HD-500 Full Power

[Stingray 4 Nut]

My EBMM HD-500 is rated 500w at 4ohms. My HD-410 is rated 700w and has 8ohms of impedance. The HD-212 is 600w and 8ohms. Does it means that I will only get the full 500w of the HD-500 if I connect 2 8ohm cabinets? If I connect only one 8ohms cabinet it will work at 250w?

 

[five7]

yes

 

[Stingray 4 Nut]

Thanks. So it leads me to another question. If I connect two cabinets, it will be 4 ohms and the HD-500 will deliver 500w of power. Is it 250w for each cabinet? Or it will be 500w for each cabinet? I ask this because if the answer is 250w each, so why are the cabinets 700 and 600w? I will never reach that power with the HD-500. It doesn´t make too much sense to me...

 

[1kinal]

a cabinet can only handle volume, not put out. So your cab can take up to 600 or 700 watts.

Your head puts out 500 watts when the total load of your cabs is 4 ohms ( 2 8ohms cabinets) so yes each cab will receive about 250 watts each...

So in short you're fine with this setup. Head puts out 500 watts in cabinets that can handle up to 600 watts each. No problem there...

 

[shakinbacon]

Thanks. So it leads me to another question. If I connect two cabinets, it will be 4 ohms and the HD-500 will deliver 500w of power. Is it 250w for each cabinet? Or it will be 500w for each cabinet? I ask this because if the answer is 250w each, so why are the cabinets 700 and 600w? I will never reach that power with the HD-500. It doesn´t make too much sense to me...

It depends on the impedance on the cabinets. Assuming they are both 8 ohms the power will be 50/50 between the cabinets. The power rating of a cab tells how much the cab can handle before it overheats, distorts or something else bad happens. Thus, both cabs can be 8ohms and have different power handling capability. Since you're only sending 250W into each cab with a minimum of 600w power handling, there shouldn't be an issue. However, if you push the 250W you might get distortion and too much power to the tweeters (assuming there are any).

 

[Stingray 4 Nut]

Thanks for the answers. So if the amp sends 250w each when the two 8ohms cabinets are connected and still sends 250w if one is connected, WHY Music man builded those cabs with 600 and 700w capacity each. The Cabinets will NEVER reach those volume with the HD-500. One will need a Amp capable of delivering 600w at 8 ohms to use the capacity of one of the cabinets, am I right? Or an amp with 1000w at 4ohms to deliver 500w to each of the cabinets when the two are connected, to use almost all the cabinets capacity.

 

[MrMusashi]

who says you have to use that amp with those cabinets?

i prefer to have some margin to operate in...

MrM

 

[Stingray 4 Nut]

I like to have a margin too, but the double!? I am not complaining, just trying to confirm what seems to me a useless capacity (is that right in english?).

 

[bovinehost]

The speedometer in my Toyota Highlander goes up to 140 mph.

 

[oli@bass]

Is the rating for the HD-500 for peak power or sustained power. If it is for sustained, then peak could be much higher.

 

[Stingray 4 Nut]

The speedometer in my Toyota Highlander goes up to 140 mph.

So although your Toyota can not reach 140mph (unless you move to Germany), it can go beyond most speed limits. The HD-500 can not go beyond the cabinets capacities. It can´t even reach half of it by the specs.

Is the rating for the HD-500 for peak power or sustained power. If it is for sustained, then peak could be much higher.

I checked the manual and web site and could not find this info. Maybe someone from Ernie Ball or Markbass can clarify.

 

[maddog]

Why does moving his Toyota to Germany change his engine redline?

It all comes down to design choices. Given the cost of output devices, power transformers, form factor and other variables the designer came up with 500W capable power for the head. On the cabinet, the drivers available to the designer at the desired cost had a higher power capability. Such is life.

Who says the extra capacity is useless? You want a cabinet that can handle transients.

Play more, think less.

 

[Stingray 4 Nut]

Why does moving his Toyota to Germany change his engine redline?

It all comes down to design choices. Given the cost of output devices, power transformers, form factor and other variables the designer came up with 500W capable power for the head. On the cabinet, the drivers available to the designer at the desired cost had a higher power capability. Such is life.

Who says the extra capacity is useless? You want a cabinet that can handle transients.

Play more, think less.

First, in Germany there is no speed limit in some roads. So you can get full speed with the Toyota.

Second, that is a good explanation.

Third, don´t you have any curiosity to know more about your equipment? I do! I like to learn. That is why I opened the topic.

 

[Aussie Mark]

First, in Germany there is no speed limit in some roads. So you can get full speed with the Toyota.

In theory perhaps, but it would be pretty hard to get that Toyota to the top of a World Cup downhill ski run, which is what would be needed for it to reach 140mph. I'm no physicist, so I'm not even sure the Toyota would hit 140 if it was dropped from a Hercules at 5000 feet. Maddog, can you confirm?

 

[maddog]

First, in Germany there is no speed limit in some roads. So you can get full speed with the Toyota.

Jack's speedometer has markings up to 140 and Germany has no speed limits but physics overrule both. My toyota's speedometer goes up to 120, handling suffers around 95. My point is that, sure, I could go faster but I may break something other than a law in the process.

Third, don´t you have any curiosity to know more about your equipment? I do! I like to learn. That is why I opened the topic.

Sure. I'm just pointing out that worrying about "useless capacity" isn't going to teach you much. There is no advantage gained by matching exactly a head's ouptut to a cabinet's output. Just make sure that the cabinet can handle the maximum output of the head and you like the sound of it.

Now go play your bass!

edit: Exactly, Mark. Just because the speedometer is marked for 140mph doesn't mean that it can attain it.

 

[Stingray 4 Nut]

Now go play your bass!

That´s what I´m doing !