9
ABOUT AMPLIFIER POWER
The amount of amplifier power needed to drive the
loudspeakers varies significantly with such factors as
the size of the listening area, the type of music you listen
to, and most importantly, how loud you like to play it.
The Outdoor loudspeakers can safely be used with
the most powerful amplifiers and receivers designed
for home listening, as long as these components are
used within reasonable limits. However, the distortion
caused by overdriving either the speaker or associat-
ed equipment can cause damage, even if the amplifi-
er or receivers power is technically within the capabili-
ties of the speaker.
If, at a given volume level the sound becomes “grainy”
or exhibits other audible distortion you may be over-
driving the amplifier or receiver. This type of distortion
is potentially damaging to tweeters, even from a low
powered amplifier. Reduce the setting of the volume
control until these symptoms disappear. If this is not
sufficiently loud for your needs, you may require a
more powerful amplifier and/or larger loudspeakers.
Contact the retailer where you purchased your loud-
speakers, or a Cambridge SoundWorks audio expert
for advice on how to best satisfy your needs.
Also, keep the volume turned down when connecting
or disconnecting components in order to prevent dam-
age from strong, non-musical transients. This will help
protect your ears as well as the speakers.
Protection Circuit
The Outdoor loudspeakers each incorporate a solid-
state tweeter protection circuit to reduce the chance
of permanent damage as the result of short-term
overpowering. When activated, this circuit will cut the
signal to the tweeter, and the speaker may sound dull.
When this occurs, it is an indication that the signal is
too loud and has exceeded the capacity of either the
speaker or the amplifier. Simply reduce the volume to
a safe level and the tweeter output will return within a
few seconds.
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