Cabs: total speaker wattage formulas?

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xnfx

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Can anyone explain to me how you go about figuring the total wattage of a speaker cab, when wire in either series or parallel? I always thought that you just add them all up no matter what. But i just read something about multiplying the lowest wattage speaker by the number of speakers if it's in series? What wiring do most manufacturers like Mesa, Marshall, Fender, Bogner etc use? And, how can you tell which method is used?

Thanks!
 
I have seen both ways. Typically a 4X12" cab will be wired in series parallel. (8 + 8 series = 16) / 2 in parallel = 8. Some Marshall cabs have a switch to change resistance. I suggest you look to see how it is done.
 
Does this help

2-speaker-wiring-diagram.gif
 
Thanks guys, cool diagram by the way.
I understand about cab/speaker load. Just wondering about the speaker wattage thing. Like if I mismatched a vintage 30 (60watts) and a greenback (25watts) in a 2x12 cab, then total cab handling power would be only 50watts if you multiply the lowest speaker wattage by the number of speakers. So I was thinking for a 2x12 cab, the lowest wattage speaker you could use with a 100watt amp, would be 50watts?
 
I had it explained to me that it is because the output power will be split evenly between the speakers. The power rating of the speakers is not changed, you just need to understand that you have to figure out the how much power you are sending them so you don't blow a speaker.

If you have a matched pair of 60W speakers in a 2x12, then you can run a 100W amp full out. Each speaker sees 50W, maybe a little more when you peg it.

If you have a 30W and 60W speaker in the same cab and you run a 100W amp full out, then you are pushing 50W into a 30W speaker and you might blow the 30W speaker. The 60W speaker will be fine.

So you take the lowest power rated speaker times the total number of speakers in the cab and that gives you the max power you can offer that cab and be safe.

Hope that makes sense.
 
quote "If you have a 30W and 60W speaker in the same cab and you run a 100W amp full out, then you are pushing 50W into a 30W speaker and you might blow the 30W speaker. The 60W speaker will be fine."

Until the 30 watt speaker blows then the 60 will be on its own with a hundred going into it.
 
I'm new to the musician world, so please excuse me.

So if I have a 150w head and a 4x12 cabinet loaded with V30's (60w each?) that is a total of...(The smell of wires burning)...240w. I'm ok!

Is there such a thing as under powering speakers? Lets say a 150w head with a 4x12 cabinet loaded with spanking new Evm-12L Black Label speakers (300w each) a total of 1200W! But that would mean each speaker is getting 37.5w in a 300w speaker, is that enough?

Oh! another thing just from what I read. Your total speaker wattages should be double what your amplifier can put out. Well if its a tube amp since they are capable of doubling there output(?) But! thats just what I read. So is that true, the x2 of output?

-Matt-
 
Under-powering speakers is more a concern with PA, hi-fi applications etc where solid state amps are used. When a SS power amp is driven to clipping it creates square-wave distortion which not only sounds like *** but it is harmful to speakers. You can easily blow a 1000W speaker with one watt if you are trying to make the speaker reproduce a sound it cant (square wave). In these applications its actually better to have as much (or more) power than the speaker is rated for, as the amps have more headroom and most PA type speakers can handle double their rated power in short bursts as long as the signal is "clean".

Where tube-type guitar amps are concerned, you WANT the amp to clip...thats the overdriven sound we all love. Tubes have a much softer clip than SS amps, and guitar speakers are designed to handle it. Lower wattage guitar speakers tend to break up at lower vol's (some like this sound, for blues, rock etc) High-power speakers stay tighter, typically have deeper bass, and better definition (some people say this makes them sterile-sounding). Since the amp is driven to clipping (even soft clip), you want spk's that can hold more power than the amp is rated, so you dont blow them.

Amps (tube or SS) are usually rated at max power at the onset of clipping...so your 100-watt guitar head is easily capable of 150 or even 200W when overdriven.
 
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