Do I need more power?

Hi, I'm not an expert on this, so I'm not totally sure why I understand the significance of the ohm-age. What's meant by "clipping your amp." Please 'splain?

(Also, someone just told me that 60 watts is just not enough power. Is that right?)

You wrote: "...(it) starts to break up a bit if I turn the volume way up." With a smallish speaker and a low-medium powered tube integrated amplifier, this is what is to be expected. You say the set-up has "great sound", which is most of what we are all aiming for, and I am glad for you. But this sort of rig is not meant for - and is not what one should get for - playing at REALLY LOUD volumes. It's just not going to be able to do it. The only things I would suggest you check (or have checked) to make sure everything's right is the output tube biasing (and the condition/age of those tubes if you didn't buy it new), and that the output transformer taps are 4-ohm rated. But again, since you think it sounds fine at normal volumes, my guess is that it's working as intended.

P.S. - "Clipping" just means the same thing as "breaking up"; it refers to the waveform getting squared-off at the top and bottom as amplitude surpasses the amp's ability to drive the load cleanly, producing obvious distortion products as a result.

Right, thanks. Now, Im not usually listening to stuff at realy loud volumes, but sometimes I would like to. Is that just not do-able with this setup? Or is there something I can add to it?

Hello Rhharris,

Most speakers require only a few watts to play at a moddest level. However, anything with a dynamic passage whether it be a horns, cymbals or drums can require as moch as ten fold. Essentially, what happens when you play something requiring a great deal of power the amp provides what it is normally capable ofand, since the sine wave cannot be completed it simply squares off. Think of an ice cream cone with the top cut off. Hence the term "clipping".

The other expressed conscern is the fact that your speakers present a 4 ohm load. Taking this into consideration it is unlikley that clipping is the case. Think of ohms, in which is a measurement of resistance, as a group of people guarding a doorway and current as an other group of people trying to pass through that doorway. Simply put, the more Ohms (guards) the less current (people) will be able to slip through and vica versa. Because your speakers offer a lesser load (resistance) than your amp was presented with when its output was measered, it can actually produce more than 60 watts without "clipping". Thus, I would conclude, as Sean suggested, that you are driving the speakers too hard not the amp.

I would also agree with Elevick's suggestion. Limmiting the bass responce to the speakers no only takes the strain off your amp but more importantly your speakers.

Happy Listening
Damon

Thanks to all for all the advice. On the Velodyne subs, there's a huge price range. Any suggestions? What do i need?

Also, does this mean i shld just stick with the amp? That is, it sounds like getting an amp with more watts wont make a difference since the speaker cldnt handle more anyway. Is that right? (But that confuses me because i was able to turn the volume up higher on my previous amp -- a cheap yamaha solid state -- without clipping.)