Sunn Beta Bass - 500w Coliseum Slave question

[snarzdar]

OK. I just bought a silver face coliseum slave on ebay assuming it was a 300 watt amp (2 ohm load right?) Well it ended up being a 500 watt amp.

Emperor is building me a 215/412 stack. Originally I asked for a 300 watt 215 but now I'm thinking I'm going to need 600 watt cabs. Cabs will be 4 ohm.

This is how I would run it.

Beta Bass pre amp channel 1 to the coliseum slave.
slave speaker out to the 412.
412 chain out to the 215.

This should push 500 watts through each cab correct?

Please help. I need to know before they put in the drivers and speakers.

Thanks guys!

[EdBass]

Allright, once again I'll mention that I'm not the swiftest when it comes to transistor Sunns, but...

How do you figure your amp is 500 watts? By what measuring criteria? Does it have additional output transistors and different power supply? Is it some sort of prototype?
500 watts through each of two cabs would require a 1000 watt amp, and even if your amp is indeed 500 watts @ 2 ohms, it would only be 275 or so @ 4ohms, or are you shooting for each cab to be 4 ohms for a total 2 ohm load?

Finally, watts ain't that big a deal, a 500 watt amp is maybe a couple dB louder than a 300 watt amp.
I know it's fun to talk/brag about watts, but if loud is your goal watts is only a little piece of the big picture. The speakers are far more crucial to loud, if you want impressive stage volume double your speakers. 

[snarzdar]

I'm chaining the cabs together for a 2 ohm load. Back of the amp says 500 watts. I just don't want to overload my speakers.

[MammothVolume]

Your amp isn't 500 watts. If it's above or under the power cord, it's total draw of the amp.

The Coliseum series were rated a 320W at 2 ohms.

you're getting two 4 ohm cabs?

Even the 880 wasn't 500 watts. It was 880 peak-to-peak, which puts it at somewhere around 310W watts @2 ohms.

[CLD]

On page 41 of the '74 catalog, it reads the Coliseum Slave's "rated output rises as more speakers are added to the syustem until it reaches 320 watts RMS (880 watts peak) in a two ohm load."

Don't worry, Kenny, a Coliseum at full tilt wil be PLENTY loud.

Carter

[snarzdar]

Awesome. Thanks guys. I originally thought they were 300 watt amps. That 500 scared me when I saw it today.

[loudthud]

On the back of a Coliseum it says:

Power Requirement
117VAC 60Hz 500W

That does not mean the power output is 500W, it means 500W is required from the AC Mains (wall outlet).

[EdBass]

On the back of a Coliseum it says:

Power Requirement
117VAC 60Hz 500W

That does not mean the power output is 500W, it means 500W is required from the AC Mains (wall outlet).

Of course, you may be getting a smidgen more power than rated output depending on your actual wall voltage. I generally get 122-124VAC at my house.

[snarzdar]

Thanks a lot guys. You never fail me!