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Ideal power for a 4x10?

raferalston

raferalston

Jan 26, 2011
150
6
#1
looking into getting my first real setup for playing out...say I wanted to power a Eden 4x10...would I need to go with the WT800 or would less be the way to go. thanks...i'm a newb and would like to get it right the first time. gigs will mostly be bars but I would like to be able to do small venues if needed.
 
#2
Depends entirely on the drivers and box design but in general, most 410's can't really make anything out of more than 300 or so watts. More than that would be for headroom or to help drive a second cabinet should you get one.
 
#9
OP as a rule of thumb: Take the power rating of your cabinet - generally that's the combined THERMAL limit for the drivers or the point where they begin to melt. Divide it in two for the approximate power where the drivers run out of excursion and begin to fail mechanically. What you are left with is the maximum power you should ever feed your speaker cabinet.
 
#11
bassgod0dmw said:
Let's at least be realistic here. It works fine, it's just not ideal.

I ran a 4X10 + 1X15 setup for years. The earth is still turning, I never once had a problem, and always sounded great.
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Likewise I used a 4x10+1x18 rig for years and was happy with the sound. Thanks in large part to a conversation I had with Bassman Paul, I bought a matching 4x10 cab though and I like 2 4x10s better than the 4x10+1x18.
 
#12
Floyd Eye said:
Likewise I used a 4x10+1x18 rig for years and was happy with the sound. Thanks in large part to a conversation I had with Bassman Paul, I bought a matching 4x10 cab though and I like 2 4x10s better than the 4x10+1x18.
Click to expand...

Knowing what I know now, I only use matching cabs as well. It just bothers me when people say things like: It doesn't work!

It's not like you're going to hook everything up, flip the power switch, and the speakers instantly explode.

Like I said, it's not ideal by any means.
 
#13
bassgod0dmw said:
Let's at least be realistic here. It works fine, it's just not ideal.

I ran a 4X10 + 1X15 setup for years. The earth is still turning, I never once had a problem, and always sounded great.
Click to expand...

You were lucky. :)

Listen, I get it! You see the pairing in ads from just about every manufacturer. All based on a myth: larger cone = bigger lows. More to do with marketing than actual engineering. Anything the 15 did for you would have been done better by a second identical 4x10. Just for interest, do a search on threads about blown 15s. Almost all of them were paired with a 4x10.
 
#14
To be fair, that's what people infer from the statements about mismatched cabs, but I've never seen any comments that say that outside of ones that are clearly hyperbolic.

People that herald matching cabs are simply saying that the likelihood of better sound and output goes up with a matched pair rather than a mix n match affair.
 
#15
bassgod0dmw said:
Knowing what I know now, I only use matching cabs as well. It just bothers me when people say things like: It doesn't work!

It's not like you're going to hook everything up, flip the power switch, and the speakers instantly explode.

Like I said, it's not ideal by any means.
Click to expand...

I agree. I think since I have a bi-amp head and was able to control the power going to each cabinet, coupled with the fact that my 1x18 handles more power than my amp puts out, I avoided any blown speakers. Nevertheless, I much prefer the matching cabs and my god man, I can get ridiculously loud. :D
 
#16
BassmanPaul said:
You were lucky. :)

Listen, I get it! You see the pairing in ads from just about every manufacturer. All based on a myth: larger cone = bigger lows. More to do with marketing than actual engineering. Anything the 15 did for you would have been done better by a second identical 4x10. Just for interest, do a search on threads about blown 15s. Almost all of them were paired with a 4x10.
Click to expand...

I completely understand why it's not recommended, and I also have a decent understanding of what goes into speaker cab design. I've read all the threads, and I'll recommend pairing like cabs as well. I'm with you, no worries!

I just wasn't a fan of: It doesn't work. That's all :)
 
#17
raferalston said:
looking into getting my first real setup for playing out...say I wanted to power a Eden 4x10...would I need to go with the WT800 or would less be the way to go. thanks...i'm a newb and would like to get it right the first time. gigs will mostly be bars but I would like to be able to do small venues if needed.
Click to expand...

Hey Raf,

You're wise to look for the right setup the first time, regretting a purchase sucks!

Things to consider as well as the sound are transportation items (weight of components, fitting in your car, protective cases, etc.)

Take your time making a decision and I am sure you will most likely hear people recommend getting a little more power/cab than what you "need." I also believe this is wise.

All of these things relating to your available budget of course.
 
#19
I currently play (standard bar-band cover stuff) all over San Diego, CA. Mostly smaller bars (say, up to about 120 people capacity). I usually run a GK MB150E. 100 watts, 1x12. Sometimes I'll run the extension 1x12 which brings the output up to 150w. I also have my "big" rig, which is an Alembic F1-X preamp into a QSC PLX1600 power amp (500w per side at 4 ohms) driving two Eden 2x10 (one XLT, one XST) boxes. I have never needed anything more than that, regardless of with whom (loud, full-stack wielding chunka-chunka guitarists or jazzy 335 guys running into a Princeton) or where I've played...indoors or out. If the rig I brought isn't enough to fill the house, the PA certainly is, and I run a line into that.

So, to answer the OPs original question, in my over 30 years of experience, 200-400 watts should be plenty to drive a 410 (an Eden XLT can handle 800, I think?), but "more is better", giving you headroom for a louder signal that retains clarity. If you have the resources to acquire an Eden 410 and a WT800, that's a fine set of gear by anyone's standards, and should provide more than adequate power.



I'm constantly amazed by the quoting of specifications and absolute statements along the lines of "that won't work" or "you can't do that". I admit, I've never met a 1x15 that I loved, but plenty of people have used 1x15 + 4x10 setups successfully.
 
#20
bassgod0dmw said:
I just wasn't a fan of: It doesn't work. That's all :)
Click to expand...

But it doesn't! In my mind if a speaker system has a weak link that could be prone to failure, the system doesn't work. Yes you can get sound out of it. Just as if you plopped four arbitrary 10" drivers into any old 4x10 cabinet you just happen to own. The result will always be a crapshoot. You'll get sound but for how long and how good will it be??
 

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