• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Cab power handling.

creis2

creis2

Guest
Nov 11, 2011
703
1
Cambridge, MA
#1
I was browsing some non commercial cab maker sites, and I'm running across 610's and 810's that handle a lot of power. For example the Matamp 810 claims it can handle 4000 watts.

Is this kind of handling accurate? Aside from the speaker handling that power, can a cab push that kind of power without weird stuff going on? I would imagine it would fart out way before that, am I wrong?
 
#6
Eminence Kappa 10 is 500w RMS, http://www.eminence.com/speakers/speaker-detail/?model=Kappa_Pro_10A

Beta 10A is 500w program, and probably more suited to that sort of cab.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

But watt ratings are pointless anyway, so ignore them. The only reason cabs have watt ratings is because people keep persuading themselves they matter. Matamp don't even make anything with more than 400w output currently, and I think 1400w is the biggest Matamp I've come across.
 
#7
Mr. Foxen said:
Eminence Kappa 10 is 500w RMS, http://www.eminence.com/speakers/speaker-detail/?model=Kappa_Pro_10A

Beta 10A is 500w program, and probably more suited to that sort of cab.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

But watt ratings are pointless anyway, so ignore them. The only reason cabs have watt ratings is because people keep persuading themselves they matter. Matamp don't even make anything with more than 400w output currently, and I think 1400w is the biggest Matamp I've come across.
Click to expand...

Well that must be what Matamp is using. Here's the link.
Invalid Link Removed
Boy oh boy, talk about lack of info at the web site...lol
 
#9
They are just taking the thermal rating of the speaker, and adding them up. Which is typical of most commercial cabs. To just use the thermal rating. Custom cab company? it just shows the knowledge of the builder is minimum

That thermal rating would only be true if they are all in parallel
which I doubt they are. And a speaker will hit 10% distortion way way before the thermal rating.

Most single Eminence 10's could not do 40 to 80 watts of power below 60 or so hertz.

So reality before gross amount of distortion I doubt a 610 would do more than 400 watts and a 810 would do about 560/600 watts
 
#11
BogeyBass said:
They are just taking the thermal rating of the speaker, and adding them up. Which is typical of most commercial cabs. To just use the thermal rating. Custom cab company? it just shows the knowledge of the builder is minimum

That thermal rating would only be true if they are all in parallel
which I doubt they are. And a speaker will hit 10% distortion way way before the thermal rating.

Most single Eminence 10's could not do 40 to 80 watts of power below 60 or so hertz.

So reality before gross amount of distortion I doubt a 610 would do more than 400 watts and a 810 would do about 560/600 watts
Click to expand...

Not really convinced you understand what you are talking about there. All in parallel? And all that other stuff is entirely frequency dependent, and at the mentioned frequencies, heavily dependent on the properties of the cab rather than the speakers and totally unrelated to thermal ratings anyway.

Anyway, I kind of know how Matamp choose speakers for their cabs. They get a bunch of sample speakers, put them into their cabs, and see what they sound like with their amps. Then they give them to bands, and go to their gigs to see what they sound like.
 
#12
Hi.

creis2 said:
For example the Matamp 810 claims it can handle 4000 watts.

Is this kind of handling accurate?
Click to expand...

Yes and no.

Yes, in the sense that it's probably the combined thermal power handling of the speakers used.

No, in the sense that the thermal power handling of the voice coil has little or no relation to the power that the speaker can accurately (ie. without distortion) convert.

And if they're using anything other than RMS to display the power handling, it's probably accurate within' the defined parameters.


creis2 said:
Aside from the speaker handling that power, can a cab push that kind of power without weird stuff going on?
Click to expand...

If the cab is designed and built correctly, then the answer is yes.
Otherwise no. Obviously.

creis2 said:
I would imagine it would fart out way before that, am I wrong?
Click to expand...

On certain frequencies (high and low) it will fart out sooner, on certain frequencies it'll most likely handle it.

It is not unusual for a speaker from a reputable manufacturer in an enclosure (or in free air for that matter) to be able to handle its rated thermal power at 1KHz for a considerable period of time.

Great for all the fixed-gear 1KHz sinewave synth players ;).

Regards
Sam
 
#13
Mr. Foxen said:
Not really convinced you understand what you are talking about there. All in parallel?
Click to expand...

I know what im talking about.

just making a simple point like others have already said, the 4000 watt rating is based on the total combined thermal rating of 8 speakers which each handle 500watts each.

Being the load follows ohms law. In a parallel circuit, the voltage across each of the components is the same, and the total current is the sum of the currents through each component.

So the only way you would be able to keep adding the thermal ratings of 8 500 watt speakers to be 4000 watts would be if all the speakers are in parallel.

8 speakers with a rating of 8ohms ran in parallel would be roughly 1 ohm. And I am more than sure that they dont sell a 1ohm cabinet. Yet alone produce a amplifier that could run a 1ohm load.

The only way to get 8 speakers in parallel and still be a usable load is to use a 32 ohm speaker. And the only 32 ohm speaker i know about is the legend B810. which is only a 150 watt speaker so that would be a 1200 watt cabinet.

they claim 4000 watts so they are using either 8 or 4 ohms speakers with a 500 watt rating. To get 8 speakers in a 8 or 4ohm rating as a usable load it would have to be wired in
series / parallel.

when you run speakers in series, again ohms law..In a series circuit, the current through each of the components is the same. So the thermal rating for all the speakers could not be summed together. So 8 speakers at 500 watts each in a
series/ parallel circuit could only be 1000 or 2000 watts depending on how many speakers are wired in the series string.

So the short answer again, is it a cabinet with a 4000watt thermal rating...No

will it handle 4000watts before 10% distortion...No
 
#16
BogeyBass said:
they claim 4000 watts so they are using either 8 or 4 ohms speakers with a 500 watt rating. To get 8 speakers in a 8 or 4ohm rating as a usable load it would have to be wired in
series / parallel.

when you run speakers in series, again ohms law..In a series circuit, the current through each of the components is the same. So the thermal rating for all the speakers could not be summed together. So 8 speakers at 500 watts each in a
series/ parallel circuit could only be 1000 or 2000 watts depending on how many speakers are wired in the series string.

So the short answer again, is it a cabinet with a 4000watt thermal rating...No

will it handle 4000watts before 10% distortion...No
Click to expand...
You can sum series thermal ratings quite fine, not that it does anyone any good.
 
#18
The manufacturer takes the wattage for each drivers and adds them together, then the cabs are rated for this calculation.
8 x 500w = 4000w

It's no a real rating, it's calculated. And the whole cabinet design affects the "real" ratings. No manufacturer actually ever tests a cabinet of drivers up to burn out. It'd be nice if they tested to even half the published rating "Tested to 2000w pink noise" but you won't even get that.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back