My Sunn Coliseum isn't loud enough

[Maltross]

after playing through many cabs and multiple cabs at the same time, I have realized that something is wrong with my head. It isn't putting out as much power as it should. It is a late 70s or early 80s model in great shape. I play it through a Marshall MBC 410 and a 115 with a black widow. it's pushing 2.667 ohms so I should be getting roughly 250+ watts. I think it should be louder.

Does anyone have a clue why i'm NOT blowing out my ear drums or speakers?

[Juicyanalog]

no matter what incarnation of Coliseum you have....
{orig silver face was the best sounding, imho}

..if it is not loud enough for you,...

then there is something 'definitely' wrong with it,...

...or i sincerely recommend you having your hearing checked out...

[Bob Lee (QSC)]

Try a couple different basses, too. Maybe your instrument doesn't put out much signal.

[craig.p]

Was it EVER loud enough? Need to know whether there's been a performance deterioration or it's always been that way.

Also what are your knob settings?

Check your instrument cable, too. Some can appear to be working fine until you try a new replacement, and then step two in that process is the forehead slap, LOL.

[AwkwardLoudness]

Which Coliseum head is this? Tube or SS? Have you tried different basses?

[Hollywars]

The problem is you are using a 410 and a 115 instead of 2 810's or 2 215's...

[mynameisjack2]

If your bass have an active preamp, change the battery.

If not, check your hearing.

Then, find out what's wrong with your head.

[craig.p]

Just thought of something else: Are you sure your cabs are same polarity AND that you haven't accidentally wired one of your speaker cables to invert polarity? A reverse-wired speaker cable, if its twin were properly wired, would affect any cab pair you connected to the amp.

Also, how are you setting up your cabs? Mixing cabs isn't such a hot idea to begin with, as Hollywars said, but you should at least make sure they're stacked vertically and the baffle boards are lined up. (I assume they are, but I thought I'd better ask anyway.)

Coliseums are old. It may simply be time for a refurb 'cause things are aging and drying out. If you've verified everything above, you might want to get a tech to dyno the amp (full power into a dummy load equal to the factory-specified minimum safe load). Easy job and 10 minutes bench time max.

Also check that your fan's working and the screen isn't clogged up.

[johnk_10]

Originally Posted by AwkwardLoudness

Which Coliseum head is this? Tube or SS? Have you tried different basses?

Sunn never made a tube coliseum.

[cyprus]

Originally Posted by Hollywars

The problem is you are using a 410 and a 115 instead of 2 810's or 2 215's...

+1
Really helped out in my situation. Now I can finally hear myself at practice.

[anonymous101511]

The Sunn Coliseum is not a particularly loud amp to begin with and the mis- matched cabinets are not helping. After many years of experimentation, I can tell that if you are going to use more than one cabinet powered by a single amp, you would be best off by using 2 of the same cab.

[fu22ba55]

Originally Posted by Maltross

after playing through many cabs and multiple cabs at the same time, I have realized that something is wrong with my head.

What's wrong with your Coliseum is that you haven't sold it to me yet.

(srsly, though... at 2-ohms, you should be kickin'... maybe something is wrong?)

[ranbunctious]

I had the same problem with mine. Did 2 things: Play now thru a peavey century and preamp out to the sunn as a slave amp. Also, play thru a cerwin vega folded horn. Outrageous power and bass.....I love it.