Can you run only 2 of 4 channels on a power amp |
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Radius
Registered User Joined: 30 January 2019 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 102 |
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Posted: 01 October 2019 at 12:44pm |
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I am about to pick up a MC2 E100 ( lucky me) - I have 2 600 w rms p audio loaded subs currently, and about to get a g sub box unloaded... I would run all 4 subs at 8 ohms , with a shedload of headroom, ( and expand into 4 ohm as I get more speakers) but right now I don't have the cash for the 2 pd 186's to load the g sub...so, I wonder. Is it OK to test eth beastie out using only 2 channels at a time ? Would it be OK to power up only subs for a whole night , or is that not OK.
I know on a valve amp, the output most be loaded, but I am assuming if I don't put an input to the channel, and have it a "zero vol" its not going to be working too hard at all ? thanks for answering what is probably a dumb question :) |
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AKA the typo king...bear with me, my hands are big and the keyboard small....
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csg
Old Croc Joined: 17 September 2007 Location: bedford Status: Offline Points: 6086 |
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it will be fine
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“The fact is this is about identifying what we do best and finding more ways of doing less of it better”
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toastyghost
The 10,000 Points Club Joined: 09 January 2007 Location: Manchester Status: Offline Points: 10920 |
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Yes, and no - it will work, but you could be subject to bus pumping in high power half-bridge topology Class D amplifiers, and that can lead to increased distortion and other issues.
There's a bit of info on this here: http://data-bass.ipbhost.com/topic/470-amplifier-comparison-speakerpower-sp2-12000-and-powersoft-k20-dsp-aesop/ It's likely not an issue unless you're spanking the amp and running low frequencies. Just one thing to bear in mind. |
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Earplug
Old Croc Joined: 03 January 2012 Location: Europe Status: Offline Points: 7199 |
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You can also always use the trick of inverting the polarity on one channel, so 'spread the load' a bit. |
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Earplugs Are For Wimps!
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toastyghost
The 10,000 Points Club Joined: 09 January 2007 Location: Manchester Status: Offline Points: 10920 |
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This is already done in almost every Class D amplifier. The pins on the XLR and SpeakOn are inverted too so it's invisible to the end user. Doing it again will decrease efficiency, not improve it. |
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Radius
Registered User Joined: 30 January 2019 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 102 |
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YOU guys are the best !
So if I don't go haywire, I should be OK to run 2 subs for a while to test the set up, but I will wait until I have the funds to load a g sub cab so I am running 4 subs at 8 ohmns 1 per channel) which I doubt will tax that amp too much really... |
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AKA the typo king...bear with me, my hands are big and the keyboard small....
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Conanski
Old Croc Joined: 26 January 2006 Location: Ottawa, Canada Status: Offline Points: 2515 |
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The amp will run for as long as you want at whatever drive level you want to to push it to with no issues. In general solid state amps have no issues with high impedance loads and "no speaker connected" is a really high impedance so you're good there. This is the exact opposite of what the amps in the bench tests linked above were exposed to... low impedance loads, so you will not experience any of those issues.
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toastyghost
The 10,000 Points Club Joined: 09 January 2007 Location: Manchester Status: Offline Points: 10920 |
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The amp in question in my link was connected to a low impedance load on one channel, and no load on the other. The resolution was to full bridge the amp, so both channels were used. |
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