Peavey MAX 208 or Peavey MAX 250?

[makimomo]

Hey everyone! I play in a band and have a Rumble 100 that has to be at full volume when i play. This is mainly my rehearsal amp and i use a different one on stage.

I enjoy the weight of the Rumble but I’m not really pleased with the sound. I’ve heard the Max 208 and I like the sound. I also like the size of it. Would it be loud enough to play, or should I look into other options? Would the 250 be better? The biggest benefit of the 208 would be the size. If it’s anything over the power of the Rumble, it’ll work.

 

[scottfeldstein]

If your 112 combo can't cut it on stage, I wouldn't even be considering one with two 8" drivers. I mean, maybe it would be great. Peavey often punches above its weight. But there's a pretty good chance it won't be. If you have a problem, solve it decisively. Yes, consider the 115 combo. Or a 210 or 212. And for goodness sake buy used not new.

 

[Klangfarbe]

As already mentioned, go with the Max 250. More Wattage alone won't necessarily help. You also need large enough speakers to turn that power into sound.

 

[Dino Boreanaz]

I don't have experience with these two amps in particular, but I've also been looking at the Peavey Max amps and liked their sound too as compared to the Rumble 40 that I used to own. I have found Peavey's names may be somewhat misleading.

The following are the continuous RMS power ratings from the Owner's Manual:
MAX 100 = 60 W (rms) into 8 ohms
MAX 150 = 120 W (rms) into 4 ohms
MAX 250 = 150 W (rms) into 4 ohms
MAX 300 = 200 W (rms) into 3 ohms
MAX 208 = 120 W (rms) into 4 ohms

The 208 has no provision for an external speaker out, so can we assume that it delivers all 120 W into its two internal 8" speakers? If that is the case, I don't think this will provide much (if any) volume increase from your current 100 W into a single 12" speaker.

The 250 on the other hand, does have an external speaker out and this output is labelled for 8 ohm (and, strangely 300 W) minimum. Does this mean that its internal speaker is 8 ohm, and therefore does not deliver its full 150 W if using only the internal 15" speaker? This again may not provide you with any real world volume increase over your current amp.

You may want to check with Peavey to see if you can get answers to these questions, otherwise you risk getting a new amp that doesn't actually solve your volume problem.

 

[makimomo]

I have found Peavey's names may be somewhat misleading.

I recently discovered this..I guess in the new max series the 250 would be the way for me to go within my budget.. Have you ever tried the older Peavey Max 112? I’ve been looking into that too, and it seems like a better option ATP.

 

[Dino Boreanaz]

I haven't tried any of the older Max combos, only the current 208 in a store about two years ago. I'm not convinced that the current Max 250 would be louder than your Rumble 100 unless you also add an external speaker to take advantage of the full 150 watts.

I agree that the older Max 112 may be the better option as it delivers 200 W into its internal speaker. You can probably find one for about half the price of the new Max 250!