Power amp questions

[billfitzmaurice]

I would call them 10" subwoofers rather than speakers.

only they do crisp mids and highs as well.

What allows a driver to operate as a sub kills midrange and high frequency response, so if they do have good mids and highs they most definitely are not subwoofers. One can only speculate without seeing them, but the magnet weight and other factors suggest they have response along the lines of these:
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Typical of low Qts (0.19) drivers the midrange is very strong, but as can be seen in the SPL chart response drops off below 200 Hz, so they are very power hungry. A 300 watt amp won't cut it.

 

[GearHeadBassMan]

yeah, what I meant to say is that they hit lows like a sub but they are still full range.

anyway, this thread has been derailed. Bill has WAAAAAY more speaker chi than I do. But yeah, what he said!
Anyway, from the horses mouth:
(talking about basson's 210)
"The cabinet needs a minimum of 350W into it. The drivers feature 200oz magnets and need the power to move the coils. The difference is you will get those 28Hz lows!


Basson Sound"

 

[koobie]

The Basson site states the 810 needs a minimum of 1500 watts at 4 ohms.

I'm selling my Crest CA9 power amp for $475 shipped (ad is going up here shortly). It puts out 2000 watts at 4 ohms, both channels bridged into mono. But I've got a feeling you won't be needing all that power.

I'm not familiar enough with the SVT2 to know if you can just use it as a preamp or if you need to use a load for the built in amp. If you need to use the internal amp, just power another smaller cabinet and aim it at the drummer.

Problem solved.

 

[Varkatzas]

We traded the SVT-2 for an SVT-6/some other stuff, and it sounds 500 times better.

 

[Grooveman1961]

I must respectfully disagree with you on this point again. All Watts are not created equal. If we were only driving resistors I agree but as soon as you start driving speakers the whole game changes. Speakers are not nice 8 or 4 Ohm loads like a resistor (which all amplifiers are rated into). If the amplifier has a soft supply, like most tube amps and one solid state amp does, it will be much louder into a speaker than an amplifier with a hard supply. Soft supplies make solid state amplifiers more expensive because they require output transistors with much higher voltage capability so you don’t see them built this way very often.

Very interesting...

Is this because soft supplies are higher voltage initially, but quickly sag under constant loading, but offering higher power during transients?

and are you comparing supplies with similar no load rail voltages? I'm thinking no, that the soft supply is higher and droops...yes, no?

Which solid state amp has a soft supply like this?

 

[BassmanPaul]

I must respectfully disagree with you on this point again. All Watts are not created equal. If we were only driving resistors I agree but as soon as you start driving speakers the whole game changes. Speakers are not nice 8 or 4 Ohm loads like a resistor (which all amplifiers are rated into). If the amplifier has a soft supply, like most tube amps and one solid state amp does, it will be much louder into a speaker than an amplifier with a hard supply. Soft supplies make solid state amplifiers more expensive because they require output transistors with much higher voltage capability so you don’t see them built this way very often.

You are allowed to disagree. I still say that a watt is a watt. However what do I know? I'm only the bass player!

Paul

 

[billfitzmaurice]

I still say that a watt is a watt.

Of course it is, otherwise it would be a pretty worthless method of measuring power. But what a watt doesn't measure is sound levels, and what sound levels an amp can produce involves far more than its power rating. Those who don't understand that fact constantly resurrect the topic, wasting the time of all involved.

 

[seamonkey]

I'm not buying this soft versus hard power supply stuff.
Test equipment is more accurate and cheaper than ever, yet no manufacturer can produce any measurements that actually backup the claims.
A watt, measured at the speaker, is a watt.
A real watt is what is drawn from the power outlet to what actually makes it out to sound pressure levels.