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  • #31
    the manual says 170 watts at 4 ohms

    it would go down to 85 with twice the load
    and the half again if you double the load

    so yeah just like Jeremy posted

    no need to blow your speakers
    dont crank it on a single 8 ohm V30 and you should be fine
    EHD
    Just here surfing Guitar Pron
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    • #32
      I had the same question, I was worried to turn the knob too much and fry the a speaker with too much power. That is why I got me the ISP Stealth, each stereo output sends about 60 watt @ 8 Ohms, or less at 16 Ohms.
      Who took my guitar?

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      • #33
        Oooh, another fun one! Solid-state amps produce wattage by converting current into voltage. The voltage source is loaded down by the speakers ( load ). This is why the wattage changes with differing loads. 100 volts into 16ohms is different than 100 volts into 8ohms or 4ohms. You can think of a class-D amp as being a fixed voltage amplifier, it produces a peak voltage regardless of the load and that voltage is what determines the wattage it produces at X load impedance.

        A tube amp works differently in that it converts a voltage into a current source. This means that it will produce the same relative wattage regardless of the load upon it. This is because of the output transformer. The output transformer simply takes the load impedance from the speaker and converts it into more or less a fixed impedance at the plate of the power tubes. Said another way, a 4, 8, or 16ohm speaker presents the same relative load on the tubes because the transformer converts the total impedance to be very similar regardless of the speaker attached to it ( assuming you have a 4,8, or 16ohm speaker plugged into the corresponding tap ). Since the tubes swing the same voltage regardless of the load, the transformer converts that voltage into a lower one in exchange for current. This is why a tube amp produces pretty much the same wattage regardless of the speaker load you use provided you use the matching tap ( output impedance selection ).

        Solid State amps have some pro's and con's over tube amps. Generally, they have MUCH better distortion characteristics. They are also generally much more linear ( what goes in is what comes out ) to that of tube amps. They are also MUCH MUCH more efficient and will produce significantly more output wattage with significantly less demand from the walls outlet. A tube amp that produces 120 watts of output may draw 200 or more watts from the wall, whereas a Solid State amp may produce that same 120 watts only drawing 100 watts from the wall. Many Class-D amps have a 90% + efficiency and will convert wall power into output with significant efficiency. Where Solid State does seem to fall short is when they are driving low impedance loads. A class-D amp driving a 4-ohm load will have much more wattage, but will also have much more distortion to go with it. A tube amp will have more or less the same distortion ( that it naturally has ) regardless of the speaker impedance. Solid State amps do not sound good when clipped. Tube amps tend to sound ok when clipped because of the way they distort when they are. Solid State amps are also less colorful in sound when pushed to their limits. They produce harmonics, overtones, and distortions differently than tube amps and often not in a desirable way.

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        • #34
          Originally posted by Ewizard View Post
          Oooh, another fun one! Solid-state amps produce wattage by converting current into voltage. The voltage source is loaded down by the speakers ( load ). This is why the wattage changes with differing loads. 100 volts into 16ohms is different than 100 volts into 8ohms or 4ohms. You can think of a class-D amp as being a fixed voltage amplifier, it produces a peak voltage regardless of the load and that voltage is what determines the wattage it produces at X load impedance.

          A tube amp works differently in that it converts a voltage into a current source. This means that it will produce the same relative wattage regardless of the load upon it. This is because of the output transformer. The output transformer simply takes the load impedance from the speaker and converts it into more or less a fixed impedance at the plate of the power tubes. Said another way, a 4, 8, or 16ohm speaker presents the same relative load on the tubes because the transformer converts the total impedance to be very similar regardless of the speaker attached to it ( assuming you have a 4,8, or 16ohm speaker plugged into the corresponding tap ). Since the tubes swing the same voltage regardless of the load, the transformer converts that voltage into a lower one in exchange for current. This is why a tube amp produces pretty much the same wattage regardless of the speaker load you use provided you use the matching tap ( output impedance selection ).

          Solid State amps have some pro's and con's over tube amps. Generally, they have MUCH better distortion characteristics. They are also generally much more linear ( what goes in is what comes out ) to that of tube amps. They are also MUCH MUCH more efficient and will produce significantly more output wattage with significantly less demand from the walls outlet. A tube amp that produces 120 watts of output may draw 200 or more watts from the wall, whereas a Solid State amp may produce that same 120 watts only drawing 100 watts from the wall. Many Class-D amps have a 90% + efficiency and will convert wall power into output with significant efficiency. Where Solid State does seem to fall short is when they are driving low impedance loads. A class-D amp driving a 4-ohm load will have much more wattage, but will also have much more distortion to go with it. A tube amp will have more or less the same distortion ( that it naturally has ) regardless of the speaker impedance. Solid State amps do not sound good when clipped. Tube amps tend to sound ok when clipped because of the way they distort when they are. Solid State amps are also less colorful in sound when pushed to their limits. They produce harmonics, overtones, and distortions differently than tube amps and often not in a desirable way.
          I dig your posts; you're obviously well educated (and of course accurate) with these topics. We need more like you.

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          • #35
            Originally posted by Aceman View Post
            170? or 85/85?

            Why not 100 or 50/50, or 50 25/25, or a 300/150 for bass?

            Why 170?
            For fun.

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            • #36
              I was just checking out the PowerStage 170 as a potential backup for my ISP Stealth. If you are into Stereo rigs the Stealth costs less than the PowerStage 170 and can be used either mono or stereo and provide the same amount of power, the only drawback is it is not as small but the benefit is you get rid of potential ground loops caused by two different power amps. I think I will stick to the ISP Stealth
              Who took my guitar?

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              • #37
                does the isp have a preamp and eq? i thought it was just power but i could totally be wrong

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                • #38
                  Originally posted by jeremy View Post
                  does the isp have a preamp and eq? i thought it was just power but i could totally be wrong
                  The stereo one does not have any eq, it just a flat clean power amp. There is a smaller one, just half the size and power, that one does have eq but not sure about any preamp in it.
                  Who took my guitar?

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