You'll find PA power amplifiers at the heart of pretty much any serious professional live sound system. Their job is simple: to amplify incoming sound signals from your mixer and drive them through passive PA loudspeakers.
Link to SUNCENTER
PA amplifiers are designed to withstand the rigors of live performance situations. That means they can handle a certain degree of unintended abuse. Most models have robust protection circuits, trouble-sensing signal limiters, and other safeguards. When pushed too hard, they protect themselves, save your speakers, and prevent audible distortion.
We recommended two Crown amps for a local nightclub's PA system.
Pro amps are versatile, too. That means they can safely adapt to a variety of speaker system configurations. Models with digital signal processing (DSP) let you tailor the amp&#;s output to suit your speakers and the space they&#;re in.
Most PA amplifiers have two channels. You'll find four- and eight-channel amps, mostly in permanent-installation sound systems or large-scale touring PAs. In any case, each channel corresponds to a single set of speaker connections.
Say you want to power your two main, audience-facing speakers, one on each side of a stage. A single two-channel amp is a great choice.
You might want a second two-channel amp to power two monitor speakers. Monitors are the wedge-shaped speakers that sit on the stage floor and fire sound up toward the performers so they can hear themselves.
A two-channel amp and a pair of passive speakers work well in a small space. For a medium-to-large venue, it might make sense to add additional stereo amplifiers to power your monitors, speakers, and subs individually.
If you need a lot of bass, your system should include one or more subwoofers. You can use a two-channel amp in &#;bridged&#; (one-channel) mode to power a subwoofer. Bridged mode combines the power of both channels, sending more power to a single output.
Bridging two channels gives you their combined wattage &#; useful for a power-hungry speaker like a subwoofer.
For more information about system configurations, read our intro to live sound equipment.
Remember: PA amplifiers and passive PA speakers depend on each other to sound their best. That's why the truest answer might be that your amp needs to have as much power as your speakers can handle.
PA speakers typically have three power ratings that you want to understand: "continuous" (or "noise"), "program," and "peak."
The continuous/noise rating is the minimum power required to power a speaker in real-world situations. Peak power is the maximum the speaker can handle in short bursts. It's kind of like your car. The speedometer might show you that you can get up to 120 miles per hour, and you probably can. But if you drive 120 mph for an extended length of time, you'll burn up your engine.
Program power is twice the continuous/noise rating. And program power is what you want to look at when you're choosing an amp to match speakers. If you underpower your speakers, you'll have to crank up the amp's volume, which can cause unpleasant distortion.
Your speakers' manual will give you their peak and program power ratings, and most likely even a recommended amplifier power range.
Having the right amplifier power is important for clear sound and the welfare of your speakers.
You&#;ll get the best performance if your speakers' total ohm load &#; or impedance &#; matches that of your amplifier.
An ohm is a measure of electrical resistance. But what is "resistance"? Think of the power an amp delivers to a speaker sort of like water flowing through a hose with an adjustable spray nozzle.
You can screw the nozzle down so far &#; increase the resistance &#; that you choke the water off completely. Or you can take the nozzle off and remove all resistance &#; plenty of water, but splattering on the ground instead of in a focused stream.
If the total impedance &#; or ohm rating &#; of your speakers is too high, your amp can&#;t deliver enough power. If it&#;s too low, then the amp could over-deliver, overloading your speakers and possibly damaging the amplifier.
Most PA amplifiers are designed to work with four- or eight-ohm speaker loads. Check your amplifier and speaker manuals to figure out their impedance rating.
You can connect any number of speakers to one amplifier, as long as their total resistance doesn&#;t fall below the amp&#;s impedance.
The different ways you can wire speakers can get pretty techy. But in almost every case, you'll be connecting PA speakers to an amplifier in what's called a parallel configuration.
You use a simple &#; if not completely intuitive &#; formula to calculate the total resistance of your speakers, depending on whether you connect one, two, or more to a single channel
You&#;ll get the best results when you use cabinets with the same ohm rating. Then to calculate the total ohm load, you divide that ohm rating by the number of cabinets you&#;re connecting.
When you wire two eight-ohm speakers in parallel, they present a total load of four ohms to your amplifier.
The amount of power an amplifier can deliver depends on the impedance (or resistance) of the speakers it's driving. So you might see an amp that puts out 1,000 watts into eight ohms and 1,500 watts into four ohms.
Keep this in mind when you&#;re shopping for speakers. Most PA speakers are eight ohms. Choose four-ohm speakers like the JBL PRX425, and you&#;ll get more power out of your amp.
When shopping for PA amps, you may notice that they come in different "classes." The class designations tell you something about the design of their output stages. Check out our article on amp classes to learn more.
Most of the PA amps we offer are Class D. This is the most efficient class of amplifier. Class D amps are much lighter and run cooler than other types.
We also offer a few Class AB amps. They are heavier than Class D amps and run noticeably warmer. Watt-for-watt, you are unlikely to hear the difference between the classes, especially in a live sound situation.
&#;Headroom&#; is a term that sound pros use a lot. A system with good headroom has all the power the speakers can handle, not just the bare minimum they need to get by. Having comfortable headroom gives you several benefits.
You'll need a system with lots of headroom for a crowded dance club.
With ample headroom, you should have all the volume you need when you're around five-to-seven out of 10. Pushing an amp to its limits &#; running it on 10 &#; can cause "clipping" distortion. The tops and bottoms of the signal waveforms are cut off (or &#;clipped&#;).
Clipping can damage your speakers. Some PA amplifiers have indicator lights to warn you when the signal is approaching the clipping point &#; these tiny lights have saved many a speaker. But having plenty of headroom is the best way to avoid clipping.
With robust headroom, your system will also have better dynamic range. The loud parts will sound just as good as the quiet parts. The bass parts will hit a lot harder without distorting.
You'll get cleaner, clearer sound and protect your gear from power surges if you plug everything that needs AC power into a power conditioner.
Power amplifiers typically offer XLR and 1/4" inputs for connection to a mixing board or other audio source component.
Most amplifier manufacturers recommend using balanced XLR connections throughout the signal path. Balanced connections reject noise. They&#;re especially helpful where long cable runs are necessary.
You may also find RCA connections, which are more common on home audio components.
You'll find three different kinds of amp output jacks on the back panels of most PA amplifiers:
Speaker connection options &#; A) Speakon, B) Banana/binding posts, C) 1/4"
Speakon plugs offer the added security of a twist-and-lock connection.
Banana plugs/binding posts are more versatile. They accept bare wires, if the need arises.
When using 1/4" connections, make sure you use pro speaker cables with 1/4" plugs. Don&#;t use instrument cables, which have the same kind of plug, but aren&#;t designed to carry amplified audio signals.
Planning to use multiple amps in the same system? You&#;ll need amps that have line-level preamp &#;link&#; outputs. They send the mixing board&#;s signal on to the next amp in the chain.
These outputs are usually 1/4" and can also be used as inputs.
Some PA amps are pretty brainy. You may find knobs, buttons, and indicators for the following:
Typically, the front of the amplifier will have a gain/level knob and signal level indicator for each channel. Colored lights indicate when the amp is clipping.
Frequency filters let you tailor the output of an amp to suit the type of speakers it&#;s driving.
A high-pass filter (also known as a low-cut filter) lets you reduce the output of a speaker below a certain frequency. It lets the amp focus its power on the higher frequencies and not waste energy on the power-hungry bass frequencies.
This kind of filter helps to eliminate audio distractions such as bass rumble, wind noise, and microphone thumps. When you have a separate subwoofer handling the bass in your PA system, you&#;ll want to remove the deep bass from your main speakers. They&#;ll play louder, and without distortion.
A low-pass filter removes the high-frequencies from the amp&#;s output. Use the low-pass filter when the amp is driving a subwoofer.
A band-pass filter removes both lows and highs. Band-pass filters are good for fine-tuning the performance of your subwoofers.
Limiters are protection circuits that can help keep your amplifier from clipping and to prevent distortion in the sound. They help prevent distortion caused by an overdriven signal, a dropped microphone, or a short in an input jack.
Churches and theaters often have speakers along the side walls. These allow people in the middle and the back of the room to hear things just as well as the people up front. And you don&#;t have to turn the front speakers up too loud.
For your side speakers, you&#;ll need an amp with the ability to delay the output signal. A little delay will &#;time-align&#; the side speakers with the front speakers. The sound remains crisp and highly intelligible throughout the room.
Some amps have very sophisticated equalization capabilities to help you fine-tune your sound. These adjustments can be made via the front-panel buttons or (in some cases) with a connected computer. Features like this eliminate the need for racks full of outboard signal processors.
Want friendly, one-on-one help choosing the best amp (or amps!) for your PA system? Our expert Advisors can help. Call or chat with us today for free, personalized advice. Free lifetime tech support is included with every Crutchfield purchase.
shares
If you are looking for more details, kindly visit air amplifier system.
It&#;s important to remember a few things when you set out to build your audio system. Consider the time-consuming challenge of finding an amplifier that perfectly matches your speakers. For example, the sheer number of options available might be frightening.
Checking whether the amplifier&#;s output power is equal to, or more than, the speaker&#;s RMS rating is a wise first step in finding an amplifier that will meet your demands. Yet, if you want to hear sounds beyond the range of your speakers, you may increase the wattage to double the output power and enjoy the audio paradise that results.
Amplifiers come in various forms and configurations, such as solid-state and tube amplifiers and mono, stereo, and multi-channel setups. If you spend a lot of money on a high-end audio setup, you must ensure everything is perfect.
Only then can you be sure that the speakers and amplifiers are in perfect sync, giving you a listening experience and protecting you from distortions that may otherwise ruin it.
Getting To Know Power Amplifiers
A power amplifier is frequently utilized to increase the loudness of an audio signal before it is supplied to a passive loudspeaker. Its function is to magnify signals at the line level so that they may cover huge regions with sound. Additionally, a power amplifier may present one, two, or even more than two channels.
In contrast, a mono power amplifier only has one channel, but a stereo power amplifier has two. Although these amplifiers come in varied sizes and styles, they always function with a simple on/off switch and a volume knob.
Recognizing Appropriate Speaker and Amplifier Terms
Knowing HiFi jargon is essential for achieving optimal unity between speakers and amplifiers. This article will discuss essential speaker and amplifier parameters terminology to acquire excellent, long-lasting HiFi quality.
Sensitivity
Specifically for speakers, sensitivity estimates how many decibels of sound can be heard from one meter away while the speaker is powered by one watt. At the same input power and listener distance, a speaker with lesser sensitivity will deliver a more delicate sound than one with more increased sensitivity.
Just because a speaker has a higher sensitivity doesn&#;t mean it&#;s better; it can build louder levels without necessitating a more powerful amplifier.
What&#;s worse, the sound may be distorted or out of balance because of the sensitivity difference. To avoid distortion in your system, use speakers with sensitivity ratings that match your needs to avoid distortion in your system.
Impedance
Impedance is a term that appears on the data sheets of both amplifiers and speakers, but what does it mean? In ohms, your components&#; electrical resistance is a handy mental shorthand. Being a resilient and self-sufficient integer, the value ten frequently uses symbolism.
Anybody familiar with electronics can get by without a full understanding of the term &#;resistance,&#; but those with a thorough understanding will immediately find it obvious.
To compare, most speakers have impedance ratings between 4 and 8 ohms. Amplifiers are often rated for a certain ohm range, such as 6&#;12 ohms, within which they function optimally. By comparing their specifications, you can determine if your amplifier and speakers are compatible.
Reading the product&#;s online database or looking at the product&#;s technical specs are two ways to learn more about the product&#;s features and benefits. You could learn much about the product&#;s features, compatibility, and performance from these sources. Researching and gathering information from many sources can help you make a well-informed buying decision.
Power
Like any other electrical device, hi-fi and home theater equipment have a power output measured in watts. This causes many to incorrectly assume that a higher wattage automatically indicates a louder output, which is not necessarily the case.
Speaker and amplifier wattage refers to the maximum power a speaker can safely withstand and the maximum power an amplifier can produce. In the past, it was common to practice pairing a high-watt speaker with a low-watt amplifier and call it OK.
Spec sheets for amplifiers frequently make distinctions between Continuous power (also called Continuous Power Output or Continuous RMS power) and Dynamic Power (sometimes called Peak Power).
Simply put, 50 watts per channel into 4 and 8 ohms is an example of the power that may be expected from a Constant Power system.
Amplifier Headroom
An amplifier&#;s &#;headroom&#; is its ability to constantly provide a certain power level without distorting the sound. That is, having enough power to play without overloading the amplifier. If your amplifier can&#;t supply enough power to your speaker, the amp will begin to distort before giving the speaker the energy it needs to perform at top efficiency.
Amplifiers need sufficient headroom to reproduce transient peaks cleanly for applications like critical listening in a studio setting. Choose an amplifier with a continuous power output that is not simply double, but double the rated output of your favorite speaker if you can.
Such an approach will rocket your musical adventures to new heights, introducing you to a world of rugged grandeur that will leave you gasping for air. Avoid clipping if you must use a low-powered amplifier due to cost or incompatibility issues. Suppose the output power of a weak amplifier is exceeded.
Clipping can damage speakers or other audio equipment irreparably, dramatically degrading audio quality in the worst-case scenario.
The Bottom Line
It may feel like you&#;ve entered an absurdly convoluted world of technical jargon. Still, you only need basic mathematical skills and common sense to match speakers to amplifiers.
Search around and compare prices to locate speakers and amplifiers that fit your needs, sound fantastic, and last for years without maintenance. You should test the sound quality of your desired speakers and amplifier connections before making a final purchase decision.
If you&#;ve followed the steps above, they should be able to function together without a hitch. But, various amplifiers and speakers will replicate the same source music differently, and you may find some variations unpleasant to your ears.
For more burst pressure testinginformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.