Question Advice on mini amplifier for bassface speakers??

[Bobbob]

Hi guys,

I've got a set of bassface SPLBOX.3W 600W speakers -

• 300W RMS / 600W MAXIMUM Power Handling Per Pair (100Hz crossover) - 2 Way Stereo Box Speaxaker System - Long Throw 6.5 inch bass driver

Please could anyone advice me on a little sized amplifier to match the speakers? Like about the size of the little 2020a amplifiers?

Or even just what specs I need - so I can look myself. Am I right in understanding that I need a 600w amp?

Thanks for the help!

 

[RBZ5416]

Am I right in understanding that I need a 600w amp?

No, nor anything like it. The 600W figure is best ignored as a marketing ploy.

The important figure is the RMS rating of 300W, but this is a maximum. The next most important things are the impedance & sensitivity. Impedance is 8 ohm so no problem there but sensitivity isn't mentioned. This is the real measure of how loud a speaker is for a given input. So how much power you need is hard to say. A T-class amp like the 2020a may suffice depending on how loud you want to go & the environment it will be used in. Only way to find out is to try one.

 

[Bobbob]

Thanks croc! That'll help narrow down my search. 300w rms. I'll see if I can find out the sensitivity.

I've got a 2020a - it's small size is perfect - but if I turn the volume up past half the power seems to cut out. So I thought maybe the amp was too small.

 

[RBZ5416]

So I thought maybe the amp was too small.

Sounds like you do indeed need more power. I have no experience of T-amps so hopefully others can chip in.

 

[dogfonos]

Crocodile is right, you certainly don't need anything like a 600W RMS amplifier to drive these speakers to high volumes. Connect a true 600W RMS amp to these speakers, max out the volume and you won't see the speakers for smoke.

Are these the speakers?
SPLBOX.3W 8Ohm Waterproof Mini Box Speaker Pair 300w RMS White

The specifications stated are misleading. Sadly, not all specs are true and some (like these, IMO) are intended to mislead. For instance...

"Speaker Maximum Recommended Power RMS (Watts) (One Speaker, Using Appropriate Crossover) = 150"

Appropriate crossover? What's that all about? Is the suggestion that these speakers need to be fitted with a high pass filter (to remove bass) to meet the 150W RMS power handling spec? Actually, that's likely to be true, IMO.

And...

"System Frequency Response (Hz) (Indicative Of Usable Range But Not Suitability) = 40-20000"

And...

"Full Speaker System Recommended RMS (Watts) (Using Pair/Full Set Of Speakers Not Necessarily Included & Appropriate Crossover) = 300"

Absolute tosh, IMO of course.

Oh, and did you read between the lies (Oops, Freudian slip. I meant to say 'lines') of the blurb...

"Please note that the speaker has a white painted metal grille which will need to be regularly maintainted to ensure long term good looks."

i.e. the grills will rust if they so much as sniff moisture, IMO.

If the quoted 95dB/W @ 1m sensitivity and 8 Ohm impedance figures are correct, then your mini-amp should drive them to high volumes but as you've found, it doesn't so the stated specs are garbage (or maybe your mini amp is?).

My low powered (about 8 W RMS/channel) class T mini-amp drives small inefficient speakers to moderate volumes before clipping but it's not a particularly pleasant sound as I guess it's struggling at anything above low volumes.

Any half decent 30W to 50W RMS/channel into 8 Ohm amp (and I mean a real 30 - 50W amp - not one with fake specs) should be fine for this type of speaker, assuming the speakers are working correctly. If a 30W amp doesn't give the volume you desire then I suspect you've chosen the wrong speaker for your application - or the speakers are duds.

 

[RBZ5416]

So it looks like they've taken further liberties with power handling by multiplying both speakers. So the maximum is down to 150W.