Input power for TLAH/SLAH Pro?

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climbikejk
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Input power for TLAH/SLAH Pro?

#1 Post by climbikejk »

Short and sweet

What is the recommended input power for one TLAH Pro and, separately, one SLAH Pro? (I've never seen these numbers listed anywhere). Anyone have an amp that they recommend for TLAH Pros or SLAH Pros?


Thanks in advance.

Grant Bunter
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Re: Input power for TLAH/SLAH Pro?

#2 Post by Grant Bunter »

I think that answer would depend on the drivers you put in the cab(s), in terms of a number in volts.

The recommended driver for the SLA Pro (I only have older plans) is the Eminence Alpha 6A.

Now this is a sidestep, but in the WH6 plans it says that the Alpha 6A will reach Xmax at 120Hz with around 50W.
Since the SLA Pro is 4 of these drivers, series/parallel wired, that would suggest roughly 100W to reach Xmax, perhaps slightly more as the SLA Pro is not a horn cab like the WH6.

It doesn't sound like much right?
Brent Evans uses a lot of SLA Pros.
And he says that the cabs are as loud as DR200's as a comparison. But he does use multiples each side when required.
So it's not particularly about power handling capability as such, but perceived loudness.
Series/parallel wired drivers in an SLA Pro will yield an 8 ohm nominal impedance cab.
Tops or mains don't need as much power as subs.

You can draw similar conclusions about the TLAH Pro.
Using 8 x Alpha 8A drivers, your cabs will have a nominal impedance of 4 ohms.
I can't give you a ballpark voltage rating for this cab though (the WH8 uses Beta 8a's)

While the SLA Pro is as simple a box as the Simplexx line, the TLAH Pro has more complicated cuts in some sections.

The choice of either of these cabs is generally more about the form factor they give you.
And the requirement to build the cabs with so many drivers often makes them quite expensive on a cab to cab basis, compared to say an Otop or DR series cab.

So, tell us what your application would be...
Built:
DR 250: x 2 melded array, 2x CD horn, March 2012 plans.
T39's: 4 x 20" KL3010LF , 2 x 28" 3012LF.
WH8: x 6 with melded array wired series/parallel.
Bunter's Audio and Lighting "like"s would be most appreciated...

climbikejk
Posts: 53
Joined: Sat Dec 18, 2010 9:29 pm

Re: Input power for TLAH/SLAH Pro?

#3 Post by climbikejk »

Thanks Grant. I do have all the plans (from several years ago, as well as the latest updates) but because I don't have them in front of me, at work, I didn't know if the divers are configured in such a way that the input power would to be several times one driver or not.

My plan is to build 2 TLAH Pros as my front L/R channels, likely 1 SLAH Pro as my center, and I'm not sure about my rears...was thinking TLAH Pro's as well. Subs would be THTs, but I have all the info I need for the THTs.

Grant Bunter
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Re: Input power for TLAH/SLAH Pro?

#4 Post by Grant Bunter »

Given that many of Bill's HT subs designs are so loud that high 20's in volts fed into them has most people turning down, you're not going to need huge output from your receiver channels for the mains/tops/centre/rears.

What is the output of your receiver?
Built:
DR 250: x 2 melded array, 2x CD horn, March 2012 plans.
T39's: 4 x 20" KL3010LF , 2 x 28" 3012LF.
WH8: x 6 with melded array wired series/parallel.
Bunter's Audio and Lighting "like"s would be most appreciated...

climbikejk
Posts: 53
Joined: Sat Dec 18, 2010 9:29 pm

Re: Input power for TLAH/SLAH Pro?

#5 Post by climbikejk »

I don't have any amps yet....currently running an old Sony 100wx5 channel pushing Acoustic Research speakers (2xAR1, 1xAR2C, and 2xAR15). Everything works very well, but they're just old. (I wrote in an older post about my receiver being so old I can't control the levels, speaker by speaker.) This would just be an upgrade. I've read enough posts about using the Dayton SA-1000 for THTs, so that's pretty much locked up. Do you (or anybody else reading this) have any amp recommendations for TLAH/SLAH Pros?

Grant Bunter
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Re: Input power for TLAH/SLAH Pro?

#6 Post by Grant Bunter »

Not me lol.

I'm still using 80's Marantz gear for Hifi and don't have HT at all...
Built:
DR 250: x 2 melded array, 2x CD horn, March 2012 plans.
T39's: 4 x 20" KL3010LF , 2 x 28" 3012LF.
WH8: x 6 with melded array wired series/parallel.
Bunter's Audio and Lighting "like"s would be most appreciated...

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Tom Smit
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Re: Input power for TLAH/SLAH Pro?

#7 Post by Tom Smit »

climbikejk wrote:
My plan is to build 2 TLAH Pros as my front L/R channels, likely 1 SLAH Pro as my center, and I'm not sure about my rears...was thinking TLAH Pro's as well. Subs would be THTs, but I have all the info I need for the THTs.
Woah! How big is the room!?! Regular TLAH and SLA cabs will be plenty for most homes.
TomS

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Drey Chennells
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Re: Input power for TLAH/SLAH Pro?

#8 Post by Drey Chennells »

Tom Smit wrote:
climbikejk wrote:
My plan is to build 2 TLAH Pros as my front L/R channels, likely 1 SLAH Pro as my center, and I'm not sure about my rears...was thinking TLAH Pro's as well. Subs would be THTs, but I have all the info I need for the THTs.
Woah! How big is the room!?! Regular TLAH and SLA cabs will be plenty for most homes.
Definitely. From experience, unless you're in a 2x height and sized commercial space TLAH and SLA will normally be overkill with tons of headroom. Input voltage is not as relevant as with pro cabs because the application will not normally require more than the usual 50-100 watt receiver power.
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climbikejk
Posts: 53
Joined: Sat Dec 18, 2010 9:29 pm

Re: Input power for TLAH/SLAH Pro?

#9 Post by climbikejk »

Tom Smit wrote:
climbikejk wrote:
My plan is to build 2 TLAH Pros as my front L/R channels, likely 1 SLAH Pro as my center, and I'm not sure about my rears...was thinking TLAH Pro's as well. Subs would be THTs, but I have all the info I need for the THTs.
Woah! How big is the room!?! Regular TLAH and SLA cabs will be plenty for most homes.
My family room/TV room isn't huge, but it's decent sized. I don't expect to live in this house for the rest of my life, so I'll likely upgrade at some point. I think it's safe to say that if anybody's looking to build a BFM speaker, they're into excess. :)

To the other poster, thanks for the 50-100W numbers. It's nice to know a typical HT receiver will work for BFM mains/center/rears.

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Tom Smit
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Re: Input power for TLAH/SLAH Pro?

#10 Post by Tom Smit »

I'll just repeat, and say that the regular versions (not Pro) will be plenty.
TomS

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