What amp for 18 sub

For performing musicians and engineers: stagecraft, engineering and gear.
Post Reply

What amp for 18 sub

Post by sandquad1 »

One 18 sub at 8 oms 2000 watts
What amp would be best match
Rockville PGB 18
sandquad1
Posts: 1 Joined: Mon Sep 27, 2021 10:17 pm

Re: What amp for 18 sub

Post by Wonks »

In Rockville's own YouTube demo, they used a Crest Audio Pro Lite 3.0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nDUV5ZQSEg

It's a 1000W RMS speaker, 1500W is the program power handling and 2000W the peak power. For maximum volume output you're best getting an amp that matches the program power rating, so either an amp that can provide 1500W per channel if you are using two subs, or can provide 1500W into 8 ohms if using a two-channel amp in bridged mode.

Assuming a single sub, that Crest Audio (Peavey) Pro Lite 3.0 will provide 1550W RMS into 8 ohms, so is a good match. There will be cheaper amps, but that's the sort of spec to look out for. For two subs, you can either go with an amp per unit (which keeps you going if one amp packs up) or a two channel amp giving 1500W RMS per channel into 8 ohms.

If you want to stay with Rockville, then their D12 power amp puts out 1400W into 8 ohms bridged mode and is a lot less money than the Crest. The difference between 1400W and 1500W in terms of dB SPL the speaker puts out is almost nothing

https://www.rockvilleaudio.com/d12/

However there is normally a reason one amp costs more than another one, especially when both are made in China, plus the fact that Rockville preferred to use the Crest amp over their own.

There will be many more amps out there that claim a similar output, so have a look round. Ultimately your budget will be the determining factor.
User avatar
Wonks
Jedi Poster
Posts: 18670 Joined: Thu May 29, 2003 12:00 am Location: Reading, UK
Reliably fallible.

Re: What amp for 18 sub

Post by Wonks »

Also, the connecting cable needs to be of a suitable size, as 1500W into 8 ohms is over 13A of current. So a minimum of 2.5mm2 if the power amp is situated close to the sub, say 2m-3m, but I'd go to 4mm2 if the sub is likely to be situated much further away than that to avoid volt drop and power loss.
User avatar
Wonks
Jedi Poster
Posts: 18670 Joined: Thu May 29, 2003 12:00 am Location: Reading, UK
Reliably fallible.

Re: What amp for 18 sub

Post by prerich »

I'm using a D14 for two high end Acoustic Elegance 15 subs in my system. So far it hasn't disappointed me. I've heard that Rockville stretches the truth on it's powerhandling - however I was content that if it did half of the claimed 2000w rms - I'd be alright with it. It seems to run between 109F and 117F but never above. I've never drove it into clipping either.
prerich
Posts: 1 Joined: Wed Apr 13, 2022 7:02 pm
Post Reply