Mixed wattage speakers?

[JumpMarine]

Is it detremental to use mixed wattage speakers in a cab?

[wixedmords]

Re: Mixed wattage speakers?

No, as long as you do mean "wattage" and not impendance.

You need to have a speaker that will take at least half of the load the head can put out. If you have a 100 watt head, you need both speakers to be at least 50 watts.
I am sure there will be guys that will try to dispute this. To them I say, lets turn it up to 10 and see how long it lasts.

[Benjy_26]

Re: Mixed wattage speakers?

I've never hurt anything. I used to run a Vintage 30 paired with a 12L in a Marshall 2X12 cab.

[benjaturner]

Re: Mixed wattage speakers?

Is it detremental to use mixed wattage speakers in a cab?

I think as long as all the speakers used are capable of handling their equal share of the amps power then you're fine.

By this I mean if you were to use a 25w speaker and a 30w speaker in a 2x12 50w amp you'd be ok. However, if you used a 20w speaker and a 25w speaker in a 2x12 50w amp you may be in danger of blowing something. This also applies to a 75w speaker and a 20w speaker in a 50w 2x12 amp.

As far as I know, divide the the amps watts rating by the number of speakers, and as long as each speaker has a wattage rating at least equal to that figure, you're ok.

Saying that, a lot of people think that speaker distortion is part of true rock tone and I wouldn't argue with them. I suppose this may be just another one of the thousands of threads that's really asking 'Tone Vs. Practicality'. Hopefully someone who's a little better informed than me will chime in because I'd like to hear more on this.

-Benja

[Benjy_26]

Re: Mixed wattage speakers?

I've never hurt anything. I used to run a Vintage 30 paired with a 12L in a Marshall 2X12 cab.

[casblah]

Re: Mixed wattage speakers?

What about the way different speakers move air? Would it be detrimental to have a speaker which lessens the efficiency of another?

[JumpMarine]

Re: Mixed wattage speakers?

Thanks guys, just justifying what I had already thought.

[D-EJ915]

Re: Mixed wattage speakers?

What about the way different speakers move air? Would it be detrimental to have a speaker which lessens the efficiency of another?

Basically your statement is false.

[casblah]

Re: Mixed wattage speakers?

Basically your statement is false.

Explain.

[D-EJ915]

Re: Mixed wattage speakers?

Explain.

In an open or semi-open speaker, there obviously won't be any need to worry since the flow of air is more than what the speakers are capable of.

As per closed-cabinet designs, yeah..Essentially that's why I didn't explain. I know that the "way they move air" isn't what lowers efficiency. Well I don't really know how to explain it or whatever, but it won't have a great effect on it like you're thinking it would.

I'm sorry that I was rude/brash before since I can't really give an explanation of why I said what I did.

[muttonchopsrule]

Re: Mixed wattage speakers?

from what i've been told, it won't hurt anything. you just have to treat all of the speakers as if they all have the power rating of the lowest power speaker. for example, if you have a 75 watt speaker and a 25 watt speaker, your total power handling will be 50 watts (2x25), not 100.

again this is not backed by any personal experience, just what i've heard. please correct me if i'm wrong.

[bryvincent]

Re: Mixed wattage speakers?

also consider the sensitivity or effiiciency of the speakers. 2 different speakers can have different volume with the same amount of power.