11
Safety
All loudspeakers have electrical, thermal and physical limits that must be observed to prevent damage or failure. Too
much power, low frequencies applied to high frequency drivers, severely clipped waveforms and DC voltage can all be
fatal to cone and compression drivers. The Peavey CS 6000/ CS 4000 amplifier automatically protects speakers from DC
voltages and subsonic signals. For more information, see the section on Protection Features. Mid- and high-frequency
speakers, especially compression drivers, are highly susceptible to damage from overpowering, clipped waveforms or
frequencies below their rated pass band. Be extremely careful that the low and mid bands of an electronic crossover are
connected to the correct amplifiers and drivers and not accidentally connected to those for a higher frequency band.
The amplifier’s clipping point is its maximum peak output power and can deliver more power than many speakers can
safely handle. Be sure the peak power capability of the amplifier is not excessive for your speaker system.
To ensure that the speakers never receive excessive power and that the amplifier never clips, use a properly adjusted
external limiter (or a compressor with a ratio of 10:1 or higher) to control power output. In systems with active electronic
crossovers, use one for each frequency band. The clip limiter will automatically limit the duration of continuous square
waveforms applied to the speakers. Some speaker systems are packaged with processors that have power limiting
circuits and should not require additional external limiting.
Do not drive any low-frequency speaker enclosure with frequencies lower than its own tuned frequency. The reduced
acoustical damping could cause a ported speaker to exceed its mechanical limits and permanently deform the voice coil,
even when driven with comparatively low power. Consult the speaker system specifications to determine its frequency
limits.
Speaker Protection
A CS 6000/ CS 4000 amplifier requires no routine maintenance and should never need any internal adjustment during
its lifetime. Your CS 6000/ CS 4000 amplifier is very powerful and can be potentially dangerous to loudspeakers and
humans alike. It is your responsibility to read the Important Precautions section in the front of this manual and to make
sure that the amplifier is installed, wired and operated properly. Many loudspeakers can be easily damaged or destroyed
by overpowering, especially with the high power available from a bridged amplifier. Read the Speaker Protection
section and always be aware of the speaker’s continuous and peak power capabilities.
Amplifier Maintenance and User Responsibility
