Not your typical OHM question...Carvin Amp/Cabs

guitarjam6 · #1 08-01-2010, 11:47 PM

Search is giving me conflicting info on this.

I currently have a Carvin BR510 Combo.
http://www.carvinguitars.com/product...product=BR510N

This runs 300w @ 8ohm and 500w at 4ohm or 2ohm. It can switch to 2 ohms safely. The combo only puts out 300w to the 2-10s and tweeter. I'm playing in a sometimes 7 or 8 piece funk band and need all my POWA!

I NEED another 2-10 cab. If its an 8ohm cab, it's 4 ohm parallel and 250w to each cab. However, I'm really liking what I've read about this cab:

http://www.carvinguitars.com/product...uct=BRX10.2NEO

This is a 4ohm cab. Which would mean I'm running 2.67ohm, which is fine for the amp. BUT, how much power is going to each one? Is the 4ohm cab going to get twice the watts? So it'd be 333w to the new cab and only 166.5w to the speakers in the combo? Or is the wattage distributed differently. I've seen something about the 4 ohm getting 1.4 times the wattage, thus equaling about 290w to the new BRX cab and 207w to the original combo?

I need to know the wattage distribution first. It seems like runnign only 166.5w to the original combo that's getting 300w currently would possibly cause damage due to lack of power...

As always, your insight that will help prevent me from screwing my stuff up is invaluable, or at least worth a few hundred bucks... THANKS!

JimmyM · #2 08-01-2010, 11:57 PM

you cannot damage speakers due to lack of power. only overpowering blows them, never underpowering. if this were true, you could never turn your amp down.

but you will split the wattage unevenly, and yes, the 4 ohm cab will get twice the power of the 8. not recommended, even if you have a head that can take it.

RNV · #3 08-02-2010, 04:04 AM

If the money is available, why don't you order the BRX410 cab and remove the BX500 head from the combo? It only costs $149 more and that will give you two great setups. The head is easily removed and replaced in the BR510 combo. Who knows, maybe some day you'll come across a great deal on a more powerful head and you now have a cab to handle it.