L-ACOUSTICS LA15a 115V Manual V1.0 27/01/2003
10
5. INSTALLATION
5.1 MOUNTING
The LA15a is two rack units high (2U) and will mount in an EIA-standard 19'' rack. Four mount points
are provided on the front panel of the amplifier for rack mounting.
For permanent installation, the amplifier can be mounted using standard 19'' rack mount rails and/or
slides within the amplifier rack using the four front mount points. Amplifiers may be stacked directly
on top of each other and there is no need for spacing between units. If it is the intention to fill a rack
with amplifiers, we recommend racking is started from the bottom of the rack. It is also
recommended that rear supports are used for amplifiers mounted in the middle of the rack.
For touring or portable sound system applications, it is essential that all LA15a amplifiers are rear
supported in addition to front panel mounting.
Any mechanical damage to LA15A amplifiers used in portable applications without rear support are not
covered under warranty.
For all portable applications, the amplifier should be fixed in the back with a rear support kit (L-
ACOUSTICS part code: APSUP). The amplifier support kit APSUP is a universal rear support kit for
any 19'' rack since it is adjustable to accommodate varying rack depths. Two rear support brackets,
two amplifier support brackets, four M4 hex button head screws and four washers are included in
each APSUP kit. The kit integrates the amplifier support bracket with the amplifier and the rack
support bracket with the rack. Depth is adjustable and amplifiers can be removed from the rack by
simply removing the 4 button head screws. APSUP is suitable for use with all LA amplifiers.
5.2 COOLING
Your amplifier uses a forced air cooling system to maintain a low and even operating temperature. All
fan cooled L-ACOUSTICS amplifiers have front to rear airflow. There are several reasons for this, one
being that there is usually cooler air outside the rack than inside and therefore the amplifiers can run
at higher continuous power levels without thermal problems. Never try to reverse the airflow since
the Intercooler® needs a pressure chamber between the fans and heat sink and this only works in
one direction of the airflow.
Should a heat sink get too hot, its sensing circuit will mute the overheated channel. If the power
supply overheats, another sensing circuit will mute all output channels until the power supply cools
down to a safe operating temperature.
Make sure that there is an adequate air supply in front of the amplifier, and that the rear of the
amplifier has sufficient space to allow the exhaust to escape. If the amplifier is rack-mounted, do not
use covers or doors on the front or rear of the rack.
For installations with a central cooling system (usually found in fixed installations with a dedicated rack
room) it may be necessary to calculate the maximum heat emission. Please refer to Sections 5.6 and
5.7 concerning Power Consumption and Heat Power Calculation.
5.3 OPERATING VOLTAGE
WARNING!
A label just below the mains cable on the rear of the amplifier indicates the AC mains
voltage for which the amplifier is wired. Connect the power cable only to the AC source
referred to on the label. The warranty will not cover damage caused by connecting to the
wrong type of AC mains.
