100watt+100watt>200watt?

[senorblues]

Generally, is running 2 amps in stereo louder than 1 amp of equal wattage?

 

[billfitzmaurice]

Generally, is running 2 amps in stereo louder than 1 amp of equal wattage?

Depends on the speaker setup.

 

[senorblues]

Boy, that's helpful.

OK

Amp1 100watt 4ohm speaker
+
Amp2 100watt another 4ohm speaker (same model)
vs
a 200watt amp with a 4ohm speaker (same model)

And you don't have to quote me just to give me a non-answer. Thanks

 

[Metal Matt]

Boy, that's helpful.

OK

Amp1 100watt 4ohm speaker
+
Amp2 100watt another 4ohm speaker (same model)
vs
a 200watt amp with a 4ohm speaker (same model)

And you don't have to quote me just to give me a non-answer. Thanks

Two 100 watt amps and 2 cabs will be louder than one 200 watt amp and 1 cab because you have more speaker area .

But, one 200 watt amp hooked to two 1x15 cabs
VS
two 100 watt amps, each hooked to a 1x15

...there would probably be very little difference in volume.

After that, you get into running 2 amps and 3 or 4 cabs, which will be the loudest out of all the options.

Like Bill said, it depends on speaker setup.

 

[senorblues]

I'm talking about wattage loudness, not speaker area.

If a 200 watt amp is NOT twice as loud as a 100 watt amp,
are 2-100 watt amps twice as loud as a single 100 watt amp?

 

[cheezewiz]

Nothing like being a douche to one of the TB amp gurus to encourage helpful answers.

 

[aquaboy1993]

To make something twice as loud, all things remaining the same (cab number, speaker number and size) you need to multiply your watts by 10. So, to be twice as loud as a 100 watt amp, you'd need 1000 watt amp.

 

[rpsands]

For being smarmy, you get nothing.

 

[mrkreuzschlitz]

Hey, guys, stop being jerks.

Running two 100 watt amps into their own 2x10 (or any other cab for that matter) is just as loud as running a 200 watt head into two 2x10's.

As long as the speaker areas in both setups are the same, then they're just as loud.

 

[senorblues]

Thanks.

 

[Korladis]

The speakers will matter more than the wattage in this. Two 100 watt heads going into one cab each will be louder than a 200 watt head going into a single cab. Two 100 watt heads each going to their own cab will be about the same as a 200 watt head going to two cabs.

 

[billfitzmaurice]

I'm talking about wattage loudness, not speaker area.

If a 200 watt amp is NOT twice as loud as a 100 watt amp,
are 2-100 watt amps twice as loud as a single 100 watt amp?

There's the rub, there is no such thing as wattage loudness. Actual perceived loudness is based on a number of factors, with power being one of the least significant. BTW, with power being the only altered factor it takes a tenfold increase to sound twice as loud.

 

[senorblues]

Thank you Mr. Fitzmaurice. I think I understand now, or at least understand why its confusing. Sorry if I seemed rude.

 

[pfschim]

also, with two amps and two cabs, depending on how you set them up, you will want to be mindful of phase cancellation and things like that.

So, if you go with 2 amps + 2 cabs, it's generally better to stack them, rather than set them side by side, or even on two sides of a sound stage. With one amp and the same general number and size of cabs/drivers, its easier, and more common to stack, thus saving you from the risk of frequencies canceling each other out between two rigs

If you read through some of the threads on this subject here on TB you will get quite an education .. perhaps more than you want, but there you go.

This is a topic of much discussion (and occasional sensitivity) at TB.

good luck

 

[akaTRENT]

Oh the classic more wattage = more volume notion :shakes head:

 

[wayleft]

Generally no. Doubling wattage only adds about 3 dB all other things being equal. It takes about a 10 dB change to be perceived as different loudness by the normal human ear. So really in effect a 200 watt amp (again all things being equal) won't be much louder than a 100 watt amp. Two 100 watt 1x12 combos will be about as loud as a 200 watt 2x12 combo(again all other things being equal). now two 100 watt 2x12s will be louder than a 200 watt 2x12, but by how much depends on cab design, specific speakers, and lots more factors.

Sorry if it seems like I'm speaking down to you or repeating what bill already said but you didn't seem impressed by his explanation so I thought I would fill out details.