Can Big Speakers Blow An AMP?

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Lewie

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Hi.
I have a set of electronic drums.
I used to have them hooked up to my pretty basic Aiwa stereo.
Well, it appears that it has gone to the stereo scrap yard in the sky.
Proper kit to play the drums through is about £500 so i'm trying to do it cheaper.
Someone is giving me a pair of speakers, apparently 150W a piece.
Now I need a cheap (ish) second hand amp and have been looking at a JVC JA-S11G.
I know diddly about ohms and stuff but have been told that if the amp isn't up to it the speakers can blow the amp and visa versa.
Any help much appreciated.
Cheers
 

hi,
A techno question for you..

Whats the speaker impedance, look on the speaker housing for the label with it marked on, also on the back of the amp or manual it should tell you the speaker impedance/load.

Lets know what you see..
 
Hi eric.
Thanks for the reply.
I haven't got them yet but the model is Jamo 165.
I am trying to find a spec online but haven't come across anything yet.
I'll keep looking.
 
We have another thread from 2008 about this 70's JVC amplifier (it might be 35 years old).
It uses Sanken hybrid power amp circuits and it is rated for an output of 30W into 8 ohms or 37W into 4 ohms per channel. If you turn up the volume too high then it might discintegrate, especially when playing drums where you can't hear when it is clipping at its max allowed power.

Speakers do not draw their max allowed power all the time. The take only as much power as the program, volume control and amplifier circuit allows.
The JVC amplifier produces good sound up to 30W per channel int 8 ohm speakers. If you turn up the volume higher then it produces maybe 40W per channel but with severe distortion and it might break.
 
Hi AG.
So it seems that I may need something better?
Any suggestions what would be compatible with these Jamo 165 speakers or do you need more info?
Is it possible to match speakers and amp together so it is impossible to blow either?
Cheers.

BTW, just found this about the Jamo speakers.

Configuration;
3-Way Bass Reflex Tweeter Protection
Power Handling;
Short Term 165W RMS
Long Term 100W RMS
Impedance 4 - 8 ohms
 
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Lewie said:
Hi AG.
So it seems that I may need something better?
Any suggestions what would be compatible with these Jamo 165 speakers or do you need more info?
Is it possible to match speakers and amp together so it is impossible to blow either?
Cheers.
Click to expand...

Really it's a musical PA application, and not a HiFi one - PA amps and speakers are designed for sustained high powers and abuse, HiFi isn't.

The main thing is how loud you run it - if you run it in to clipping, it can damage both the amp and the speakers - keep the volume reasonable, and you should be OK. But bear in mind, drums have a VERY wide dynamic range - don't set the volume when playing gently, and then bash the hell out of them.
 
Hi Nigel.
I don't run it too loud.
I am in a small music room in my workshop up the top of the garden.
It would damage my lug oles if it was too loud.
The thing I blew was old and very basic, it was probably due to die anyway.
Now I just need something to go with these speakers that will give me a ok sound.
Of course my ideal is a decent PA but the cost is a bit much for me at the mo.
The Roland PM3 is 450-550 quid, purpose made but out of my price range at the mo.
I need something to play music on as well as since blowing my Aiwa I have nothing.
Just trying to kill 2 birds with a big blunderbus really.
Cheers.
 
Like I said, it's amazing how high a power you can hit when drumming

I always refused to allow my daughter to have a drum kit! - although she drummed a bit elsewhere, and had a bit of tuition.
 
Like I said, it's amazing how high a power you can hit when drumming

I always refused to allow my daughter to have a drum kit! - although she drummed a bit elsewhere, and had a bit of tuition
Click to expand...
You should have encouraged her, you never know!!!! £££££££££££££

As for the power, the kit I have has a thing on it that once the volume is set it doesn't matter how hard you hit them it will only go to that level.
 
My local TV station also has a "volume limiter" called a compressor. It is automatic so the sound man is not needed and is gone. The compressor is only used for the "anchors" who say the daily news.
But it is so slow that the first syllable of speech or background noise blasts through then it does its job a little later.
It also severely distorts loud speech and cuts the highs to reduce the distortion a little but then the speech sounds awful and unintelligible.
But the compressor is not used for commercials that sound perfect.
 
Lewie said:
You should have encouraged her, you never know!!!! £££££££££££££
Click to expand...

She mainly a bass guitar and keyboard player, but she's also gigged on flute, guitar, and piano accordian - plus she sings as well.

She's got multiple guitars and basses, we drew the line at drums as well

She's just coming to the end of her first year of Uni, five days to go - so she's not gigged for a good while now, but she did take her acoustic bass to Uni with her.
 
Quick question.
Totally different product.
Am I right in thinking that this item http://http://www.roland.co.uk/products/productdetails.aspx?p=577 doesn't need a amp??
Do you think it could handle what I want it to do?
Cheers.

Update. I have rang Roland and they say these would be fine for practice and I can even plug my cd player into it.
2 birds, one stone (I think)
Now what shall I do with those Jamo's..............
 
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The Roland speakers have low power amplifiers built-in. The speakers are small so will not be very loud.
The fairly old JVC amplifier is also fairly low power but the Jamo 165 speakers are bigger and might produce more sound from the low power. In the future you can use a more powerful amplifier with the Jamo speakers for more volume.
 

Hi AG.
I haven't got any of the above yet.
The Jamo's are coming as a freebie from a friend.
The JVC is for sale on ebay.
If there is a amp that would give me more oommph via the Jamo's then i'm open to suggestions.
At the mo the JVC is for sale on ebay.
I know nothing, but i'm getting there, about what's good with what (ohms, watts, amps, blah blah blah)
 
I saw people on the web discussing the cost of a pair of Jamo 165 speakers and $60.00 was mentioned.
The JVC amplifier is so old and low power that it is worth almost nothing. There are thousands of more powerful and newer amplifiers for the same price.
I would use a 120W RMS per channel into 8 ohms amplifier with the Jamo speakers.
 
$60 in Canada?
Be about £200 here then, we have to pay fortunes for most things.
O.K. Lets smash the JVC with a hammer and get back to no amp.
You say 120w RMS per channel, into 8 ohms. Any chance of some models that I can look at so I can get into my head what I am looking for?
Cheers.
 
[MOD: Off topic - please pm me for any problems with my decisions.]
 
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