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underpowering cab?

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bass dan

bass dan

Feb 18, 2007
845
72
st. simons isl. GA
#1
i was just curious if im damaging my cab. im using a contra combo amp that is rated at 200w at 4 ohms and 300w at 2ohms. i use a wizzy m line cab as a extention, sometimes i disconnect the internal speaker and run the m line by itself, sometimes i use both. the wizzy is rated at 250w, i see people running 800w to 1000w heads into the mline with no problem. i have heard underpowering a speaker can do damage, is there truth to this, and if so an i doing damage only putting 150w to 200w into my cab. i dont play at loud volumes, mostly with acoustic musicians, sometimes use a g&l l2ooo and somtimes a upright pending the gig. everything sounds fine and seems ok was just curious if i should be thinking of a more powerful head to match with my mline. thanks.
 
#2
Search on the words "underpowering" and "overpowering". Seriously, there's a lot to read. The short answer is- if you are driving your cabs very very hard, be aware that you may be damaging them regardless of the respective wattage rating of the amp or the cab. If you are not using them so intensely, you will probably not be damaging anything- again, regardless of the wattage ratings (which are only a vague guideline anyway, not to be taken as hard data for either amps or cabs).
 
#7
A9X said:
Really? I once had my cab disconeected and it exploded.
Click to expand...

I had a new one blow up in the UPS truck before I ever got it. I called the company I ordered it from and they said as soon as they got a cab built that didn't burn up in their shipping department they would get it right out to me. But alas, I've been waiting for five years.

Thank god I always leave my big rig with the PLX3402 turned on and pumping CDs or pink noise at full power - I just hope it doesn't die in transit to a gig!
 
#8
There certainly is such a thing as "underpowering". I forgot to get new batteries for my girlfriend's favorite appliance one time, and the underpowering that resulted was a big disappointment for both of us.
 
#9
that is your girlfriends appliance.

cabinets are quite different. I have read studies and talked to some people who have conducted studies, they all concluded underpowering a cabinet is fine.

I currently run my cabinet (which has 800W rms) with 320W and it is fine
 
#10
bongomania said:
Search on the words "underpowering" and "overpowering". Seriously, there's a lot to read. The short answer is- if you are driving your cabs very very hard, be aware that you may be damaging them regardless of the respective wattage rating of the amp or the cab. If you are not using them so intensely, you will probably not be damaging anything- again, regardless of the wattage ratings (which are only a vague guideline anyway, not to be taken as hard data for either amps or cabs).
Click to expand...

+1! :cool: I couldn't have said it better myself!

Since this is another one of those topics that pop up every week, this thread is now closed.
 
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