Rewiring 8x10 for MORE ohms or changing cabs

**Faderoktopus** · #1 11-25-2011, 08:11 AM

Okay, here's the deal. I feel ridiculous for even asking this since any ohm related query has probably been covered a million times, and while my searches have brought me closer to understanding my situation I am not quite there yet.

I have an amp and a cab that I am truly fond of. My amp is a 2001 Eden WT800A and my cab is an Ampeg svt 8x10 pro, probably late 70's or early 80's. As many of you are no doubt aware, the WT800A is rated at 400w @ 4ohms on each side or 800w bridged into 8 ohms, while the cab is wired for 4 ohms.

As it is, I am only using half of my amp's power, and while 400w into an 8x10 does indeed go stupid loud, I feel like I am sometimes pushing the rig a bit too hard. The response becomes a bit too harsh for my liking when the gain is up, and the master doesn't bring my bass through the mix without a good deal of gain. I play mostly hard modern rock/heavy/prog in a five peace with two guitars and a pretty loud drummer.

If I were to make the most of my amp's awesome powers, I would need an 8+ ohms setup, and I much prefer the compact 'fridge' on wheels to a 2x4x10 setup (and I would like to keep the Ampeg for economic and aesthetic reasons). Bi-amping has very little interest. I know from my research here and elsewhere that an 8ohm 8x10 isn't likely to happen, so what I am wondering is whether I would gain anything from rewiring my Ampeg for 16ohms?

I am aware that I won't gain a full 400w extra power since the higher impedance will eat it up, but since the WT800A is pretty conservatively rated won't it give me at least some extra volume while keeping the speakers safely 'underpowered' (yeah, I know

).

Feel free to tell me how I've misunderstood everything and how there is no such thing as a free lunch. I am well aware that I'm not magically pulling extra power out of the walls, but considering the peculiar design of the WT I can't help but think this might actually be an improvement (approximately 1100w @ 8ohms, or so I've heard, into a 16ohm 8x10 cab). I would hate to change my cab and adding another 8x10 is simply out of the question.

Thanks in advance

Martin

MuzikMan · #2 11-25-2011, 08:35 AM

Your amp would put out somewhere around 500 watts bridged at 16 ohms. FWIW even if you were able to double the wattage it wouldn't amount to a significant increase in volume. Your plan won't cause any harm but there would be no gain either

billfitzmaurice · #3 11-25-2011, 08:39 AM

You can easily rewire that cab to two jacks for two 8 ohm loads, half the drivers to one jack, half to the other. Run each to one power amp.

will33 · #4 11-25-2011, 08:41 AM

The fridge uses 32 ohm drivers all in parallel......now recalculate.

CL400Peavey · #5 11-25-2011, 08:42 AM

You won't gain an appreciable volume increase with out additional cone surface...

will33 · #6 11-25-2011, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billfitzmaurice

You can easily rewire that cab to two jacks for two 8 ohm loads, half the drivers to one jack, half to the other. Run each to one power amp.

Or this.

The 810AV is already wired like this. It'd be easy to turn yours into one. Don't expect any more overall volume but gaining a little headroom means you wouldn't have to run the gains so high.

**Faderoktopus** · #7 11-25-2011, 08:43 AM

I thought that might be the case, but if we are talking sonic difference would the speakers be less likely to distort (speaker distortion is a nasty thing, amp distortion is much more controllable and musical)?

When I wrote about pushing the rig too hard I should probably have made it clear that the speakers sound a bit forced.

Martin

**Faderoktopus** · #8 11-25-2011, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by will33

Or this.

The 810AV is already wired like this. It'd be easy to turn yours into one. Don't expect any more overall volume but gaining a little headroom means you wouldn't have to run the gains so high.

This is interesting, thanks guys.

billfitzmaurice · #9 11-25-2011, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Faderoktopus

When I wrote about pushing the rig too hard I should probably have made it clear that the speakers sound a bit forced.

No changes to the wiring or amp will change that, they are what they are.

will33 · #10 11-25-2011, 09:16 AM

Remember they're 32ohm drivers.

Put the top 4 in parallel to the current jack and the bottom 4 in parallel to a second jack you'll add. If you want you could put in a switch or add a 3rd external parallel jack so you could chain the 2 halves together and still have the option of running it the regular single mono 4 ohm cab way like it is now.