Setting Amplifier Gain

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You kill speakers more often with less, or not enough power.
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There's truth to this as well. Bear with me for a moment if you please. :)

Let's presume that an amp has no inherent limiting or clip protection. In this scenario, pushing the input signal too hard could result in a clipped signal being sent to the speaker systems. Yup, a clipped signal can overheat a voice coil.

This is why I advocate a headroom-heavy system with the proper tools for the job. You can always turn it down. If your system isn't large enough to handle the job, the temptation to push it too hard is greater. If the amp you're using has no limiting or clip protection you could fry voice coils. This is why it's so important to have big, beefy amps and know your system's abilities and limitations.

Remember, you can only get so much sound pressure from a given speaker system. Feeding it with more amp power or pushing the gain isn't going to cause it to produce more sound than it was designed to produce. :)
 
Actually Wes, Fred is correct (in a way) and so are you (in a way) by the way what you posted is not an article it is an opinion by someone who apparently read a book once!

Too little power combined with an idiot at the board will blow a speaker in a New York minute which is a lot faster than having too much clean power. But both will blow a speaker with the same idiot behind the console.

An amp with too little power for the speaker pushed too far into clipping will produce a square wave instead of a Sine wave. The result of this is the power will peak even on a low power amp at a much higher level, the square wave doesn't push the excrusion of the voice coil far enough for the pole to breath properly and with the increased current quickly heats up and either burns or distorts the voice coil.

I can take a 200 watt amp and push it into clip for ten minute and set fire to a 750 watt (program) speakers voice coil. In comparrision I can take a speaker that is 150 watts (program) and blow it completely loose from it's suspension without even heating up the voice coil using a bridged amp capable of 2000 watts at 8ohms.

The above are experiments I have actually done because of arguments on this very subject.

So yes a distorted signal can and will damage a speaker!
 
Thank you Thunder.

To JK,
I'm not gonna argue about this.
I've been running my tri-amped rig for going on 4 years now.
And have had 0 ZERO speaker failures.

Hi's recieve 225 watts @ 8 ohms
Mid's Are underpowered, 600 watts @ 8 ohms
And Subs are fed 1800 watts apiece @ 4 ohms.

People comment on the nice clean sound all the time.

I will be doing some upgrading very shortly, The mid's are gonna be getting about 800 @ 8 ohms
And the subs will be getting 2,000 + Not much of a jump it seems, but switching to a big 3 rack space, heavy as hell, Real sub amp. a Qsc Rmx 5050.
Hopefully i don't wreck all of my speakers :sqlaugh::sqlaugh:
 
Precisionpower said:
I will be doing some upgrading very shortly, The mid's are gonna be getting about 800 @ 8 ohms
And the subs will be getting 2,000 + Not much of a jump it seems, but switching to a big 3 rack space, heavy as hell, Real sub amp. a Qsc Rmx 5050.
Hopefully i don't wreck all of my speakers :sqlaugh::sqlaugh:
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You won't hurt your speakers but you will get a little more headroom! :sqwink::sqbiggrin:
 
See what the 0db output level is on your mixer and the input level is for the EX system and match them.

Personally I would setup the mixer/players to go +4 to +6 and then bring the gain of the EX system up until you just barely hit the clip light (on the amp) at +6 on the mixer.
 
Precisionpower said:
Thank you Thunder.

To JK,
I'm not gonna argue about this.
I've been running my tri-amped rig for going on 4 years now.
And have had 0 ZERO speaker failures.

Hi's recieve 225 watts @ 8 ohms
Mid's Are underpowered, 600 watts @ 8 ohms
And Subs are fed 1800 watts apiece @ 4 ohms.

People comment on the nice clean sound all the time.

I will be doing some upgrading very shortly, The mid's are gonna be getting about 800 @ 8 ohms
And the subs will be getting 2,000 + Not much of a jump it seems, but switching to a big 3 rack space, heavy as hell, Real sub amp. a Qsc Rmx 5050.
Hopefully i don't wreck all of my speakers :sqlaugh::sqlaugh:
Click to expand...

I'm on the same boat as you are and have not had a problem. Having enough headroom really makes a difference. One also has to remember that when the clip light start flickering you're at 1/8 power, heavy clipping is 1/3 power so this is where headroom comes in when making your calculations. I get very nice sound from my system without having to push it at all.
 
Precisionpower said:
I've been running my tri-amped rig for going on 4 years now.
And have had 0 ZERO speaker failures.
Click to expand...
Amen to that! :)

A bit off the original topic but I've got to agree with this statement. Running full range (using internal or passive crossovers) is OKfine if that's what turns yas on. But I'll say this: Once you start bi- or tri-amping you'll never go back to full range sound. And it's unlikely that you'll be replacing blown drivers.

It's a very efficient way to run sound. :)
 
Thunder said:
You won't hurt your speakers but you will get a little more headroom! :sqwink::sqbiggrin:
Click to expand...

I know that Thunder.... Thats why i was laughing.

The mid amp's are at the clip light a bit too early compared to everything else.

So more headroom will be nice.
 
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