Bottoming a tempest with 250w amp (1 Viewer)

[AlexKunec]

Has anyone ever bottomed out a Tempest with a 250w amp?

When I model my design with lspCAD excursion is only about 25mm p-p with 125W into 8ohms (250w in 4ohms). However, I beleive that most amps can put out much more in short bursts. A paradigm PW2200 is rated at 250w and 750w dynamic power. Whenever you look at car amps they specify the RMS power and max power.

I have a shiva(100l, 4" port 21hz, sonotube) hooked up to the same amp and I bottom it out quite often. The amp is only about 1/3. Should I be expecting much higher volume levels before I bottom out (or the amp shuts off)?

 

[Brian Bunge]

Alex,

You won't bottom a Tempest with a 250W amp (the PE amp was actually measured at 280W @ 4 ohms). On the sims I ran on the Tempest and Dayton DVC 15" drivers, I could get up to 500W input power and was only about 2mm past Xmax.

Brian

 

[Alexis]

You can bottom it out with that much power. Just try sending a 10hz signal through it at high volumes, assuming you don't have a rumble filter.

 

[Martin Schmencke]

After the point at which the enclosure "unloads", a little signal ends up causing a lot of cone motion ( although not producing many SPLs ). As a result sending signals to a sub below that point, can easily bottom the driver, even at levels blow their "power rating".

 

[Chris Tsutsui]

I bottomed my 250w tempest out by turning up the volume sending a 16hz test tone.

10hz will can probably make it bottom by sending a watt.

 

[Brian Bunge]

OK guys, let's get technical then. I was assuming Alex was talking about real world applications; not playing test tones. Sure, send a 10Hz tone through your sub if you want. Also, IIRC the PE plate amp has a 12Hz rumble filter stock with no boost.

Brian

 

[James W. Johnson]

I bottomed my 250w tempest out by turning up the volume sending a 16hz test tone.

>>>>>>>>>>>>.

A Tempest in the right box can take nearly 500 watts @ 16Hz....I have done it many, many times.

Also isn't yours sealed? My guess is your clipping the amp.

Don't blame the Tempest for the bottoming and don't expect quality amplification for $99 lastly don't expect much 16Hz output from a sealed box.

I am using a solid 500watts behind each Tempest and guess what?..From a pros point of view I am not using enough power. He suggests I use at least 1000watts behind each Tempest for proper headroom.

 

[James W. Johnson]

So the answer is yes, you will have no problem bottoming the Tempest with a cheap 250watt amp so take it easy with the volume knob.

 

[Jeffrey Noel]

James, are you stating that the PE amp is cheap? As in quality?

 

[Brian Bunge]

So the answer is yes, you will have no problem bottoming the Tempest with a cheap 250watt amp so take it easy with the volume knob.

James, are you referring to the amp clipping rather than over excursing the driver? To me, neither is desirable, but also not the same thing.

Brian