Just powering tweeters from a 300w stereo amp via electronic crossover

[crazyboy]

Ok im trying to bi amp my speakers using a behringer electronic x-over.

I have 4 cabinets each with a :

• Highly efficient Piezo system
• Power max. 160W
• SPL 105dB

Impedance
@ 1kHz 1000 Ohm Impedance @ 25kHz about 50 ohms Frequency response 3kHz – 29kHz

The amp is rated 300watts between 4-8 ohms, will i damage the tweeters or amplifier if i run the system like this.....

[Loren42]

What exactly is the driver you have in the speaker box?

50 Ω seems weird to me, let alone 1 KΩ.

[JamesTRexx]

If you're worried about 300W, I've got a an EP2000 (500W/750W peak, 4 ohm) directly connected to two 0.75" tweeters in parallel. No protection, no safety, nothing. :-)

[Loren42]

Originally Posted by JamesTRexx

If you're worried about 300W, I've got a an EP2000 (500W/750W peak, 4 ohm) directly connected to two 0.75" tweeters in parallel. No protection, no safety, nothing. :-)

One of these days you are going to have a low frequency pop and you will wish you had a cap in line.

[Xoc1]

There is a lot of information on Piezo drivers here

Pulsar Developments Ltd - Piezo Tweeter Application Note

Basically your piezo tweeter box is rated for 25volts RMS which is about 75watts into an 8 ohm speaker. But it is able to take transient peaks equivalent to 300w / 8 ohm.

So Your piezo drivers should survive as long as you don't overdrive the amplifier.
You did not mention if your active crossover has built in limiters or not.
You should make sure that this amplifier is not driven to clipping.

Other point to make is if you have already aquired an active crossover and a spare amp to drive the tweeters , then you would be far better off buying some compression horns.
What crossover frequency are you thinking of using?

[JamesTRexx]

Originally Posted by Loren42

One of these days you are going to have a low frequency pop and you will wish you had a cap in line.

Not worried about that at all. I've had accidental pops powering off or on equipment while the power amp was on. This happened both with the Tannoys and my current speakers.
Besides, the tweeters have a pretty high power rating.

[crazyboy]

* Type: PA Speaker
* Diameter: 15 ”-380mm
* Products Frame: Steel
* Cone: Paper Cone
* Sensitivity (1W1M):96dB/m
* Nominal impedance: 8 ohm
* RMS power handling: 350W
* Magnet size 56oz
* Voice coil 2 1/2"
* Weight 5Kg
* Frq Resp 40 ~ 4KHz
Ok thats the woofer but i couldnt really see the relevance of the woofer as i was only asking about powering the piezo tweeters.

I have a behringer cx2310, at present im using a set of full range speakers for mid / highs so the woofer is wasted that is why im keen to bi - amp the cabinets

[Loren42]

Originally Posted by crazyboy

* Type: PA Speaker
* Diameter: 15 ”-380mm
* Products Frame: Steel
* Cone: Paper Cone
* Sensitivity (1W1M):96dB/m
* Nominal impedance: 8 ohm
* RMS power handling: 350W
* Magnet size 56oz
* Voice coil 2 1/2"
* Weight 5Kg
* Frq Resp 40 ~ 4KHz
Ok thats the woofer but i couldnt really see the relevance of the woofer as i was only asking about powering the piezo tweeters.

I have a behringer cx2310, at present im using a set of full range speakers for mid / highs so the woofer is wasted that is why im keen to bi - wire the cabinets

Bi-wire or Bi-amp?

[crazyboy]

sorry bi-amp lost myself in my own words, above post edited to rectify

[AndrewT]

since a piezo tweeter is seen as a capacitor by the amplifier, what effect does adding a series capacitor have on the voltages seen by the tweeter? both when the amp is behaving as designed and passing a clean audio signal and when misbehaving and sending a negative or positive pulse.
What if that pulse is nearly half a square wave, i.e. a longer duration signal or simply a transient peak that decays quickly over a few hundred milliseconds.