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Author Topic: What amp are you using to power your LABhorn?  (Read 22729 times)

Phil Pope

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Re: What amp are you using to power your LABhorn?
« Reply #10 on: November 24, 2006, 07:28:55 AM »

I was using Yorkville U215s on top of my LABs and was very happy with the sound. The two 15" drivers seemed to keep up very well and for dance music I would suggest using two LABs for each top. One to one is probably a better ratio for most material. Biggest downside is the amount of amplification you have to put into the 15s to cover little more than an octave. I have been bridging a Crown CE4000 into each box and biamping the HF section with about 700W RMS amp. I have never managed to get the protection circuity to trigger in live use with this setup.

Phil
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Josh Billings

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Re: What amp are you using to power your LABhorn?
« Reply #11 on: November 26, 2006, 09:16:45 AM »

I have been using an RMX1850 HD bridged per box and i have never been blown away. They sound good, but I am going to switch to a PL6 and run it in stereo. I think the really low impednce dips (2.7 ohms i think) really take a toll on the amp in bridged mode (but maybe i'm crazy). I'm defiantely interested to see if there is a difference

-Josh Billings
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Kit Hannah

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Re: What amp are you using to power your LABhorn?
« Reply #12 on: December 06, 2006, 05:59:37 PM »

Alan Star wrote on Thu, 23 November 2006 01:18

Crown iTech 6000

I run 2 labhorns per channel in parallel.

It may be interesting to note that on the front display of the iTech the monitor feature shows a loading of 3 ohms per channel in the above configuration. Sometimes it will flash to 2 but mostly says 3... for what it's worth.

If I could afford another iTech I think i would get another and run one box per channel.




Maybe the amp is showing 3 ohms because you have 2x 6 ohm labs run in parallel? Just a thought...
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Kit Hannah
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Kit Hannah

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Re: What amp are you using to power your LABhorn?
« Reply #13 on: December 06, 2006, 06:10:30 PM »

We're trading in the crowns for some Powerlights. Tired of the weight, and come to find out today that they blew up 4 of our 8 labs. (Dual hornlodaded lab cabs). We just realized today that the barebone cabinets we purchased last year were wired in series, not parallel. I guess we assumed it was fine. It's a sperate access pannel to see the wiring, plus everything is coverd by shrinkwrap. never had any reason to look, finally did today. Looks like we might have been significantly under powering them, causing 4 labs to blow - and it was random, so it looks like some of the labs held up, some didn't. Sucks, but it happens.

I saw a lot of people have been reccomending the PL 6.0's. Anybody using any other powerlights or PL2's to power? Are you bridging or running stereo?
Thanks
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Ivan Beaver

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Re: What amp are you using to power your LABhorn?-Blowing drivers
« Reply #14 on: December 06, 2006, 06:28:45 PM »

It would not have been the underpowering that blew them.  If you are simply thinking that the amps would not deliver the rated power to them, then you are confused with the whole "underpowering issue".  The reason that underpowering is blamed for "blowing" loudspeakers is when you run the amp into clipping, and that is what is blowing them-not the actual power.  If you run less than rated power to a speaker that is a very good thing, as long as you do not clip it.

Now if you were clipping the amps and thinking that they were wired in parallel, then there is a different type of confusion and you deserve the blown drivers.  Sorry.

And before you blame the amps you have to determine the REAL cause of the reason the loudspeakers no longer work, there could be other issues that caused them to break-not necessarily "blow" from the power that is applied to them
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Mac Kerr

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Re: What amp are you using to power your LABhorn?
« Reply #15 on: December 06, 2006, 06:30:09 PM »

Kit Hannah wrote on Wed, 06 December 2006 18:10

We're trading in the crowns for some Powerlights. Tired of the weight, and come to find out today that they blew up 4 of our 8 labs. (Dual hornlodaded lab cabs). We just realized today that the barebone cabinets we purchased last year were wired in series, not parallel. I guess we assumed it was fine. It's a sperate access pannel to see the wiring, plus everything is coverd by shrinkwrap. never had any reason to look, finally did today. Looks like we might have been significantly under powering them, causing 4 labs to blow - and it was random, so it looks like some of the labs held up, some didn't. Sucks, but it happens.
I'm confused. when you say "Dual hornlodaded lab cabs" what do you mean? Since the LAB Sub driver was developed specifically to go in the LAB Sub cabinet that Tom Danley designed as a DIY project for PSW, and that picture is not a LAB Sub, is it what you are calling a "lab cab"?

I wouldn't expect the driver to operate as intended in the wrong box, but being wired in series shouldn't have been a problem unless the speakers were not wired with the plus of one to the minus of the other. Properly wired, so the drivers moved together, the only downside would be less power to each driver. If the drivers were out of polarity with each other they would just tear each other up with not much sound coming out.

Mac
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Silas Pradetto

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Re: What amp are you using to power your LABhorn?
« Reply #16 on: December 06, 2006, 08:50:47 PM »

Well I don't actually HAVE the labs built yet (I have the woofers though), but i'm either powering them with an Itech 6000 or 8000, probably an 8000 because I already have one.

I love the built in DSP on the Itechs, along with the diagnostics and remote control. Some people like it, some don't.
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Mac Kerr

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Re: What amp are you using to power your LABhorn?
« Reply #17 on: December 06, 2006, 09:04:29 PM »

if you use tree view you could easily see that both Ivan and I were responding to Kit Hannah.

Mac
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Kit Hannah

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Re: What amp are you using to power your LABhorn?-Blowing drivers
« Reply #18 on: December 07, 2006, 01:59:16 AM »

Ivan Beaver wrote on Wed, 06 December 2006 15:28

It would not have been the underpowering that blew them.  If you are simply thinking that the amps would not deliver the rated power to them, then you are confused with the whole "underpowering issue".  The reason that underpowering is blamed for "blowing" loudspeakers is when you run the amp into clipping, and that is what is blowing them-not the actual power.  If you run less than rated power to a speaker that is a very good thing, as long as you do not clip it.

Now if you were clipping the amps and thinking that they were wired in parallel, then there is a different type of confusion and you deserve the blown drivers.  Sorry.

And before you blame the amps you have to determine the REAL cause of the reason the loudspeakers no longer work, there could be other issues that caused them to break-not necessarily "blow" from the power that is applied to them


Okay, thanks for jumping all over me guys.

I am well aware of amplifier power and the effect it has on drivers. When I use the term "blown", I'm saying they are no longer working - not even passing a signal with the ol Multimeter. Yes, distortion (clipping) is what will kill the driver - well aware of that guys.

As far as saying that I deserve the blown drivers - maybe and maybe not, but that's a little harsh. The terminals were wired improperly, combining 2+ and 1-, then switching it went it jumped to the second NL4. They were not all like this, and that is why some of the cabinets are still working just fine. We purchased the cabinets complete but unloaded, and were told that everything was run parallel. They were half right. We spent some time rewiring the cabs so that they were properly run parallel.

The cabinets were not designed for the lab subs - we knew this from the beginning. The picture in my earlier post is of the dual 12" horn loaded sub cabinets we use - Thats what I mean by that. 2x 12's, one cabinet, horn loaded. We decided on the Labs because of the specs and reviews, and another guy who had an identical system was doing the same thing and raving about them. We know they were designed for a certain cabinet, but wanted to take our chances to see what they were all about. We think it paid off, as they put out an extreme amount of lows. Even after tonight's show, with only 4 working, we were still impressed. We have had the system now for about a year and a half, and nothing but compliments.


We are not calling this a lab box, Ivan. We call them subs like everyone else and they just happen to have labs in them. They truly sound great and produce earth shaking, ceiling tile falling bass. We have not compared them to any of the boxes specifically designed for the lab, but we figure in this particular cabinet that matches the rest of our system, we might as well put in a driver that moves some air.

The amps really are fine (MT2400's), but we would just prefer to have some newer technology, something lighter, and something with a ton more power so we can have the added headroom. Taking off some weight will help too.

We're happy with our system, and all of our clients love it. Very versatile, yet compact, loud and reliable. Like mentioned above and earlier, We're looking at powerlights, but if anyone has any other suggestions for amps to power labs, please feel free to weigh in, as that was what the post was originally about.
Thanks
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Kit Hannah
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Jon McDowell

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Re: What amp are you using to power your LABhorn?
« Reply #19 on: December 07, 2006, 09:36:20 AM »

Wow a blast from the past. Since my last post, I've stepped up to a pair of PL6.0II's on my 8 Labs and moved the 4.0's to mids. I'm very happy with the sound and the power level seems to be just about right - bass heavy shows (occasional limiting) will just start to warm the access covers. It's also fun blowing out peoples lighters 6' away. Twisted Evil

Another (easily entertained) $.02

Jon
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