amp for Event 20/20's??

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mutt

mutt

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I just ordered a pair of Event 20/20's (which took a big chunk out of my monitor setup budget). What size (power) amp would be good for those? Would a Yamaha P2201 - 220w@8ohm, 325w@4ohm, be okay or too much? Would it work if I kept it turned down or would it be a risk to damage the Events??

I'm so confused. :eek:

mutt
 
Could someone explain the correlation between amp power and the power ratings given on speakers in general?
 
Power ratings on either piece of equipment are aimed at the edge of destruction of the equipment or signal. Stay on the friendly side and you'll be OK. Simple enough, eh?
All things the same you're asking for trouble if you're maxing your amp AND overdriving your pres. As long as the composite is less than the components' max you're alright.
 
Uh, Doc, I lost you on that one.
So, would the Yamaha amp I mentioned (325 w @ 4ohm) be okay with the Events or too much?

mutt
 
Hey mutt, you will be fine with that amp.

What doc was saying is that you don't want to push the input of the amp much, lest it really fry your nice shiney new Events.

This does not mean that you shouldn't turn the amp up, you should. Just make sure the signal getting to the amp does not clip the input of the amp.

Ed
 
Thanks Ed

How do I guard against clipping the signal to the amp?

mutt
 
Just make sure you are not clipping the input of it. If so, you need to turn the volume control from your mixer down a bit.

On my Soundcraft Ghost, I have a volume control for the Control Room level that goes to the amp. I keep my Hafler P-3000 turned up all the way (which is way too much power for the Events), but keep the Control Room volume down. This allows the amp to work properly.

I have always said, although this topic has not come up for some time on here, that you can have an amp rated at 150% off the power your speakers can handle. Speakers are conservativly rated, and amps tend to be liberally rated. Meaning, speakers can handle more power then they say, and amps don't deliver what they say they will. So, you can "overpower" a speaker by 50% IF don't clip the input of the amp. Clipping the input of the amp CAN cause the amp to output up to 5 times it's rated power. On a 100 watts amp, clipping the input would COULD create up to 500 watts at the output.

Turning down the input of the amp only makes matters worse. It not only decreases the input sensitivity, which is not disired, but makes it MORE sensitive to clipping. Weird eh?

So, turn the amp up, but back off the Control Room volume from your mixer. This will keep the amp running hot, which is what you want because the speakers will respond well to it, but will also assure that you don't clip it's input.

Ed
 
Amps usually specify peak power, when what you usually get is rms power. Amps rarely run at there peak, although it is possible to experience peaks as high as the peak rating.

Also, check the specs on the amp, since it will run at different power levels depending on the impedence of the speakers. My Carvin 1000w runs at 220w per side at 8ohms. It doesn't really run at 500watts per channel unless you are using 2 ohm speakers, or unless you mono brige the amp and run with a 4 ohm load.

Both of these factors contribute to the power of the amp being seemingly less than the advertised power.
 
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