"summing" the output of a combo amp to run a cab

  • Thread starter Thread starter amra
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No, the output impedance of the amplifier is much lower than the speaker load - it's going to be 1/10 or less of the speaker load. So if you just hook up the outputs of two amps, rather than the amps "seeing" a 4, or, 8, or 16-ohm load, they're going to be trying to drive a load that is < 1 ohm.
 
Zaphod B said:
No, the output impedance of the amplifier is much lower than the speaker load - it's going to be 1/10 or less of the speaker load. So if you just hook up the outputs of two amps, rather than the amps "seeing" a 4, or, 8, or 16-ohm load, they're going to be trying to drive a load that is < 1 ohm.
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And that's not to mention the question of what the external voltage swings applied to the secondaries of the output transformers are going to look like at the terminals of the primaries, but hey, if you're determined to find out for yourself why it won't work, go ahead on and try it. I wouldn't try it with any amps that you care about, though. Have a fire extinguisher handy, too.

Experience holds a dear school... ;^)
 
You guys are obviously alot smarter than me when it comes to this, so I will gladly take your word for it. I'll file it under "pipe dream" and not waste anymore thought on it.
 
I too can attest....absolutely dont do it! I tried that on my first guitar amps which was a small Crate 40 watt stereo combo and immediately heard a loud pop followed by smoke. Fortuneatly it only managed to kill one channel before I shut it down so I was still left with a 2x8 mono 20 watter but am at least glad the lesson got learned early on a cheap piece gear than later on a more expensive one.

Just rewire your cab for stereo so each speaker gets its own juice. Even if you could combine the channels I dont think 100watts mono into 2 12" speakers is going to give you any better results than seperately powering them stereo at 50 watts each. The only reason I can see you'd even want to do that is if you had only one single speaker to power between the two amp sides, but even in that case your better off just getting an extension cab instead because 2 12" speakers at 50 watts a piece will definately be louder than 100watts pushing a single speaker.
 
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