Markbass 104HR cab 8 ohm. Need a head for full potential do I have to use an 800 watt cab or is there a better option (bang for the buck) in Markbass gear?
And...go!
And...go!
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Markbass Question Redux.
- Thread starter pickettj
- Start date
Well, the cab is rated at 800w before it melts down, so theoretically 800w will give you the max potential. But, don't put all that through it. It'll run out of excursion first. However, an 800w head will give you plenty of headroom with the volume at a reasonable level. Or, you can play a 500w head through and not worry so much. Or less. Depends on how loud you must be, or want to be.
Well with my current setup I'm pushing 200-250 watts (the GC guy had no idea) at 2 Ohms into an 8 ohm cab. I also have 300 watts going in to 2-10's at the same time since I'm hooked in to a combo cab. This setup makes me nervous so I would really rather just unhook the 104 from the acoustic cab and buy a head to power the 104 alone. As far as volume, the acoustic b450 was gobs plenty for practice. It also worked well for the very small (75 person occupancy) bar we played but the cab is nearing it's limits and occasionally "farting" in this setting.
I think I would be satisfied with 500w but for that I would have to get the little mark 800, the LM tube 800, or similar since the 800 is only 800 at 4 ohms and 500 at the 8 ohms that the cab is. As I've said in the past, I really don't think I will ever need another 104 to stack on this one but whether I ever get one is to be seen.
The 410 is pretty darned efficient with 103 dB @ 1W/1m, so it will be loud for the power you put into it. Frankly I doubt it would ever stand up to a real 800 watts- that's a thermal limit and the speaker will fart out long before that.
If you can swing the Markbass that puts out 500 @ 4 ohms, like you mentioned, I think that would be enough power for almost anything. However, even a LM III or something more in the 300 W @ 8 ohms range is going to be really loud when you turn it up, maybe even loud enough to drive that cabinet to farting if you boost the bass a lot. So I wouldn't worry about having to dump the maximum amount of power into it, it's going to be very loud if that 103 dB sensitivity rating is to be believed.
If you can swing the Markbass that puts out 500 @ 4 ohms, like you mentioned, I think that would be enough power for almost anything. However, even a LM III or something more in the 300 W @ 8 ohms range is going to be really loud when you turn it up, maybe even loud enough to drive that cabinet to farting if you boost the bass a lot. So I wouldn't worry about having to dump the maximum amount of power into it, it's going to be very loud if that 103 dB sensitivity rating is to be believed.
And this is why I come here. The whole 103 dB thing still doesn't make any sense to me. I figured that since to a laymen a 1:1 cab:head relationship as far as wattage goes makes sense, it was probably wrong. I think the LM 800 pushes near 500w @ 8 ohms. I think it's probably a good choice. If I ever expand, it'll be all it can be at 800w for the 8x10's.
bongomania
Commercial User
If you will expand into 2 x 8 ohm cabs get the bigger amp if you really need to be that loud. However you can barely if at all hear the difference between 500 and 800. The rule of acoustics is that it takes 10x the electrical power to sound twice as loud to your ear. 800 watts just gets you a little more internal headroom before clipping.
The 103dB sensitivity means that with one watt input the cab produces 103 dB output measured at one meter away. This spec is necessary to be able to compare cabs. A cab that is twice as efficient. ( +3dB). Is like having a much larger amp.
The 103dB sensitivity means that with one watt input the cab produces 103 dB output measured at one meter away. This spec is necessary to be able to compare cabs. A cab that is twice as efficient. ( +3dB). Is like having a much larger amp.
I am running an acoustic b450 combo amp and added the 104HR as an extension. The b450 is 4 ohms (I think) and from what I was told it drops to 2 when another cab is attached. It should be 300X2 but that's at 2 ohms. I was given the impression that the wattage would drop since I was running in to an 8 ohm cab. My head is spinning so I hope I explained that correctly.
Kinda funny, guy at GC said 6X. Just goes to show, they only know that they get a commission, the rest of it they just make up as they go along! Ha!
I shouldn't ever need to fill a non-PA'ed coliseum or amphitheater so more than 4x10 would just be cosmetic. And I must say, if I ever played an amphitheater or coliseum, I would HAVE to get the second cab. Who WOULDN'T show off?!?!
bongomania
Commercial User
Ok I think I understand what you're saying: you have a 4 ohm cab and an 8 ohm cab; together they are a 2.67 ohm load; the one wattage amount the amp nominally delivers at 2 ohms is divided 1/3 into the 8 ohm cab, and 2/3 into the 4 ohm cab.
I think I found my amp. I found a Markbass SD800 used for a pretty good price (less than $400). It should deliver near the 500w I'm looking for at 8 ohms. It's 750 @ 4 and 450 @ 8.
I owned a 8 ohm 104 HF, rated 800 watts, and used it with a SA450, 300 watts output at 8 ohms. Plenty of volume and more than capable of pushing those little yellow pistons beyond their limits, excursion-wise (unwanted distorsions, farting). Since the cab was new, I let Markbass change under warranty all 4 speakers because I, erroneously, was thinking about a defective one but even with brand new drivers the "problem" was still there.
Premise: stellar customer service in Italy, they picked up the cab from my home and after 3-4 days the cab was delivered again to my door, using a specialized courier, and for FREE.
End of the tale: 300 watts do not fry the cab, but can make those pistonic woofers go beyond their mechanical limit. More so if you use a lot of bass from the EQ.
Use your ears, and everything will go the right way.
Premise: stellar customer service in Italy, they picked up the cab from my home and after 3-4 days the cab was delivered again to my door, using a specialized courier, and for FREE.
End of the tale: 300 watts do not fry the cab, but can make those pistonic woofers go beyond their mechanical limit. More so if you use a lot of bass from the EQ.
Use your ears, and everything will go the right way.
