16 ohms

[VRICKY63]

Can I run my Traynor YBA200 all tube amp into one 16 ohm speaker ? The amp has an ohm switch for 4 and 8 ohms .

[jps]

You can safely run it in the 8 Ohm position.

[VRICKY63]

Always good to see Mr Scott show up . Thank You . Rick Carlos - VRICKY63 formerly Barry Carlos - zoomduck

[jps]

[rictified]

Well, that's right to a degree but you are really not supposed to run a tube amp into an improper impedance and too high is worse than too low. You will not get as much power and the amp will run a little hotter. I have done it though, but they are not like SS amps which can run open with no harm. (no speaker)

[jps]

You will not get as much power and the amp will run a little hotter.

Hmm, I have read the opposite by Gerald Weber. He stated that running a tube amp with a higher impedance than the rated load (up to 100% max) the amp will run cooler, which is safer than the opposite (100% lower load). Which is really correct?

[soundmasterg]

Running a 16 ohm speaker on an 8 ohm tap will work but is not ideal of course. You will get more distortion and less power that way, though your tubes will run cooler and last longer. If you ran a 4 ohm speaker into an 8 ohm load, then you also get less power, but the tubes are running very hot and you run the risk of arcing inside the output transformer depending on how loudly you play. If you have to mismatch, the running a higher speaker impedance than your load is preferred for safety reasons, but the best approach is to just match things up.

Some SS amps can run ok with no load, but only if they have protections built into the amp. It is always best to make sure you have a load on the amp whether SS or tube, especially in your plan to run a signal through it.

Greg

[VRICKY63]

I'll only run it in the 16 ohm cab for a few minutes to see how the cab is working . My final setup will be 2 16 ohm cabs daisy chained together for an 8 ohm load . I think thats right ?

[soundmasterg]

With what you have in mind that will be fine. I ran a Silvertone 1484 head into an 8 ohm speaker cabinet for at least 5 years, and the amp only has 2.6 ohm and 4 ohm taps out of the very small output transformer. It still is working just fine to this day. If you run two daisy chained 16 ohm cabinets into the 8 ohm tap on your amp, you will be matching the loads up well and should get good power and volume. It will work best live if you split the cabinets up on stage so they are spread apart.

Greg

[rictified]

You are not going to blow up an amp by running it too high, you will probably just wear out the tubes more quickly as I have heard both too high and too low will prematurely wear a tube amp. There are many opinions on this as you've seen of course but the conventional wisdom is to match a tube amp. A few seconds at 16 ohms won't bother your amp at all. I unknowingly ran an SVT into an 8 ohm load for several years (2 and 4 ohm taps only) and I definitely noticed the lack of power and so did my bandmates but I just thought my tubes were going. The conventional wisdom also is that you can run a SS amp with no load, I have before used one for a preamp only, it did not bother it but then again it was an Ampeg
I also don't agree on splitting cabs it annoys the guys on the other side of the stage to no end and unless you are way out in front of both of them in the middle like on a big stage you will not hear the other one and you will turn them up too loud, (I know). When I run two cabs I put them side by side and it sounds like a wall of sound.
I once used to use JBL scoops with an SVT head (they sounded terrible, almost as bad as acoustic 360's, big woof), the drummer came up with the bright idea of putting one on each side of him, the speakers were about at ear level, he looked like he was shell shocked at the end of the set and said "get those damn things away from me that's all I can hear", haha!

[VRICKY63]

Yeah ...I've tried the split a few times in concert and was not comfortable with so much volume in the middle . I like both cabs behind me and back about 15' .

[jwr2]

I have run an ampeg b2r without speakers using the direct out into a pa and it worked fine ... but is sounds better running into 10" speakers ...