OMG, I think I'm turning into my GF !

[Fishchris]

Okay, first just let me say, I love the chit out of my GF.... but she just has a completely different way of thinking about things than I do ! Which is to say, for her, facts mean nothing. Its all about how things seem, and how they feel

So here's my dilemma;
I just finished the box for the Skar EVL 18, and it sounds freaking phenomenal ! It digs super deep, but yet can play such tight, snappy bass too, you would think it was four 10"s. Best build (out of probably 30) that I've ever created. I'm REALLY happy with this setup. But theirs only one thing that's messing with me.... My new Wolfram 2400.1 is only seeing a 2 ohm load.... So its only putting out an actual 1300 and change (according to actual tests on SMD testing equipment) Well, the Skar EVL 18 is rated for 1250 RMS, so that's perfect right ? But it just kills me that I have 2500 available, and only using half of it :(
So lets say I were to do a direct swap out, of my DVC 4 ohm EVL 18, for a DVC 2 ohm EVL 18. Okay, so instantly I'm able to make double the watts, however, now the sub is getting WAY more power than it should, so I'd be way more likely to fry it. Plus, when modeling in WinIsd my Passive radiators will be subject to big time over excursion.... and besides all of this, doubling the wattage only shows about a 2 1/2 db gain in SPL :(
Modeling a whole bunch of different 18" subs for 2500 wts, I get no more than 2 1/2 db gains, and some almost no gain at all !
Long story short, right now I'm totally guilty of thinking like my GF ! Which is to say, "This just SEEMS wrong"..... Never mind the facts of the matter that this is the best sounding box I've ever created. If only I "thought" I was actually giving my 18" 2500 wts RMS, I would be totally happy.

Your thoughts ?

[billfitzmaurice]

Doubling the watts gets you at best a paltry 3dB of additional maximum output, assuming the driver has sufficent xmax to make use of it. Don't bother. And why do you care how many watts you're using? That's not what a GF would be concerned about. It's what a twelve year old boy would be concerned about.

[fpitas]

It's even worse than you think. Real music has peaks of 10dB, often more. So unless you listen to square waves, you can't even approach the ultimate power of your amp, without clipping the peaks.

[ErinH]

At least then you'll know what she/you wants to eat. :D

[billfitzmaurice]

I'm sure we could segue to a head room joke here...

[Paul K.]

My power amp is rated at 250 wpc/8 ohm and I doubt I ever exceed 20 watts while listening to mostly classical music with wide dynamic range. I can't imagine why anyone would even think they need a kilowatt, much less more.
Paul

[Fishchris]

Doubling the watts gets you at best a paltry 3dB of additional maximum output, assuming the driver has sufficent xmax to make use of it. Don't bother. And why do you care how many watts you're using? That's not what a GF would be concerned about. It's what a twelve year old boy would be concerned about.

I just like to get the full use out of my gear, that's all.

[Fishchris]

My power amp is rated at 250 wpc/8 ohm and I doubt I ever exceed 20 watts while listening to mostly classical music with wide dynamic range. I can't imagine why anyone would even think they need a kilowatt, much less more.
Paul

Paul, then we are obviously on a completely different page. I like to be able to "feel my music in the bottom of my stomach".... Then you have road noise, and my not so quiet truck....
with dynamic peaks and such, I can easily use up 2 Kwts. Wish I had 10 Kwts even if I only used 3 of them.

[Kornbread]

At 23 minutes you will see just how much air is being moved.

[Fishchris]

At 23 minutes you will see just how much air is being moved.

I freaking LOVE that build ! I'd so like to hear it in person.

The 100 Kwt Hoe 😲

One of the very nicest, cleanest super high wattage builds on the planet !

[billfitzmaurice]

One of the very nicest, cleanest super high wattage builds on the planet !

Tinker toy. This rig managed to get banned from Burning Man for being too loud:

https://www.facebook.com/dancetronauts/photos/a.10156500455718358/10156500457468358/?type=3&theater

I designed it.
As for needing to have your amp running at 2500 watts, as fpitas noted and I referred to in a roundabout way that would leave you with no headroom. You have much to learn, Grasshopper.

[Millstonemike]

You won't be at the amp's thermal limits with only one channel running. And if that channel were to fail at some point, you have a spare channel to replace it.

That unused channel is bothersome, for many - eats at there sense of completeness. Let it go.

[Fishchris]

You won't be at the amp's thermal limits with only one channel running. And if that channel were to fail at some point, you have a spare channel to replace it.

That unused channel is bothersome, for many - eats at there sense of completeness. Let it go.

I don't have a spare channel. It is a mono amp. It just has two sets of outputs, in case you want to run two sets of speaker wires from the amp. Which in my case would actually be quite convenient.

[Fishchris]

Tinker toy. This rig managed to get banned from Burning Man for being too loud:

https://www.facebook.com/dancetronauts/photos/a.10156500455718358/10156500457468358/?type=3&theater

I designed it.
As for needing to have your amp running at 2500 watts, as fpitas noted and I referred to in a roundabout way that would leave you with no headroom. You have much to learn, Grasshopper.

Hey Bill, I'm sure I do have a lot to learn. So are you saying I could have a crazy loud, clean, earth shaking system with like 1/10th the wattage I'm talking about.... Or something to this effect ?

Why do guys like Steve Meade, or JPrice run 40 to 100Kwts ? They don't know what they are doing either ?

[Millstonemike]

... This rig managed to get banned from Burning Man for being too loud:

https://www.facebook.com/dancetronauts/photos/a.10156500455718358/10156500457468358/?type=3&theater

I can see why