Powering Cubo 15

Hi all
Currently in the process of building a pair of extended Cubo 15s, loaded with Fane Sov Pro 15-500, which I am told is a good driver for the cab. Going to be using them to play top 40/live keyboard. Contemplating a few options, regarding powering them. Option 1; Studiomaster AX3500 in stereo mode, 710 watts per cab. Option 2; Cubo 15s in parallel (4ohm load), AX 3500 in bridge giving 1450 watts per cab. Option 3; a pair of bridged Yamaha P3500s, 900 watts per cab.
I am tempted just to go with the simple option 1, but am unsure as to whether this would give enough headroom. By contrast, option 2 has a positive surfeit of headroom, but I have very severe reservations about running the amp in 4ohm bridge. There is also a bit of a spanner in the works with regard to option 3, inasmuch as I only have one P3500 at the moment, so would have to acquire a second, at £400 ish, and I'm just not convinced that the extra 190watts per cab, over the AX3500 in stereo would be worth the expense.
Of course there's option 4, AX3500 in stereo, for now, and save for something capable of, say, 1200-1300 per cab,
So turning this little conundrum over to the collective wisdom now, which option would you go for and why?
Any and all help gratefully appreciated. Ta ever so!

I reckon you should go with bridged at 4ohm just cause if you go for the sloppy option you'll end up replacing it so it will be more expensive. 1450 per cab is fine for a sovereign, I have an 18" sovereign and I don't like it haha but it's just coz of the horn they are in

one cubo15 per channel is fine. 710w/channel into a 500w driver is perfectly fine.... bridging the amp will give you tons of head room but will prob. make it run very hot.

...using the AX3500.

TMH MUSIC wrote: Hi all
Currently in the process of building a pair of extended Cubo 15s, loaded with Fane Sov Pro 15-500, which I am told is a good driver for the cab. Going to be using them to play top 40/live keyboard. Contemplating a few options, regarding powering them. Option 1; Studiomaster AX3500 in stereo mode, 710 watts per cab. Option 2; Cubo 15s in parallel (4ohm load), AX 3500 in bridge giving 1450 watts per cab. Option 3; a pair of bridged Yamaha P3500s, 900 watts per cab.
I am tempted just to go with the simple option 1, but am unsure as to whether this would give enough headroom. By contrast, option 2 has a positive surfeit of headroom, but I have very severe reservations about running the amp in 4ohm bridge. There is also a bit of a spanner in the works with regard to option 3, inasmuch as I only have one P3500 at the moment, so would have to acquire a second, at £400 ish, and I'm just not convinced that the extra 190watts per cab, over the AX3500 in stereo would be worth the expense.
Of course there's option 4, AX3500 in stereo, for now, and save for something capable of, say, 1200-1300 per cab,
So turning this little conundrum over to the collective wisdom now, which option would you go for and why?
Any and all help gratefully appreciated. Ta ever so!

While I personally love bridged mono, and have even experimented with amps not designed to do tht, there are some vital factors I think you are over looking! I will concentrate on just the AX3500 for the purpose of keeping the typing relatively brief.
Ratings for that amp:
Both channels @ 8 ohms RMS 710 watts
Both channels @ 4 ohms RMS 1100 watts
Both channels @ 2 ohms RMS 1450 watts
Bridged @ 8 ohms RMS 2200 watts
Bridged @ 4 ohms RMS 2900 watts

In bridged mono each channel is seeing half the impedance load. You have to be sure with each configuration you are considering you match the impedance loads and power ratings accurately ! A pair of 8 ohm cabinets in parallel is 4 ohms, AX3500 in bridge mode is 2900 watts. It may be just me, but I don't care for plans where I am likely to lose my drivers shortly into a gig!

When matching cabs to amps it is beat to consider continuous and peak power at both ends. A bit extra at the amp end can give you some safe headroom, too much and you are asking your drivers to fail!!!

TMH MUSIC wrote: Hi all
Currently in the process of building a pair of extended Cubo 15s, loaded with Fane Sov Pro 15-500, Going to be using them to play top 40/live keyboard.

You have 2 very different applications there, for top40 music(depending on the vintage) you could probably use the bridged amp without issue but when playing keyboards through it you would be well advised to keep it closer to the RMS rating or risk burning up the voice coils. Also note that by definition amp headroom is power that never gets used, and to get the most from a speaker in all applications you want an amp capable of delivering it's program power rating, but to do that safely you need some way of limiting the amp to a safe power level and protecting the driver from over excursion at frequencies below box tuning, so you really need an amp with built-in DSP processing or a separate PA processor.

conanski wrote:

TMH MUSIC wrote: Hi all
Currently in the process of building a pair of extended Cubo 15s, loaded with Fane Sov Pro 15-500, Going to be using them to play top 40/live keyboard.

You have 2 very different applications there, for top40 music(depending on the vintage) you could probably use the bridged amp without issue but when playing keyboards through it you would be well advised to keep it closer to the RMS rating or risk burning up the voice coils. Also note that by definition amp headroom is power that never gets used, and to get the most from a speaker in all applications you want an amp capable of delivering it's program power rating, but to do that safely you need some way of limiting the amp to a safe power level and protecting the driver from over excursion at frequencies below box tuning, so you really need an amp with built-in DSP processing or a separate PA processor.

conanski, that is pretty pertinent advice...but he is currently looking at hooking up amps sans dsp. I only looked at one of the amps and don't recall it even having DDT. I think they all have clip lights. The two Yamahas in Bridgemode probably provide ample headroom and are in the range you could set up a brickwall limter with a good loudspeaker management system. The other amp at 2900 watts @4 ohms would essentially require you to set the limiter to come on so early you have no real dynamic range to work with! If you have to push your signal source to sine waves to get your volume it can get past a limiter and still melt voice coils.... just my opinion, but I am also the guy saying if you fry something, who is going to buy the replacement!

bjm362 wrote: conanski, that is pretty pertinent advice...but he is currently looking at hooking up amps sans dsp. I only looked at one of the amps and don't recall it even having DDT. I think they all have clip lights.

I'm with you and mini-mad on this, given the amps available the AX3500 in dual channel mode makes the most sense.. that will get 90% of what the drivers are capable of delivering, and if the OP was going to spend any money on new gear adding a DCX would make the most sense.

Yeah, I have only had a driver fail during a gig once.....roughly 25 years ago, and that was enough for me! I do my testing at home!

Hi there folks, thanks for all the replies, some interesting points made. Just to make you aware, the system will be used with a DCX, as I'm going to be using 15"+2" mid/tops, actively crossed. I also plan on picking up an AVC2, so if any of you guys know of one going used at reasonable price !