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Do I really need to spend 600 on a power conditioner?

#45
dmusic148 said:
I can't help but wonder if the problem with the Sunn is causing it to draw lots of current all the time, even though the power amp section is not being used.
Click to expand...
It's not Class D or H, so yes, it will draw a lot of current even when idling. Not what Class A does, but still a lot more than what a stand alone pre-amp will.
 
#47
hotsnake said:
Here's my setup and whats been happening:

I run a sunn coliseum 300 and alembic f1-X into a crest ca-9 power amp. the ca-9 powers 2 separate 2x12s built into the same speaker cabinet. the 12 inch speakers are all eminence delta 12a.

at a number of gigs and practices over the past year i have blown the power. as in, everything out of the outlet im running loses power. last week at practice one of the delta 12a speakers caught on fire. my local tech at portland custom shop tells me that the speaker catching on fire is merely a faulty speaker but that i could use a power conditioner to solve the power draw issue from my rig, specifically the ca-9.


here's my question:

do i sell off the ca-9 and get something that draws less power or do i invest in a power conditioner? i love the ca-9 and do not want to part with it, but my tech is telling me to pick up this thing:

FurmanSound.com - Pro A/V Product - P-1800 PF R

because it provides 45amps of reserve current. problem is, this thing is expensive to the tune of 600 bucks. is there a way i can get around dropping hundreds of dollars on a power conditioner? anything cheaper out there that will provide the same reserve current? should i just sell off the ca-9 and find something that draws less current?
Click to expand...

You don't need that particular model- the BlueBolt will do absolutely nothing for you unless you need to monitor it's state from a different location.

"15 amps @ 124 Volts"- get it? There's no such thing as free power and unless that Furman has some kind of battery that can supply the reserve voltage/current, 45A isn't gonna happen because the supply voltage isn't going to handle the load without voltage drop.

You need to monitor the line voltage when you use your rig. Only then, will you find out what you need. If the voltage drops enough, you will need to run it on a 20A circuit or on a 220V circuit, with the amp converted/switched to 220V (assuming it can work on 220VAC).

If you're literally burning speakers, you're overpowering them. It could also be that your amp is clipping badly and causing the waveform to approach square wave.

Do you read and understand spec sheets? The Crest CA-9 specs show "Max Curr. Draw (circuit breaker rating, 120V/4½ /21A. If you plug ANYTHING else into the same outlet or power strip, you would need a circuit that's rated at a minimum of 30A and that's not common. A circuit's capacity for continuous use is 80% of the breaker/fuse rating. If you crank it up as loud as you seem to, there's no way that Furman will do what you need. I sell Furman and that's not the way to address your power requirements.
 
#51
If the power amp section of the Sunn has a problem, I would disconnect the power supply to that (safely) and just use it as a preamp. It won't draw 0A, but it may reduce the consumption a bit. Still, running the rig as loud as you do, a 15A circuit will never live long.

Not to sound like a geezer but, why can't you guys use a PA to achieve the SPL you want? It sounds better, lasts longer and it'll work night after night.
 

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