Pretty good way to distill this down to the basic idea minus the science, muso-talk, and jargon. All of which are, or can be good things in certain times, but sometimes a very basic description, put very simply, is great.
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What does 'Headroom' mean??
- Thread starter AllenBass7
- Start date
Pretty good way to distill this down to the basic idea minus the science, muso-talk, and jargon. All of which are, or can be good things in certain times, but sometimes a very basic description, put very simply, is great.
Headroom is available volume before there is noticeable distortion in the sound.
I prefer not to have very much, because I WANT to distort the amp.
I prefer not to have very much, because I WANT to distort the amp.
In my modern rock band I play lots of notes below low E, I get no PA support, and have to compete with a really loud drummer and guitarist. For some gigs, 700W is not enough -- I have to bridge my power amp to prevent it from clipping.
So in my case, Munjibunga is right: I've gotta start at 750W.
So in my case, Munjibunga is right: I've gotta start at 750W.
There is a lot of reasons for having headroom and high wattage power amps, just as there are reasons for not needing it.
I can see where guys like JimmyM use an SVT head with the 810 cab and don't need much power, and probably never even come close to maxing it out anyway.
I can also see the reasoning behind higher power as well. I have a Carvin BX1200 and sometimes run two homemade 210/6 cabs. They are very inefficient cabs (think Acme) and the amount of power I use isn't necessarily for volume alone.
An Ampeg fridge is more about lo-mids which don't require as much power as the deeper lows. In the case of Acme's or other inefficient cabs it can be more about producing deep bass. We all know lows consume the most amount of power so it is entirely understandable why someone might want gobs of power just to produce that, even if it isn't unbearably loud.
With regards to headroom, some like more of a compressed tone so depending on volume needs, one may get by with less power and push the amp to get that. Some might want that, but need more power to get the same result, but at a higher volume. Others may want it totally clean and may have more of a volume requirement, thus they want as much power on tap to always get that clean tone regardless of how loud they may get. Having a lot of power doesn't mean it's always used.
The need for power or headroom isn't as black and white as it may seem on the surface and it isn't always about being loud.
I can see where guys like JimmyM use an SVT head with the 810 cab and don't need much power, and probably never even come close to maxing it out anyway.
I can also see the reasoning behind higher power as well. I have a Carvin BX1200 and sometimes run two homemade 210/6 cabs. They are very inefficient cabs (think Acme) and the amount of power I use isn't necessarily for volume alone.
An Ampeg fridge is more about lo-mids which don't require as much power as the deeper lows. In the case of Acme's or other inefficient cabs it can be more about producing deep bass. We all know lows consume the most amount of power so it is entirely understandable why someone might want gobs of power just to produce that, even if it isn't unbearably loud.
With regards to headroom, some like more of a compressed tone so depending on volume needs, one may get by with less power and push the amp to get that. Some might want that, but need more power to get the same result, but at a higher volume. Others may want it totally clean and may have more of a volume requirement, thus they want as much power on tap to always get that clean tone regardless of how loud they may get. Having a lot of power doesn't mean it's always used.
The need for power or headroom isn't as black and white as it may seem on the surface and it isn't always about being loud.
I was just having a discussion of headroom in regards to amps wattage vs speaker cabs....Do you want a speaker cab that can take, let's say, 500 watts, even though the amp may be 400? The person i was talking to said it the other way around. That leads to blown speakers in my experience, though
Bob Lee (QSC)
In case you missed it, I work for QSC Audio!
- Jul 3, 2001
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Loudspeakers blow when you try to do too much with too little. It's not a consequence of a ratio of amp power rating spec to loudspeaker power handling spec.
Bob Lee (QSC)
In case you missed it, I work for QSC Audio!
- Jul 3, 2001
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- 2,036
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- Disclosures
- Former Technical Communications Developer, QSC Audio
If you try to do too much SPL, too much bass, et al, with not enough loudspeaker (too small, too little power handling, insufficient cabinet, et al), you will be likely to push the loudspeaker(s) beyond what it/they can handle.
Headroom is the space between your lap and the steering wheel. To increase it you adjust the height of the steering wheel.
When diddling at home I use a Univalve with half power switch on and the power brake.
I use a cab with G12H speakers.
People call this a guitar amp but it can sound a lot many bands who used Marshall bass amps with the same speakers.
A fact of audio life is you spend a lot of time listening to the first watt.
BurningSkies
CRAZY BALDHEAD
- Feb 20, 2005
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Similar to others here, I'm often dependent upon my rig for house sound, or if on a big stage with good sound, I'm still expected to have a significant volume. It also needs to be clean, clear and somewhat 'authoritative'
As such, my solution is to carry fairly big cabs with fairly long speaker excursion. That means they push a lot of air, AKA can create loud volume down low. I carry enough amp power to give me what amounts to the utmost 'headroom' available from standard wall current. This added to speakers that give you fairly extreme mechanical 'headroom' gives me the possibility for the cleanest, clearest tone at a fairly loud volume.
My amp can produce power that exceeds the thermal and excursion limits of my speakers, but this is not a problem because I LISTEN to hear when there are signs of strain on my speakers and I adjust as needed.
As such, my solution is to carry fairly big cabs with fairly long speaker excursion. That means they push a lot of air, AKA can create loud volume down low. I carry enough amp power to give me what amounts to the utmost 'headroom' available from standard wall current. This added to speakers that give you fairly extreme mechanical 'headroom' gives me the possibility for the cleanest, clearest tone at a fairly loud volume.
My amp can produce power that exceeds the thermal and excursion limits of my speakers, but this is not a problem because I LISTEN to hear when there are signs of strain on my speakers and I adjust as needed.
- Mar 22, 2000
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From my three part FAQ on Learn How to Play Your Amp at Invalid Link Removed
I thought this visual demonstrated the consequences of trying to get more volume from an amp than it was capable, so I had to make this artwork; when the sound goes splat:
IMHO (within reason) you can never have too much power. Insufficient headroom can also affect tone, and Life is Too Short for Bad Tone.
I thought this visual demonstrated the consequences of trying to get more volume from an amp than it was capable, so I had to make this artwork; when the sound goes splat:
IMHO (within reason) you can never have too much power. Insufficient headroom can also affect tone, and Life is Too Short for Bad Tone.
