New Guy with Stupid Question Here

[mts1979]

The two seem to go hand in hand usually...

Anyways, I own a 5150 and, as of about an hour ago, a Marshall 1960A cab. The 1960, unlike my previous cab, has actual options concerning how to hook it up. What's the best way to set this up with the 5150? 8 ohms? 16 ohms? Stereo? Mono? It's all new to me. Help me out guys.

 

[Nitronium Blood]

Ok I don't know about the Stereo and Mono bit, but I believe Andy favours 8 Ohms, because apparently at that ohmage the bottm end is supposedly more powerful.

 

[Razorjack]

The 5150 is a mono head so set up the cab in mono.

 

[mts1979]

Wait a minute though...on the back of this cab it says that in stereo mode each side is 8 ohms, but in mono you've got either 4 ohms or 16. What's that all about?

(note: i have no doubt that this sounds incredibly stupid to most of you. Bear with me -- i've never owned something this decent before so I never learned how it works).

 

[LydonB]

yeah...im in the same boat as you mts. i don't know if i need to set the 5150 head to 4, 8, or 16 ohms for a cabinet that is 2 16 ohm vintage 30's wired in parallel for an 8 ohm cabinet. i guess the 5150 would have to be set to 8 ohms. but i have no clue

 

[mts1979]

I'm pretty sure my 5150 has two outs on the back of it...could you use both of those and hook it up stereo?

 

[JeffTD]

No - it wouldn't be stereo. Stereo requires 2 poweramps. You'd just be driving each speaker with one output of the 5150's amp.

 

[dreamcatcher]

Anyone else bothered by this whole "stereo" amp mystique? I mean, practically speaking, you've (hopefully) got two ears, so even one speaker run off one amp is in a stereo field....

How would two poweramps each with a cab be any more stereo than two cabs off the same power amp? It's not like any two cabs sound exactly alike.

Now, stereo effects is another matter, but even then it is an artificial artist's objectivity imposed upon what becomes a subjective listener experience.

Or am I just really tired?