Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Watts question
- Thread starter GeezerB
- Start date
Well, it’s not really about “watts” when it comes to comparison between cabs, but sensitivity. Since you have a “custom made” 2x12, there really is no telling.
TL;DR: Using the 3 cabs together with a lot of power will make you deaf and probably kill the cabs in the process. It likely won’t sound great either...
Longer:
Given what you have described, the 2 1x15 cabs will receive 1/2 the output power, and the 2x12 will receive the other 1/2. So each speaker will receive 1/4 of the output power (4 8 Ohms speakers in parallel produces a 2 ohm load). There is no way they can take the total max output of the 8 pro, even all together. Honestly, you’d be deaf far before you reached that power output; it would be stupid loud and then immediately after the cabs would fry...
In any case, cabinet sensitivity is the important thing here. The pf115he’s they are each 99db @1watt @1meter, so given the same power applied, they will produce equal volume. That said though, the net effect will be, at best, a volume increase of 6db (about 1/2 again as loud) by using the two together (+3db for the extra speaker area and, at best, +3db for doubling the power due to the reduced impedance).
Your custom 2x12 is the wild card; there is no telling how sensitive it is compared to the other cabs without controlled testing. It could be louder, or not.
Also, there is no telling if the 15s and 12s will sound good together. Often, mixing different cabs will produce a less than desirable result. YMMV
TL;DR: Using the 3 cabs together with a lot of power will make you deaf and probably kill the cabs in the process. It likely won’t sound great either...
Longer:
Given what you have described, the 2 1x15 cabs will receive 1/2 the output power, and the 2x12 will receive the other 1/2. So each speaker will receive 1/4 of the output power (4 8 Ohms speakers in parallel produces a 2 ohm load). There is no way they can take the total max output of the 8 pro, even all together. Honestly, you’d be deaf far before you reached that power output; it would be stupid loud and then immediately after the cabs would fry...
In any case, cabinet sensitivity is the important thing here. The pf115he’s they are each 99db @1watt @1meter, so given the same power applied, they will produce equal volume. That said though, the net effect will be, at best, a volume increase of 6db (about 1/2 again as loud) by using the two together (+3db for the extra speaker area and, at best, +3db for doubling the power due to the reduced impedance).
Your custom 2x12 is the wild card; there is no telling how sensitive it is compared to the other cabs without controlled testing. It could be louder, or not.
Also, there is no telling if the 15s and 12s will sound good together. Often, mixing different cabs will produce a less than desirable result. YMMV
