QuestionQUESTION: what size amp should i choose to run 8 6 1/2s(40 watts rms)(240 watts max)( 4 ohms)?
what size amp for 8 6x9s(90 watts rms)(500 watts max)(4 ohms)?
could i run 8 4in at 20 watts rms 140 watts max at 4ohms, with
8 4x6s at 30 watts rms 60 watts max at 4 ohms on one amp and what size should i use?
ANSWER: Just to be clear - is the 4 ohms the impedance of each speaker, or the combined impedance for however you have them wired up?
Here's the rule of thumb - just make sure the impedance of the speaker combination is equal to or greater than the output impedance of the amplifier (NEVER EVER less - you'll blow the amp), and the combined wattage of the speaker array is greater than that of the amp - if not, you could blow the speakers.
For example - for 8 speakers combined in a 240watt, 4 ohm array - the amp needs to have a 4 ohm (or less) output impedance, and less than 240 watts output.
I hope this helps.
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: the 4 ohms is the impedance of each speaker. should i add up the total watts for each load,or does it matter?( 8 speakers=4000 watts max or 8 speakers at 4 ohms not exceeding 500 watts?
AnswerBefore I can answer that - how many channels are you planning on running? 2 channel stereo? 5 channel surround? mono?
The amp should list the watts per channel. Whatever that figure is, make sure your speaker array adds up to equal of more wattage (use the RMS values)
Matching the impedance is another story... do you know how to wire speaker arrays in different configurations to change the impedance of the total load?
More on that can be found here in case you're not familiar with it (the article is aimed at guitar cabinets, but the electrical theory is all the same):
http://www.jumbosunshade.com/swd01.htm
