is there any danger running 2 200w 16 ohm 4x12 cabinets off the beta lead with the stock speakers. the ohms i get, the wattage confuses me. it says "4 ohms 100w max" off the back of the lead. i just want the loud, not the sound of exploding amps, know what i mean?
thanks
First, an amplifier doesn't give a rat’s ass how many watts the speakers attached to it are rated for. All it cares about is the impedance to current flow the speaker presents to it.
The relationship between impedance (measured in ohms) and wattage are simple with solid state amps. The higher the impedance, the less current the amp will flow.
Imagine a water faucet; wide open it represents very little impedance to the water flow (like a 4 ohm load on your beta), and half open it represents roughly twice the impedance to water flow as a wide open valve (like your beta with an 8 ohm load). The amount of water that comes out at different levels of impedance (as in impede; to retard in movement or progress by means of obstacles or hindrances; obstruct; hinder.) is a crude example of the work force, measured in “watts”, that your amp will produce.
The only real danger is showing the amp a load so low in impedance that it becomes unstable, that’s when you get to experience the cool, but costly sound of exploding amps.
With solid state amps, it doesn’t matter
what the impedance is as long as it’s not too low. In the case of your beta, it’s rated at 100 watts with a 4 ohm load. What that label is telling you is; “If you go below a 4 ohm load, you’re on your own. Stand at a safe distance”. Anything higher will work just fine, but as your impedance climbs, you are in effect “shutting your water valve”, and less current will flow. With an 8 ohm load the beta probably makes 60 watts or so, and so on.
By the way, except for “an amplifier doesn't give a rat’s ass how many watts the speakers attached to it are rated for. All it cares about is the impedance to current flow the speaker presents to it.”,
NONE OF THE ABOVE IS RELEVANT TO VACUUM TUBE AMPS.
