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Is bad to under power a cab.

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FighttheSilence

Apr 5, 2009
249
1
Jasper, MN (southwest corner)
#1
The head is an Ashdown Superfly (2x250 watts @ 4 ohms). I have a Carvin 2x10 which is 400 watts @ 4 ohms and I want to add a Carvin 1x15 which is 600w @ 4 ohms when I get more money. My question is, is will having all the extra power available on the cabs be good to ensure I dont blow speakers or will it damage the hear and/or cab(s). Thanks
 
#3
FighttheSilence said:
The head is an Ashdown Superfly (2x250 watts @ 4 ohms). I have a Carvin 2x10 which is 400 watts @ 4 ohms and I want to add a Carvin 1x15 which is 600w @ 4 ohms when I get more money. My question is, is will having all the extra power available on the cabs be good to ensure I dont blow speakers or will it damage the hear and/or cab(s). Thanks
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You can't "underpower a cab" and cause damage. What does occur is that a player wants more volume, and cranks up the low powered amp to 11 ... and it clips, sending that "rough" signal to the speakers, which do their best to keep up before they croak. The wattage specs on the speakers are the MAX they can handle, either RMS (which is all that counts) or "program" (which doesn't mean diddly, but manufacturers sometimes are deceptive). Carvin, I believe, rates them RMS. In either case, it assumes a sine waveform, not a square wave.

So ... keep your amp below clipping levels, don't be tempted to run full out because "the speakers can handle it" and you'll be fine.

Disclaimer: someone is sure to contradict every word I said. ;)
 
#4
Last time I underpowered my cabs I thank Jaweh that I read these forums in time to prevent damage! Now I never turn off my amp or put it in Standby! But it gets tricky transporting my gear to gigs that are far away, where the cabs are underpowered for sometimes a couple of hours of drive time.

I always expect to find they aren't working when I set them up onstage.
 
#6
RustyAxe said:
You can't "underpower a cab" and cause damage. What does occur is that a player wants more volume, and cranks up the low powered amp to 11 ... and it clips, sending that "rough" signal to the speakers, which do their best to keep up before they croak. The wattage specs on the speakers are the MAX they can handle, either RMS (which is all that counts) or "program" (which doesn't mean diddly, but manufacturers sometimes are deceptive). Carvin, I believe, rates them RMS. In either case, it assumes a sine waveform, not a square wave.

So ... keep your amp below clipping levels, don't be tempted to run full out because "the speakers can handle it" and you'll be fine.

Disclaimer: someone is sure to contradict every word I said. ;)
Click to expand...

No contradiction here. You nailed it.

MM
 
#7
RustyAxe said:
Y... and it clips, sending that "rough" signal to the speakers, which do their best to keep up before they croak... keep your amp below clipping levels, don't be tempted to run full out because "the speakers can handle it" and you'll be fine.
Click to expand...

Well, when the signal is clipping it just sends a lot of power in a short perdiod of time. If the power is less than the cab/speakers can handle then there isn't a problem. Clipping in itself is not some magical "bad" thing (distortion signals anyone?).


I wish manufacturers would remove clip-lights from amps.
 
#8
MysticMichael said:
No contradiction here. You nailed it.

MM
Click to expand...

I do believe it isn't about "rough" signal, or clipping, but about OVERPOWERING your speakers, period.

You can overpower your speakers with an amp rated below the cab's rating because an amp has the capability to put out more than twice it's rating at times under heavy usage.

The "idea" that underpowering your speakers and blowing them is misguided. It is about having say...a 400 watt amp running into a 600 watt cab. You aren't getting enough volume so you crank the amp, and then at some point your amp cranks out 700 or 800 watts temporarily. THAT's what blew your speakers...that underpowered amp cranked that went nuts for second.

So, NO you can't blow your speakers from underpowering them. There's more power in that "underpowered" amp than you think.

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong.
 
#14
I'm a player, but I'm mainly an engineer. And the rookie mistake of "underpowering" I see all the time -- from experienced people who should know better -- is using an instrument cable, not a speaker cable, between the head and cab. It can make a huge difference.
 
#15
RickenBoogie said:
This topic pops up so often, I'm starting to worry about practicing at lower volume levels. When will it end? And, the previous statement was sprinkled with sarcasm, before you jump.
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I think it's time for the mods to institute word filtering, and put 'underpowering' at the top of the list. It also would be nice if there was a way to program the board so that no one can make their first post before reading the FAQs. :hmm:
 
#18
greenboy said:
Last time I underpowered my cabs I thank Jaweh that I read these forums in time to prevent damage! Now I never turn off my amp or put it in Standby! But it gets tricky transporting my gear to gigs that are far away, where the cabs are underpowered for sometimes a couple of hours of drive time.

I always expect to find they aren't working when I set them up onstage.
Click to expand...

I've found that you can take the grill off and do like a CPR move to keep the cones moving and alive.

I've bought an old ambulance and hired off duty nurses to pump on the cones during the trip to and from the gig.

It's worth it
:D
 
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