Going above the speakers rating??

[Chapter11]

Greetings all,

Can I use an amp rated a little bit above the rating of my cab?

Currently, I have an SWR workingpro 210 that can take up to 200 watts RMS which I power with an SWR workingman's 15 combo (160/200, I think, for 8/4 ohms respectively).

I want to switch to a smaller and more powerful combo amp and still use the 210. I would hope this beefy 210 cabinet wouldn't mind if I put 250 watts through it, but the engineers, who I respect, might say otherwise. What say you? Will I just start to distort as I bump a little over the 200 watt rating? Will I blow out the 210?

Small amps I'm looking at:
Ibanez Promethean 10" at 250/500 or
Markbass 121 at 300/500

Thanks for your input

[Govier966]

it shouldn't be that bad, as long as your not pushing 400 or more. and as always dont crank the amp, regardless of the rating making the amp work to hard will damage the speakers.

[billfitzmaurice]

AMPS FAQ!! Info on OHMS, Allsize RIGS-OverUnderPowerCabs DIY TechTalk-Links