Power Suggestions for SP2/SP118

[gadgetx23]

Sorry to keep bothering you guys with my upgrade dilemma, but I'm finally set to make a purchase now, and I need some advice for power.

 

I'm picking up a pair of year old SP-2's and SP118's for $1100. I have at my disposal a PV900 and a B'ger EP1500. I want to buy one more amp, so I need suggestions for what I should buy and how I should hook 'em up. Budget for amp, let's say around $500 (consider used as well). Keep in mind I need to keep a channel or two for monitors yet.

 

Thanks everyone; I really appreciate all your help!

[Craig Vecchione]

 

Sorry to keep bothering you guys with my upgrade dilemma, but I'm finally set to make a purchase now, and I need some advice for power. I'm picking up a pair of year old SP-2's and SP118's for $1100. I have at my disposal a PV900 and a B'ger EP1500. I want to buy one more amp, so I need suggestions for what I should buy and how I should hook 'em up. Budget for amp, let's say around $500 (consider used as well). Keep in mind I need to keep a channel or two for monitors yet. Thanks everyone; I really appreciate all your help!

 

 

According to dboomer, who works for Peavey and cites their whitepapers on the subject, you could use up to 1000w for the SP-2 and 1200w for the sp-118...their program power ratings.

[boomerweps]

I'd pick up a QSC RMX2450 or, better, a used PLX3002 or 2402 and bridge it for the 2 subs. Bridge the EP1500 and feed the tops with it. Yes it's mono but sufficient power for each. Use a proper crossover. That leaves the PV900 for a couple monitor channels. Why is the used PLX better than the RMX2450? 21 pounds vs. 44.5 pounds!

 

Boomerweps

[gadgetx23]

So 1200W per sub and 700W per top would be a good match for these speakers? Crossed over around 90Hz sound right? What should I High Pass these at?

[prosigna]

NEW SP-2's run 1000 each. My SP-2's are the SP2-G models. 600 watts Full Range Program. Mine are about 6-years old. The brand new ones are 1000watts. Check which model you have.

[gadgetx23]

They are the new models, and handle 1000W program. If I were to buy a new amp for the subs and use the EP1500 for the tops, I was simply stating that we would have 700W a piece going to the mains.

 

Eventually I would want to upgrade that amp, but for now it should drive them pretty well, right? We are currently using OLD SP-2's, 300W program.

[boomerweps]

While 1000 watts per SP2 would be better, 700 watts each is fine for now till you can afford another new amp. The change from 700 to 1000 watts will give you some more clarity when operating at upper SPLs but you won't have that much of a noticable overall volume increase.

 

My old SP2s seemed to crossover better to my subs at about 100 to 105Hz. 90Hz is a good place to start. If you run your power amp input gains on full, from that & varying speaker efficiencies, the SPL differences between the tops & subs power can PUSH the actual crossover point up or down from the selected frequency. So some playing around with the chosen frequency is a good thing.

 

Boomerweps

[gadgetx23]

Thanks guys! I'm driving 2 hours in a snowstorm to go pick them up tonight; can't wait! Should be quite an improvement from our 1979 SP2's and TLS115's!

[tlbonehead]

Thanks guys! I'm driving 2 hours in a snowstorm to go pick them up tonight; can't wait! Should be quite an improvement from our 1979 SP2's and TLS115's!

What snowstorm? All we got was a few inches of snow. BTW, don't put 1200 watts into each of those sub cabs. That's rediculous.

[gadgetx23]

It's tapering off now, but we got about 6 additional inches of snow here around Dubuque, IA.

 

So you disagree with the others about matching the program power rating? I would tend to trust dboomer if that is in fact his suggestion, so long as we're careful not to drive the amp into clipping...

[flanc]

 

What snowstorm? All we got was a few inches of snow. BTW, don't put 1200 watts into each of those sub cabs. That's rediculous.

 

 

 

Yeah...I believe they are 500watts RMS. I blew a pair of BW drivers putting 1000watts into 'em. I'd say 750 watts would be good.

[gadgetx23]

the specs say 600/1200/2400 continuous/program/peak. Wouldn't it still be best to invest in a larger amp and just be careful not to drive it too hard?

[flanc]

 

the specs say 600/1200/2400 continuous/program/peak. Wouldn't it still be best to invest in a larger amp and just be careful not to drive it too hard?

 

 

I had a pair of SP118x subs (4ohm) that are spec'ed at 500/1000/2000...perhaps the new ones have a different driver. At any rate, I ran them at their program rating and blew both drivers after about a year and a half of driving them carefully (so I thought). Perhaps you'll be fine at 2X RMS but I now go to about 1.5 X RMS...it's really not that much difference in total SPL.

[Mogwix]

Actually, if at all possible you should just get the Peavey PV1600 bi-pack amp for the tops and the PV3800 amp for the subs. The bipack bi-amps the tops in mono, and the PV3800 gives the subs 775w per side at 8 ohms, which is right where you want to be.

 

When I can I run this system (4 SP2's, 4 SP218's) and not only is this system LOUD but it sounds freaking amazing. You should really look into getting those amps if at all possible. SPEND THE MONEY THE FIRST TIME! You can power your tops and subs and then have the PV900 and EP2500 for the monitors. The drawback to the peavey amps though is definitely the weight. 45lbs apiece. It's the price you pay for quality though, I've seen 15 year old peavey amps fly down flights of concrete stairs and still pull off 3 hours at full output no sweat. They're tanks.

[boomerweps]

 

I had a pair of SP118x subs (4ohm) that are spec'ed at 500/1000/2000...perhaps the new ones have a different driver. At any rate, I ran them at their program rating and blew both drivers after about a year and a half of driving them carefully (so I thought). Perhaps you'll be fine at 2X RMS but I now go to about 1.5 X RMS...it's really not that much difference in total SPL.

 

 

Yes, the new non suffixed SP series has increased wattage specs.

 

I've heard many say that if you are running heavily compressed bass heavy music, stay with 1 to 1.5 the continuous rating. I run my system for live reinforcement and have always went for the program power +/- a little with no probs. Program ratings were instituted by makers to tell you what wattage they expect you to supply to their speakers. Some are more optimistic than others, and some are pure BS in the low end of the pool ;>(

 

I hope you fixed those 118x with factory recone kits. I shy away from single 18" subs in 4 ohm, I prefer the flexibility of using a single per side or 2 per amp side or a couple from a bridged amp. The 4 ohm limits that plus the speaker DF is cut in half compared to an 8 ohm unit, mostly a concern when using longer cables.

 

Boomerweps

[flanc]

At the time, I thought I had only blown one sub and I had it repaired by a Peavey repair center. I upgraded to newer subs and those sat for a year or so before I sold them to a forumite (Zeromus). When I hooked them up for testing, I was clear that the other sub was blown too. I knocked some more of the price and he was going to have that one repaired.

 

I occasionally read a post where he mentions using Peavey subs so I'm hopeful that they are working fine for him,

[boomerweps]

 

At the time, I thought I had only blown one sub and I had it repaired by a Peavey repair center. I upgraded to newer subs and those sat for a year or so before I sold them to a forumite (Zeromus). When I hooked them up for testing, I was clear that the other sub was blown too. I knocked some more of the price and he was going to have that one repaired. I occasionally read a post where he mentions using Peavey subs so I'm hopeful that they are working fine for him,

 

 

 

Probably going strong. Sorry you took them to a Peavey repair center unless it was under warranty. It's really easy to swap out the old magnet onto the new basket and the new basket is about half the price of a new complete woofer. AND you can buy the replacement basket in 4 or 8 ohm.

 

Boomerweps

[flanc]

I was hoping it was a warrenty repair but as it turned out, they determined the fault to be overpowering. Those are the only drivers I have ever blown in about 8 years of 50 gigs a year.

 

Oh...and those baskets are a piece of cake to replace. Since I had the sub their and they had it opened with a minimum charge, they replaced the basket and didn't charge additional labor. I should have just got a new basket and swapped it out myself but at the time, I was convinced I had done nothing wrong. This really speaks to my point that caution needs to be shown when powering those subs. I thought I was fine at 1000watts until I blew-out both drivers.

[Craig Vecchione]

 

I was hoping it was a warrenty repair but as it turned out, they determined the fault to be overpowering. Those are the only drivers I have ever blown in about 8 years of 50 gigs a year. Oh...and those baskets are a piece of cake to replace. Since I had the sub their and they had it opened with a minimum charge, they replaced the basket and didn't charge additional labor. I should have just got a new basket and swapped it out myself but at the time, I was convinced I had done nothing wrong. This really speaks to my point that caution needs to be shown when powering those subs. I thought I was fine at 1000watts until I blew-out both drivers.

 

 

 

I hope dboomer gets a chance to look at this and respond. I've always recommended powering at or near RMS ratings, but Peavey's docs say otherwise, typically at program ratings. Hence my first post here. Plenty of conditions affect this, but that seems to be what he recommends for their products.

[gadgetx23]

Now you guys got me nervous about running the program power to them! I definitely want to give them more than RMS, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of options to get around 900W to 2 - 8 ohm cabs -- and the idea of spending more money for less power is tough sell. I'd like to hear what dboomer would say about it.

[Craig Vecchione]

 

Now you guys got me nervous about running the program power to them! I definitely want to give them more than RMS, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of options to get around 900W to 2 - 8 ohm cabs -- and the idea of spending more money for less power is tough sell. I'd like to hear what dboomer would say about it.

 

 

Here is the link to the technotes paper I referred to earlier. Don's the author:

 

http://www.peavey.com/support/technotes/poweramps/HOW_MUCH_POWER.pdf

[mitsu13gman]

 

Now you guys got me nervous about running the program power to them! I definitely want to give them more than RMS, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of options to get around 900W to 2 - 8 ohm cabs -- and the idea of spending more money for less power is tough sell. I'd like to hear what dboomer would say about it.

 

 

Gadget,

 

I'm running 800+ per side into the SP5s (rated at 400 RMS, 800 program), and they seem pretty happy that way. I've actually got one amp that's supposedly rated at 1000 watts, and I can clip the amp before the speaker gets unhappy, so I'd say you're fine with program power (at least into the SP2s).

 

One thing to mention, though - I've got the low-end severely cut going into the SP5s, so they aren't being asked to handle any bass. That's all going to a sub. So as long as you run a crossover (and keep an ear peeled for distortion) you should be okay.

 

 

Mike

[agedhorse]

My suggstion is somewhere in the 600-700 watt range, and even then be careful. 1200 watts is just too much temptaion for some folks, leading to damage and disappointment IMO.

 

Are they 4 ohm or 8 ohm drivers? If they are 4 ohm, you can not bridge a 1450 into a pair of them.

 

A 2450 in stereo would be pretty respectable. Taking into account power compression, you are only talking about maybe a couple of dB difference between 1000+ watts and 650 watts.

[gadgetx23]

 

My suggstion is somewhere in the 600-700 watt range, and even then be careful. 1200 watts is just too much temptaion for some folks, leading to damage and disappointment IMO. Are they 4 ohm or 8 ohm drivers? If they are 4 ohm, you can not bridge a 1450 into a pair of them. A 2450 in stereo would be pretty respectable. Taking into account power compression, you are only talking about maybe a couple of dB difference between 1000+ watts and 650 watts.

 

 

Good to see you back agehorse! They are 8 ohm drivers, so a 2450 would only give them 500W, which doesn't seem like enough to take full advantage of them...? Would a 1450 bridged be a better option?

[DJ Swydez]

As someone asked about awhile back, you can run an amp with no load to find out where it clips with everything set. I knew this before hand and did this shortly after I got my gear so that I would not have any trouble issues since I am running the program wattage into my speakers. If you get an amp with more than enough power (say something like 1200 watts/cabinet), it enables you to run your amp with no or only slight clipping. This means that your amp will love you, never get very hot, and probably last a very very long time. The only problem with this solution is that you have to carefully mark exactly where your amp clips and be careful not to exceed this mark by too much because that could and most likely would land you in a recone shop (especially with subwoofers). This solution works for me, and my current speakers and amp love me! Plus, if you find yourself driving your system into heavy or severe clipping, you need more speakers and more power for your use.

 

I don't know if this will work for you, but it does for me! I hope that helps!