Multi speaker question

[Weber]

Ok lets say I have 4(or many more)drivers setup in a series/parallel configuration and each driver is rated at 120 w rms@4 ohms. What is the method to calculate the exact amount of rms power for all of the connected drivers? Do I simply add the power of each driver together? Or does it work the same as calculating Impedance?

[Bart Oetken]

Thats a good question. Im just guessing here, but from what i know from wiring muti speakers s/p. One guy says you loose sq and the other guy like that design.

I would have to say adding the woofers rms power all together. But, you dont need 480 watts rms to push 4 or speakers. Your efficenty is up 6 db when wire s/p. And thats alot compared to the output sens on one speaker.

I guy told me RMS means "R MEANS SQUARE" so 120 watts rms power is alot of power for 4 speakers wired series/parelle. going from 90db @ 1 watt per meter to 96 db @ 1 watt per meter.

If that helps any?

Bart

[dthomas]

Ok lets say I have 4(or many more)drivers setup in a series/parallel configuration and each driver is rated at 120 w rms@4 ohms. What is the method to calculate the exact amount of rms power for all of the connected drivers? Do I simply add the power of each driver together? Or does it work the same as calculating Impedance?

If you place 4 drivers in series/parallel or 2 in a series group with the the two groups wired in parallel. then there thermal power limit is 2x that of a single driver. If you place 2 drivers in parallel you would also get a thermal power increase of 2 times. However if you place 2 drivers in series the thermal power limit is the same as a single driver.

Thermal power that most manufacturer's use to rate their drivers has nothing to do with the amount of power a driver can handle and stay within linear excursion limits. You can however model linear excursion and determine how much power a driver can handle and still be linear and most importantly listenable.

[billfitzmaurice]

Ok lets say I have 4(or many more)drivers setup in a series/parallel configuration and each driver is rated at 120 w rms@4 ohms. What is the method to calculate the exact amount of rms power for all of the connected drivers? Do I simply add the power of each driver together? Or does it work the same as calculating Impedance?
Power is always additive. With volts and current you have to consider the wiring scheme.

[moosespeaker]

RMS is shorthand for "root mean square". The RMS value is the square root of the arithmetic mean (average) of the squares of the original values (or the square of the function that defines the continuous waveform).

"Easy" (:))to calculate for a sine wave or a square wave but a mess (:eek:) for an audio signal from an amp playing your favorite song (not a simple sine wave).

George

[Weber]

Well thanks guys for the very helpful and informative information. :)