Power amps and Epifani cabs...

[DMX]

[quote name='obbm' post='150462' date='Mar 3 2008, 04:36 PM']You mustn't use Epi cabs with valve power amps or all-valve heads.[/quote]

This issue has come up several times before, so I e-mailed Epifani about it and they updated their FAQ:

Q: I have heard that using a tube power amp can damage Epifani drivers - is that true?

A: "Apparently there was some confusion regarding my generalized statement on the use of tube power amps and speakers. Let me clear this up once and for all.

Basically, a speaker cone can break up in two ways as the wave forms emanate off the speaker - Axially and Conically. As the wave form moves out along the cone of the driver the wave can broken by the subtle twisting of the cone itself. That is referred to as “Conical Break-up mode”. “Axial Break Up mode” happens when the cone stops moving like a piston and begins to flex axially from the voice coil to the top of the cone. Due to the low damping factor of most tube power amplifiers, there is less control over the driver than with most modern solid state or digital amps. Less control means a greater excursion of the driver and more opportunities for the driver to break up either Axially or Conically. The net result of that effect manifests itself in the overall wear and tear of the driver. The lifespan of the driver will be shorter - how much shorter depends on how rigorously the speaker is used.

So what does this mean to a working bass player? Basically if you run any rig within some common sense parameters it will work fine for years. Use and abuse a rig and it will get damaged. We strongly suggest that you experiment with our products and anyone else\'s in pursuit of \"your\" tone. Our cabinets work fine with tube power amps and we have a history of players who love these cabinets and use them in conjunction with their tube power amps. "

FWIW, I use a Epi 410UL (Series I) with a Trace v4 all-valve head without any problems, and it sounds fantastic. I also think there is some debate as to whether valve amps inherently have less damping than SS amps or not.

[obbm]

Excellent. That is a far better response than the one I got. All is now clear.