Ampeg SVT really 960 watts?

[Happy Camper]

I have detailed the standard calculations for this several times before.

Yes of course, it's an average not a peak input but I suspect that Ampeg publishes numbers that are not far off of what might be required to be supplied on a stage (likely only one of many things drawing power). Granted it has a 10 amp fast blow which it might get close to blowing but only in transient conditions. In any event it stands that long term much less power goes to the outputs (esp. as it wastes prodigious energy in heat) than what comes in. It's just one reason why its not 960 watt amp.

 

[JimmyM]

I really like TC amps.

And their methodology in rating their (older) products made sense to me.

It does? Compressing and lots of high pass filtering = wattage?

 

[baxter_x]

if you need more than an SVT and 810 can give you cleanly, you are clearly deranged.

That's what I always thought about myself actually. That's the reason why I love the Mesa Titan V12 and the Ampeg SVT 7.
The SVT7 is very very impressive.

 

[Jughead6]

It does? Compressing and lots of high pass filtering = wattage?

Not in terms of wattage but as a method of energy efficiency.

After all, don't we want to have better or at least equivalent performance with lower wattage? We do with cars, washing machines and almost everything else in our lives.

 

[Rabidhamster]

With today's power ratings should the Ampeg SVT be rated at 960 watts?
Using TC and some of the other manufactures as a bench mark.

Keep it to the topic and none of that but you dont understand stuff.
No this is not a troll so lets keep name calling out of the thread.
I ask the simple question.

But a given Ampeg SVT is 1200 watts. But when you use green as the benchmark how many times is pink?

 

[Smooth_bass88]

What the heck would you do with a 960 watt tube amp? It would weigh like 300 lbs

 

[BergerHead]

Some folks are very happy with a 25W Portaflex ... as my rabbit is with a carrot a day; so what's the question again?

 

[BrotherRay]

I’ll see your TC rating and raise you a Behringer rating.

Someone who (I think) gets the spirit of the OP. You win Talkbass.

 

[BrotherRay]

the OP has kind of a hard-on about some MI manufacturer (besides TC Electronics) but does not want to get into hot water with the mods so he uses this kind of smoke screen silly b.s. post to get his ya ya's out here on TB.

Oh.

 

[Coolhandjjl]

Some folks are very happy with a 25W Portaflex ... as my rabbit is with a carrot a day; so what's the question again?

Great point, but remember, to be twice as loud, you need 250 watts...

 

[Tim Skaggs]

With today's power ratings should the Ampeg SVT be rated at 960 watts?
Using TC and some of the other manufactures as a bench mark.

Keep it to the topic and none of that but you dont understand stuff.
No this is not a troll so lets keep name calling out of the thread.
I ask the simple question.

An SVT doesn't reach 960 by any rating yesterday or today. Maybe it will make it by some future equivalency rating.

 

[SunnBass]

Wow, this guy starts some... "interesting" threads.

 

[Koshchei]

So my unscientific opinion is that by and large, watts is watts, and if you need more than an SVT and 810 can give you cleanly, you are clearly deranged.

No, you pretty much have it surrounded. Watts is watts, which is to say a derived measurement of energy transfer in joules/second. Which is why it works as well to describe your bass amp as your microwave or a lightbulb. It's less useful for things like welding machines, because they're all about amperage (W/V=A).

 

[drumvsbass]

dude, here's another example of that "tumbling down a flight of stairs with an 810" head injury coming back to haunt you (and us)

Since I'm already here, I used to have a rehearsal space that was up a flight of stairs with a midway landing between floors. You could guess where this is going. Winnipeg, winter, got about half way up and the cab slipped and was about to take me on a ride down the stairs, I pushed off and fell backwards myself as I watched my 810 fall over face first into the stairs and ride all the way to the bottom door. Scraped the front Tolex and trashed a few stairs. Cab was fine.

810's; love playing through them, hate moving them.

 

[drumvsbass]

So my unscientific opinion is that by and large, watts is watts, and if you need more than an SVT and 810 can give you cleanly, you are clearly deranged.

THIS!

 

[byacey]

It could well be that it consumes 96o watts of AC line current to produce 300 watts of audio output power, although 660 watts for the heaters and pilot bulb seems a little far fetched.

 

[bassballs27]

Great amplifier comparisons by Jimmy! I loved that post in this thread!

Here is TC's claim on how they rate power:
Link Removed
Interesting that the Blacksmith is supposed to be 1600W @ 4 ohms....yet it seems that "long term" it's actually 924W @ 4R?

I'm in full agreement that a watt is a watt. Hard to argue a proven scientific measurement.
However, when watts are used to describe the perceived volume of an amplifier a battle starts between objectivity and subjectivity. I personally blame my experience when I bought my first bass amp, I was told by plenty of sales associates and other bass players that a tube amp would have the perceived volume of 3 to 4 times the power rating of a solid state amp. Making the 300W All tube wonder known as the SVT technically "sound like" it's producing 900W to 1200W of "solid state power", but I've never saw true scientific proof of this.

Can we blame Sweetwater???
https://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare/articles/tube-amps-louder-than-solid-state-amps-of-same/

 

[baxter_x]

But a given Ampeg SVT is 1200 watts

No all tube svt reaches that power. Except the svt4, but it's SS.

 

[Red Planet]

It does? Compressing and lots of high pass filtering = wattage?

It seems TC is not the only one on this bandwagon. There are a lot of amps out there claiming all kinds of crazy wattage ratings now, hence the thread. Isn't an SVT really a 1,000 watts by today's standards?

Notice all these high powered thingamajigs aint no louder than an old Acoustic 360.

 

[MDBass]

It seems TC is not the only one on this bandwagon. There are a lot of amps out there claiming all kinds of crazy wattage ratings now, hence the thread. Isn't an SVT really a 1,000 watts by today's standards?

Notice all these high powered thingamajigs aint no louder than an old Acoustic 360.

No.