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2ohm cabinets???

The old Acoustic 408 cabinet with 4x15 is a 2 ohm cabinet.

I'm sure that Dave at Avatar (www.avatarspeakers.com) could do a 2 ohm 4x10. If Delta 12LFs are available in 4 ohms he could do a 2 ohm B212 too..

I've heard that Andy Lewis at Acme will do a 2 ohm B4.

In each of those cases you have to order direct anyway, so it's probably no big deal to order a 2 ohm cabinet.

However, if your amp doesn't put out at least twice as much power at 2 ohms as it does at 4, you might as well get 4 ohm cabinets.

Don't know how much resale value a 2 ohm cabinet would have...
 
I tried looking at Yamaha.com...the specs are pretty scarce and I couldn't find a manual on-line.

What is that amp's power rating at 4 ohms? If it's more than 250 watts, then you wouldn't notice a volume difference between two identical cabinets, one 4 ohm, one 2 ohm, played one at a time.

Is the amp loud enough with one of your 2x10s? Reducing cone area, you get double whammied though...less power and less speaker so the volume difference might be noticable...but maybe less than you'd think.
 
BillyB_from_LZ said:
I tried looking at Yamaha.com...the specs are pretty scarce and I couldn't find a manual on-line.

What is that amp's power rating at 4 ohms? If it's more than 250 watts, then you wouldn't notice a volume difference between two identical cabinets, one 4 ohm, one 2 ohm, played one at a time.

Is the amp loud enough with one of your 2x10s? Reducing cone area, you get double whammied though...less power and less speaker so the volume difference might be noticable...but maybe less than you'd think.

Yeah, the amp is 250w @ 4ohms, and 500w @ 2ohms.

For the 4ohm set up I tried an ampeg, and then I tried an eden. I got way more volume out of the 2 yamaha 2x10's than I did with 1 4ohm 4x10, so I figured I would look for a 2ohm 4x10 or some other similar configuration.

I do like the sound of 12's, but never really got into 15's. I am also thinking that it might be easier to lug around 2 light 2x10's than it would to lug around 1 heft 4x10. Ahhhhh decisions, decisions!
 
to me, the deal is that 2 ohm cabs have the potential to be dangerous cabs. sure, you may know that your amp does ok into a 2 ohm load, but plug another amp into it, and pow! it may get fried, or simply shut down to prevent damage. this could happen to another person who uses your cab, or to you when your main amp dies and you have to use an amp that is only 4 ohms stable. :hmm:
 
IvanMike said:
to me, the deal is that 2 ohm cabs have the potential to be dangerous cabs. sure, you may know that your amp does ok into a 2 ohm load, but plug another amp into it, and pow! it may get fried, or simply shut down to prevent damage. this could happen to another person who uses your cab, or to you when your main amp dies and you have to use an amp that is only 4 ohms stable. :hmm:

True. Less Flexability, by far. Unless you friggon rewire the thing before you plug into a 4ohm head..... oy chijuajua would that suck.... especially on a time limit. :rollno:
 
OK....I guess I have a related question then. All of this talk about 2ohms being dangerous....are you reffering to me looking for a single 2ohm cabinet? Or is 2ohms just dangerous period? I have been running my 2 2x10 4ohms cabs for a while and haven't run into any issues (yet). Should I be concearned and try to stay away from 2ohms all together?
 
I think that he's saying that a 2 ohm cabinet is potentially dangerous to amplifiers, not humans.

If someone connects the 2 ohm cabinet to a solid state amp that is designed for a 4 ohm minimum load and turns it up, there's a good chance that "magic smoke" will leak out of the amp.

Solid state amps don't like being loaded with too low of an impedance, they tend to overheat and shutdown (most positive scenario) or die (worst case scenario).

If you had a 2 ohm, 4x10, you could include a 2 ohm/8 ohm switch in the wiring scheme...no way to get 4 ohms.

How much louder is your amp with just both Yamaha 4 ohm, 2x10s running compared to just one of them? Is just one, loud enough?
 
Washishimi said:
OK....I guess I have a related question then. All of this talk about 2ohms being dangerous....are you reffering to me looking for a single 2ohm cabinet? Or is 2ohms just dangerous period? I have been running my 2 2x10 4ohms cabs for a while and haven't run into any issues (yet). Should I be concearned and try to stay away from 2ohms all together?

Well, if your amp says that it handles 2ohm loads, then its fine. Amps tend to run a little harder with a lower impedance, but if it says it can do it... then its fine.
 
Thanks for all of your help guys.

Yeah, there is quite a difference when I add the 2nd 2x10 to the mix. It is adding 2 more speakers and another 250watts, so I can see why. I love the sound of that set up, so I guess I should just shut up and emjoy it!!
 
yeah, shush and enjoy it - :p
but to be clear, 2 ohms isnt dangerous to an amp as long as it is rated for it. in that case, using two 4 ohm cabs, or four 8 ohm cabs would give you a 2 ohm load which is fine. I'm just not in favor of 2 ohm cabs as they an ONLY be used with 2 ohm capable heads.
 
Washishimi said:
Thanks for all of your help guys.

Yeah, there is quite a difference when I add the 2nd 2x10 to the mix. It is adding 2 more speakers and another 250watts, so I can see why. I love the sound of that set up, so I guess I should just shut up and emjoy it!!

Ah! A sucess story for once! These are becoming rare :p