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some ampliﬁers are still insuﬃciently protected. It is impossible to predict the behavior of all the
ampliﬁers on the market in case of use without a load (a speaker cabinet or a loadbox).

The electronic term that describes the speaker cabinet with respect to the ampliﬁer is the “load”: we
say the cabinet “loads” the ampliﬁer. The term “loadbox” is used to describe any product that
provides a load to the ampliﬁer. The main parameter of the loadbox is its impedance, expressed in
Ohms. An 8-Ohm loadbox must be plugged to the 8-Ohm speaker output of the ampliﬁer.

The power sent to the load is turned into heat, so please follow the cooling recommendation in the
manual — otherwise overheating may cause damage, both to the loadbox and to the ampliﬁer.

The Torpedo Reload is a loadbox. This term indicates that the Torpedo Reload is a load which can
electrically replace the speaker cabinet while dissipating (transforming into heat) the power coming
out of the ampliﬁer.

Within the Torpedo Reload is a Reactive load. A Reactive load simulates the complex impedance of a
real speaker.

Always connect the speaker out of your tube ampliﬁer to an appropriate
load (speaker cabinet or loadbox). The Torpedo Reload, once powered
up, is such a load. Please note that you should always power up the
Torpedo Reload before your ampliﬁer. The maximum admissible power
of the Torpedo Reload is 150W RMS, your ampliﬁer shouldn't be set to
play at a higher output power value. See

this article

if your ampliﬁer is

more powerful than 150W.

2.2 Which output volume for my ampliﬁer?

The correct use of your ampliﬁer with a loadbox requires some precautions. Because of the silence
while playing, it is much easier to accidentally run your ampliﬁer beyond the reasonable limits set by
the manufacturer than when using a real speaker cabinet with it. This can lead to faster tube wear
and, in some cases, to more serious inconveniences.

When ﬁrst testing the ampliﬁer at high volume, monitor the color of the
tubes and the general state of the ampliﬁer. Red-glowing tubes or any
appearance of smoke are signs of a problem that may result in partial or
complete destruction of the ampliﬁer.

Keep in mind that the “sweet spot” - the perfect running point of the ampliﬁer, the one that will give
you the tone you’re looking for - is rarely obtained at maximum volume. In addition, the volume
control of the ampliﬁer is usually logarithmic, which means the volume goes up quickly on the ﬁrst
half of the potentiometer rotation, reaches its maximum at 12 o’clock, and doesn’t change much
beyond this point. Therefore, you can reach the maximum volume of your ampliﬁer even if the
volume potentiometer is not set at maximum.

By reaching the maximum output power of your ampliﬁer, you will hear a lot of distortion, which may
not sound as well as you may hope. In fact, most ampliﬁers sound rather poorly at maximum volume.
Always keep in mind that your ampliﬁer may not have been conceived to be used at maximum
volume for a long period of time. Running an ampliﬁer at high volume will cause premature wear of