Will a Mesa/Boogie 400+ blow up an SVT 410 HLF?

Progzter · #1 04-10-2010, 01:29 AM

well would it? im looking to buy this head and use it with this cabinet... good idea or bad idea?

http://www.ampeg.com/products/classi...0hlf/index.htm

http://www.mesaboogie.com/Product_In...bass_400_.html

~ignited~wings~ · #2 04-10-2010, 01:30 AM

No more or less so than pretty much any other head...

Progzter · #3 04-10-2010, 01:42 AM

its just that people say 500 tube watts is huge, like over 1,000 solid state....

~ignited~wings~ · #4 04-10-2010, 02:00 AM

as far as your cab is concerned 1 watt=1watt no matter where it is coming from.

I'm not going to participate in any tube vs solid state watt debates though, it's been done too often.

Caca de Kick · #5 04-10-2010, 02:07 AM

It is not 500w. It can only make 300w

YL_Bass · #6 04-10-2010, 02:32 AM

Ran it for a couple years, worked fine.

JimmyM · #7 04-10-2010, 02:39 AM

ya, the 410hlf will take the 400+ no problem as long as you don't turn it up way past power tube distortion. you can get some if you want, but i wouldn't turn it up all the way or anything. but the 410hlf requires a bit more power than most 410's to work because it's got such crazy low end, but it'll take a 400+.

pulse · #8 04-10-2010, 02:44 AM

should be dope .... its a 4 ohm cab right

baron665 · #9 04-10-2010, 02:50 AM

I don't think you would have any problems. As long as the cab is higher than 2ohms and has enough wattage.

DrSmaggs · #10 04-10-2010, 02:51 AM

sounds safe to me... the actual main cause of amp or speaker failure is not having enough power to properly flex the speakers, causing either the power stage of the amp to blow or the speaker coil to burn up.

At least that was the case last time I read up on it.

Go for it.

JimmyM · #11 04-10-2010, 02:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrSmaggs

sounds safe to me... the actual main cause of amp or speaker failure is not having enough power to properly flex the speakers, causing either the power stage of the amp to blow or the speaker coil to burn up.

At least that was the case last time I read up on it.

sorry but that is a complete myth all the way around. if that were true, my 25w ampeg b-15n would have burned up the 15"s in my cabs that are rated for 450w each and i'd be buying a set of power tubes today. instead, all i got was sweet sweet tone. there is no "properly flex the speakers." the only thing that blows speakers is too much power. period. there is no such thing as underpowering. whatever you read up on the last time is something you should never read again.

Sartori · #12 04-10-2010, 04:10 AM

Indeed. If underpowering hurt speakers, then it would be horrible for them to turn your bass or amp down.

The myth seems to come from people blowing cabs with amps that aren't rated as putting out more watts than the speakers are rated as handling. This comes from amps peaking at higher than their rated wattage, and many cabs' power handling specs are rather optimistic.

That said, it would be pretty hard to blow an SVT-410HLF with a 400+. The 500 watts spec that Mesa gives is the 400+'s peak wattage. Its RMS wattage is more like 260-300 watts or something like that.

One can blow speakers by EQing in too much low end as well, but the HLF is designed specifically for lots of low end. I'm sure that if one was specifically trying to blow the HLF with the 400+, it would be possible, but in a normal gigging situation, it doesn't seem likely.

Foz · #13 04-10-2010, 07:44 AM

It'll work fine.... nice amp, nice cab.

derelicte · #14 04-10-2010, 07:52 AM

as a former owner of a 400+, I can tell u not only will it work, but it will sound great! go for it!

Jerrold Tiers · #15 04-10-2010, 07:53 AM

It'll work fine indeed...

As for the underpowering deal........ YES you can destroy a high power speaker with a low power amp...... IF the speaker is ported, and you manage to drive the speaker well below the port frequency..... maybe because you crank up the lows insanely trying to get some sound out....

The speakers will have very little that is controlling cone movement, and you may kill them by getting over the "Xdamage" point of cone movement.

You won't do electrical damage by underpowering.

MAMMOTHvolume · #16 04-10-2010, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sartori

Indeed. If underpowering hurt speakers, then it would be horrible for them to turn your bass or amp down.

The myth seems to come from people blowing cabs with amps that aren't rated as putting out more watts than the speakers are rated as handling. This comes from amps peaking at higher than their rated wattage, and many cabs' power handling specs are rather optimistic.

That said, it would be pretty hard to blow an SVT-410HLF with a 400+. The 500 watts spec that Mesa gives is the 400+'s peak wattage. Its RMS wattage is more like 260-300 watts or something like that.

One can blow speakers by EQing in too much low end as well, but the HLF is designed specifically for lots of low end. I'm sure that if one was specifically trying to blow the HLF with the 400+, it would be possible, but in a normal gigging situation, it doesn't seem likely.

confusing american watts ratings! take what it can actually do and double it seems to be the way most american companys went

Progzter · #17 04-10-2010, 09:38 AM

Heh, I also have an SVT 15e rated at 200 watts RMS. Is that thing going to blow?

And i was buying this 400+ because it was supposed to have good power and I wanted a lot of headroom. If this was the case is that a bad purchase? I could run an 810e eventually easily with this thing, right?

HOOLIGAN · #18 04-10-2010, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Progzter

And i was buying this 400+ because it was supposed to have good power and I wanted a lot of headroom. If this was the case is that a bad purchase? I could run an 810e eventually easily with this thing, right?

I run mine through an 810e, any louder than 2 on the master and gain and my 2 guitarists (200w of ampeg & 100w of Marshall) start to cry-Lots of headroom there.

Sartori · #19 04-10-2010, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MAMMOTHvolume

confusing american watts ratings! take what it can actually do and double it seems to be the way most american companys went

Eh, no, actually. Most wattage ratings quote RMS watts. The "500 watts" quote for the 400+ is its peak watts, but that's unusual.

Where lots of stat fudging happens, also, is in cab specs.

But seriously, to blow the 410HLF with a 400+, you'd need to be EQing in some ridiculous lows while turned up really high. It just doesn't seem like it would be very likely to happen with normal use.

Sartori · #20 04-10-2010, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Progzter

Heh, I also have an SVT 15e rated at 200 watts RMS. Is that thing going to blow?

And i was buying this 400+ because it was supposed to have good power and I wanted a lot of headroom. If this was the case is that a bad purchase? I could run an 810e eventually easily with this thing, right?

Maybe, if you turn up the volume and/or lows. The 400+ can put out well over 200 watts RMS. Be careful and back off the volume and/or low end if you hear the speaker farting out.