Re: Ouch....
sonusman said:
Tim, you are on the right track here, except that the input sensitivity on the amp is changed when the volume control on the amp is turned, and this is not a good thing.
With your method there, the amp is actually more apt to create clipping at the input, which is the leading cause of blowing out speakers.
An amp that is 150% of the RMS at full volume is the best way to go. This is coming from a guy who has yet to blow a single PA speaker in over 14 years of live sound.....
Now JamesHE. How many times you gotta hear it from me? Buy cheap, but twice.
By a damn Hafler P-3000 and be done with it. Mine has stayed turned on 24/7 for most of the 3 1/2 years I have had it and it works perfectly.
You will be hard pressed to find a better sounding amp. Buy any other at your own risk.
Ed
Hi Ed,
Well-I haven't blown a single speaker since I started doing this.
I learned that one from a Guy who ran sound for
YES during the 80's.
At that time, when most local bands were playing out their rig Generally consisted of a pair of 15" Scoops, a pair of 15" Perkins bins on top (hornloaded 15" 90x45's) and a 1" Horn. For power they would be running a pair of
CS800's to drive all of it. The systems never sounded worth a crap, and that was what inspired me t learn about Live Audio.
Later I found out it was because everything was underpowered, because I used one of these systems with twice the power, and it sounded great...
By setting the Amps inputs at half volume-you've essentially backed the Amp's sensitivity off 10 db's allowing for peaks.(But you know this already)
The other option is to set the gain on the Amp at full volume and control the sensitivity via the crossover.
My whole problem with the Hafler's has been that they are low power (You have to remember that I have a 5K mains / 2K Monitors rig )
My only gripe is that when I bought these Community speakers (CSX series) everyone said-Oh they're plywood, not particleboard! Even one of the guys who worked there thought they were plywood! WRONG!
The subs (4x15" 1,600 watt peak @ 4 ohms) are Particleboard-which means the things weigh in around 200 lbs. each-not too much fun for 1 guy to lug around!
(The bitch is getting them into the Van by myself!)
That's the first time I've ever seen a speaker that was rated for
0.8 ohms! I was going to have a set of boxes built that I thought I would be able to wire at 8 ohms...there went THOSE plans! Hahahahaha
Tim
) Now I just have to paint enough houses to afford 'em! 
...that's all I was trying to say.