I need some help on watts!!!

[Bass_Pounder]

Ideally, you want to run a 200w program cab with a 400w head. The extra headroom on the amp will prevent amp clipping, which will blow speakers.

Clipping does NOT blow woofers.

Been discussed here ad nauseum, and completely debunked by professionals.

 

[Bass_Goat]

As long as it works is all I care about. I don't want to buy another $500 cab.

 

[B-string]

As long as it works is all I care about. I don't want to buy another $500 cab.

There is doubt it will work, just don't expect twice the volume. You should notice a volume increase before the speakers start hurting.
Takes more wattage than doubling (unlike speakers) at that power level to make a big difference.

 

[seamonkey]

As long as it works is all I care about. I don't want to buy another $500 cab.

Works and keeps on working?

You can't know. Head makers will claim their amps put out X watts but they exagerate. Cab makers claim their cabs handle Y watts and they exagerate. But then an honest one comes along and tips the balance.

 

[tjh]

.. what 90's Eden head are you considering ?? .. I am not an Eden guru, but weren't there a few that were 2 ohm capable??

 

[cheapbasslovin]

If it sounds bad it is bad. You can run a 2000w head with that cab as long as you can keep it under control.

 

[CL400Peavey]

Ideally, you want to run a 200w program cab with a 400w head. The extra headroom on the amp will prevent amp clipping, which will blow speakers.

This is factually incorrect.

 

[David Jayne]

You'll be fine if you just use your ears.

Some speakers can keep sounding good when pushed a bit too hard, .

Gotta watch this. I came close to burning up a cab yesterday by overpowering. It sounded absolutely fine, no farting or anything but started to smell like it was burning. I backed off immediately and it still sounds fine. Point being sometimes there is no audible indication of trouble.

 

[paulears]

I love physics - common practices debunked by professionals who use selective physics to prove black is white. Me - in my nearly 40 year professional life I've never blown a loudspeaker by following my selective physics, while my ten year experience of college teaching let me experience students destroying plenty. So I care little for people telling me that X does this and Y does not, because my eyes, ears and memory provide enough evidence for me to believe what I believe. People may of course have completely opposing views and their own evidence to support their view. That is fine, I simply choose to ignore it. Some may well tag my statements with 'factually incorrect', but that is simply an opinion based on an alternate reading of the evidence, and such - I reject it. My own evidence is the opposite, and nobody as yet has proven there is a single unarguable answer, just the flavour of the month ones, that will change again when the next new bit of evidence pops up.

 

[dincz]

nobody as yet has proven there is a single unarguable answer, just the flavour of the month ones, that will change again when the next new bit of evidence pops up.

Ohm's law has so far proved to be totally immune to the vagaries of fashion.

 

[paulears]

absolutely - hence my stance. Thanks for supporting me. You were agreeing weren't you?

 

[Bass_Pounder]

I love physics - common practices debunked by professionals who use selective physics to prove black is white. Me - in my nearly 40 year professional life I've never blown a loudspeaker by following my selective physics, while my ten year experience of college teaching let me experience students destroying plenty. So I care little for people telling me that X does this and Y does not, because my eyes, ears and memory provide enough evidence for me to believe what I believe. People may of course have completely opposing views and their own evidence to support their view. That is fine, I simply choose to ignore it. Some may well tag my statements with 'factually incorrect', but that is simply an opinion based on an alternate reading of the evidence, and such - I reject it. My own evidence is the opposite, and nobody as yet has proven there is a single unarguable answer, just the flavour of the month ones, that will change again when the next new bit of evidence pops up.

When "your" experience and credentials are as good or better then people like Bob Lee, Aged Horse, and Bill Fitzmaurice, THEN maybe others will listen to you.

Till then, just stop giving this advice.

 

[bebass]

You should be OK, it should give a bit of extra clean headroom, don't turn the bass tone control all the way up, and listen closely when playing. I regular have used much higher wattage amps than speakers. If I blow one too bad, but I haven't in 40 years.

 

[Bob-I]

I love physics - common practices debunked by professionals who use selective physics to prove black is white. Me - in my nearly 40 year professional life I've never blown a loudspeaker by following my selective physics, while my ten year experience of college teaching let me experience students destroying plenty. So I care little for people telling me that X does this and Y does not, because my eyes, ears and memory provide enough evidence for me to believe what I believe. People may of course have completely opposing views and their own evidence to support their view. That is fine, I simply choose to ignore it. Some may well tag my statements with 'factually incorrect', but that is simply an opinion based on an alternate reading of the evidence, and such - I reject it. My own evidence is the opposite, and nobody as yet has proven there is a single unarguable answer, just the flavour of the month ones, that will change again when the next new bit of evidence pops up.

Wow, great answer. I couldn't agree with you more.

Sometimes I post things about my experiences and get told I'm wrong, that's fine, everyone's got an opinion.

 

[JimmyM]

The difference between opinion and fact is key.

 

[B-string]

Knowlege is a wonderful thing to share. Ignorance by not understanding the conditions that produced the result and just making assumptions is not. My personal opinion.
As JimmyM said, Fact vs Opinion.

 

[Munjibunga]

A good rule of thumb that the industry uses is that the speaker cabs should be rated at 2X the RMS rated output of the amp. In your case you are currently conforming with your current setup.

Following the rule, ideally you would want speakers that can handle 800W with a 400W amp. With a 400W amp and 400W speakers, you will have to be careful. Watch your tone settings and volume level to avoid overpowering the speakers. Use your ears and listen for speaker distortion. This is different from amp distortion. Sound examples of speaker distortion are on youtube.

You have that backwards. For instance, EAW recommends an amp with 1.5 to 2 times the rated power of the speakers. I ran a QSC PLX 2400 bridged (2,400 watts) into each one of my SBX220 subs, which are rated at 1,400 watts. Perfect. In the case of bass amps and cabs, I generally run amps and cabs with comparable power ratings, usually within 100 or 200 watts either way. For example, I like to run my GK MB Fusion 800 (500 watts at 8 ohms) into my 8-ohm Bergantino AE210, which is rated at 400 watts. I run the same head (800 watts at 4 ohms) into my 4-ohm CN212, which is rated at 700 watts.

Really, there is no rule of thumb for powering bass cabs. You just have to be judicious in how you apply the power. As Hopkins said, you can run any amp with any cab. As Downunderwonder said, if turning the amp up doesn't result in an increase of volume, you've already exceeded the capability of the cabs and you should turn it back down. If it's not loud enough, you need a bigger rig.

Bottom line, that Eden head has great tone and moderate power. You should be fine with it if you don't ask too much of the cabs. I'd say go for it, but be smart when you apply the juice.

 

[Munjibunga]

.. what 90's Eden head are you considering ?? .. I am not an Eden guru, but weren't there a few that were 2 ohm capable??

If it's 400 watts it's got to be a WT-400 Traveler Plus. It's a mono head and only goes to 4 ohms. I have the earlier 300-watt version of this. It's the amp that defines the Eden sound. The 400 is a great amp with just a tad more power than the WT-300. It gives a little more headroom but no noticeable gain in volume.

 

[B-string]

Apparently EAW is also miss using the info in the "infamous" JBL white paper that was written to help reduce warranty costs on PA horn drivers. Not a surprise.

 

[cheapbasslovin]

You should be fine with it if you don't ask too much of the cabs (or amps). I'd say go for it, but be smart when you apply the juice.

(Minor edit to your post)

This applies to every rig unless you have an impedance compatibility problem. Be smart; don't try to get 810 sound out of a 212 setup.