Stupid question about wattage...

  • I guess I should know this... but I don't, hehe, I'm sure someone amongst the froum members must have some answers for me :D :


    1) Can a cabinet handle more power than the specified wattage?


    2) Is the power specified in a linear amp equivalent to the specified in a valve amp?


    I have an unpowered toaster which I upgraded to 'powered' with a nice 180w camplifier, and though it's enough power for me, I kinda expected it to be more powerful; I mean, my 100w JCM800 blows it away hands down (in terms of power), and theoretically it has 80w less than the camplifier... I'm obviously getting this wrong..., this is why I suspect the two wattages aren't in the same ballpark, so to speak.


    The point is, I've been offered a 2nd handed palmer 1x12" cab, which is 8Ω, 60w. I actually need one, for those small gigs where I don't want to take my 4x12" cab, but I'm not sure if I'd blow away the V30 speaker with the 180watts in the camplifier...


    Anyone with a similar experience? Any thoughts?



    Thanks everyone! ^^

  • Loads of people will give you better info technically but this is my understanding:


    Firstly its not always the same comparison, is it peak or RMS power outputs
    Secondly a SS will give linear clean power whereas a jcm 800 will go zero, massive jump in volume, increase until around 3 or 4 then just add more gain, not necessarily volume...so they have very different characteristics


    It depends what load you put on the speaker - I have a palmer with the camper plus diy kit. I think the speaker is rated at 230 watts which I I driving with the built in 600 watt amp. Theoretically I could blow it but I'd burst my eardrums way before that! You can run a larger amp into a lower watt speaker as long as you don't max out the volume/run it too hard..

  • A speaker can handle peak powers, up to 4 times the rated RMS power. But You'll have to limit your amps very carefully if you'll do that: by no means your RMS power may rise above the rated speakers RMS power! So in effect this is a rule which is practiced by professional sound engineers in larger PA systems...


    The tube vs solid state amp explanation explains some of the above: a tube or solid state RMS watt is exactly the same thing. but: a solid state amp cuts off your signal immideatly after that, resulting in a very unpleasant distortion. So when using a solid state amp, that 100W RMS power will be used as peak power, and by no means we allow it to distort. As a result, the outputted long term RMS power is more like 25W.


    A tube amp starts to compress and distort in a very musical way after that. Because of that we guitarists like the sound of a tube amp, and drive it into distortion, right up to the point that the long term average power outputted by that 100W tube circuit is indeed 100W. (By then every little wrong move of your fingers will be heard as loud as the notes you played on purpose...)

  • A speaker can handle peak powers, up to 4 times the rated RMS power. But You'll have to limit your amps very carefully if you'll do that: by no means your RMS power may rise above the rated speakers RMS power! So in effect this is a rule which is practiced by professional sound engineers in larger PA systems...


    The tube vs solid state amp explanation explains some of the above: a tube or solid state RMS watt is exactly the same thing. but: a solid state amp cuts off your signal immideatly after that, resulting in a very unpleasant distortion. So when using a solid state amp, that 100W RMS power will be used as peak power, and by no means we allow it to distort. As a result, the outputted long term RMS power is more like 25W.


    A tube amp starts to compress and distort in a very musical way after that. Because of that we guitarists like the sound of a tube amp, and drive it into distortion, right up to the point that the long term average power outputted by that 100W tube circuit is indeed 100W. (By then every little wrong move of your fingers will be heard as loud as the notes you played on purpose...)

    Thank you, jpoelmans, very interesting! So, in your opinion, the 180w of the camplifier might be OK with the 60w cab in a normal situation, right?

  • The problem is certainly somewhat more complex in detail and the question is not stupid
    We used to have a practical approach. The amp should not have more than about 1.4 to 1.6 times RMS power as the power rating of your box.


    With a 60 Watt speaker the ratio to amp power seems not so optimal. Without a limiter you risk a damage.
    But it doesn't mean than you have to turn on the amp fully . Most of the time your ears can decide.
    I think your camplifire is a solid state amp, so you can and will not use the amp distortion.

  • Thank you, jpoelmans, very interesting! So, in your opinion, the 180w of the camplifier might be OK with the 60w cab in a normal situation, right?

    I said that in that case you'll need a good limiter, and last time I checked neither the kemper or the camplifier has one ;) Without a limiter, one wrong feedback squeel and gone is your driver...