A Word About Speaker Cabinet Power Ratings

When discussing power ratings, there are two important factors to consider, the driver's thermal rating and the actual perfomance of the drivers within the enclosure. Driver thermal ratings refer to the amount of heat the driver's voice coil can sustain before failure. It's also important to consider the amount of power the driver can actually handle, before it exceeds maximum excursion (Xmax) at any given frequency. The power level at which your speaker cabinet can still produce low frequencies before the driver exceed Xmax and distorts, will be less than the thermal rating. It is also dependant on many factors, including player technique and EQ settings. For example: A 5 string bassist with an aggressive attack and boosted bass frequencies, will place a much greater demand on the drivers compared to a 4 string bassist that leaves the EQ flat and plays with a lighter touch.

Because so many variables exist, we do not use driver thermal ratings alone and instead, determine our power ratings by combining driver specs with computer based cabinet modeling and live experience. This allows us to rate the cabinets with what we feel is a good indication of the amount of power that you can safely expect your cabinet to handle.

Be sure you are purchasing a speaker system with enough capacity to handle the full dynamics of your playing style and reach your desired volume levels!