger stages though I sometimes don't get the kick I want from it. I just figured that an extra cab to take the amp down to 4 Ohms would give me that extra push.
.

Taking the amp down to 4 ohms does doodly squat. If one 4x10 isn't enough add a second identical 4x10.