A500 bridged mono

[Hakka]

I am currently using a Behringer A500 to power a pair 12" shiva sonosubs (4ohms each). I am thinking of upgrading to a more powerful amp, I have been lighting up the clip indicator a bit since I beefed up my house curve.

The manual states that it can only handle an 8 ohm load in bridged mono. The amp is equipped with a thermanl protection circuit.

If I was to try a 4ohm load in bridged mode and the amp couldn't handle it, I'm assuming the thermal protection will kick in. Is this right or is there other dangers involved?

Eventually i will upgrade to a EP2500, but in the meantime I want to be able to push at lest one sub a buit harder than I am now.

Hakka.

[brucek]

With two 4 ohm drivers, how would you provide a total 4 ohm load?

[Hakka]

I am just talking about running a single 4 ohm sub.

[brandonnash]

I may be wrong, but I don't think you'll get much more out of that amp. I would just leave it as is. One speaker to each channel. You're running a 4 ohm load for each channel so that's about the max the amp can put out.

My guess, if you were to try to hook it up mono 4 ohms, one of a couple things will happen. Either it will shut off as soon as it is hooked up either from going into thermal protection mode or from blowing a fuse (if it has any), or it may be able to play until a passage of music that dips the subs a good deal below 8 ohms and then once again throws it into protection. Upgrade if you're wanting more out of it.

[brandonnash]

And I would ask if you'd be willing to sell that amp, but it seems we're worlds apart distance wise.

[Hakka]

I will definately be upgrading, I was just keen to try it in the meantime.

Hakka.

[Otto]

brandonnash is right -- you can try it for a while and see how far it goes before it shuts down. If you're already pushing it to its limits with your current set up, it doesn't have much more to give. Plus, I think you'll get more volume out of the two subs than the one with an increased amp. Two properly set up subs should give you a 6 dB increase, while you would have to go 4x in power to get the same increase in SPL. That amp doesn't have 4x more to give.

That's just what I'm thinking. If I were you, I would do it. That's just exactly the kind of thing I would do. Just turn the volume up slowly...

[mike c]

I tried two 4 ohm car speakers on the a500 and it didn't shut down ... just mildly warm. though the speaker sensitivities were in the 90's

[brandonnash]

Did you have them hooked up serial or parallel? one gives you a 2 ohm load, the other 8.

[mike c]

brandonnash wrote:

Did you have them hooked up serial or parallel? one gives you a 2 ohm load, the other 8.

IIRC, I believe I was running a single 4 ohm speaker on a BRIDGED behringer a500.

and it was barely warm.

[Warmon]

Hakka wrote:

I am just talking about running a single 4 ohm sub.

Don't the Shiva's have dual voice coils?

[Mike P.]

Yes they do. They are dual 8 ohm coils.