Chapter 1: Crown Amplifi ers In-Depth
13
Amplifi er Application Guide
To connect the Speakon plug into the mating connector on the speaker, line
up the notches between the insert and the mating connector, then insert the
plug and turn one quarter-turn clockwise as shown in Figure 1.19. The thumb-
lock on the housing will snap into the locked position when the connector is
properly seated.
1.3.2 Amplifi er Load Impedance
A major consideration when matching amplifi ers with speakers is the resulting
impedance presented to the amplifi er when speakers are connected to the
output. The impedance of the load, in part, determines how much power the
amplifi er will produce. Also, too low of impedance can cause the amplifi er to
overheat.
Impedance is much like resis-
tance, except impedance
changes with frequency. Imped-
ance and resistance are both
measured in ohms. To under-
stand the effect of impedance
in an electrical circuit, consider
the following analogy: a wire is
much like a water pipe. Elec-
trical current is like the water
fl owing through the pipe. Imped-
ance’s role is that of the valve.
The valve resists or impedes
(hence the terms) the fl ow of
water through the pipe. If the
valve is opened (less imped-
ance), water fl ows freely. As
the valve is turned toward the
closed position (more imped-
ance), the fl ow of water slows.
As the amplifi er drives lower
impedances, it produces more
current, thus more power.
6. Slide the bushing along the cable
and screw onto the end of the
connector combination as shown
in Figure 1.18. Note that the
bushing features a special lock-
ing construction which will prevent
disassembly of the NL4FC con-
nector once this cap is tightened
into place. Before tightening, you
may want to test the connector in
a live system to make sure it has
been assembled properly.
Figure 1.18
Connector Assembly:
Bushing onto Connector
Housing Assembly
Figure 1.20
Series Speaker
Impedances
Figure 1.21
Parallel Speaker
Impedances
Figure 1.19
Connecting the
Speakon plug to the
mating connector
