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The New McIntosh MA352 Hybrid Integrated Tube Amplifier

<avb-designer-block data-id="26" class="avb-typography dsg-block-26">

    <div class="avb-grid avb-grid--container">
        <div class="avb-grid__column avb-grid__column--small-12 avb-grid__column--marginBottom">
            <div class="avb-wrapper dsg-block-26__content">
                
                <img class="dsg-block-26-image"
                    src="https://cdn.avbportal.com/magento-media/members-prosource/vste14-stereoland/blog/blog-speakers-amps-together.jpg?w=600"
                    alt="A Guide to How Speakers and Amplifiers Work Together and How to Match Them Correctly" />
                
                <p class="avb-typography__paragraph dsg-block-26__paragraph">
                    The job of a PA system is to take a weak audio signal such as that produced by a vocal, convert it into an electrical
                    signal, increase the size of this signal and convert it back into sound energy at a significantly greater volume. A PA
                    system is made up of a number of components of which it is the job of the amplifier to increase the size of the audio
                    signal and the speakers to then convert this signal back from electrical energy to sound energy. If the amplifier and
                    speakers used in a particular PA system are not properly matched in terms of amplifier power output and speaker power
                    rating then speaker damage can occur resulting in potentially expensive repair bills or even the requirement for
                    replacement speakers. This article will discuss the basic theory behind speaker and amplifier ratings, the reasons why
                    speaker damage occurs and how to match an amplifier or speakers to produce the best possible sound quality and lowest
                    possible chance of speaker&nbsp;damage.
                </p>

                <h2 class="avb-typography__heading avb-typography__heading--title">
                    <span
                        class="avb-typography__heading-line avb-typography__heading-line--marginBottom dsg-block-26__heading-line-1">
                        How Amplifiers and Speakers Work&nbsp;Together
                    </span>
                    
                </h2>

                <p class="avb-typography__paragraph dsg-block-26__paragraph">
                    Audio signal amplifiers take a small electrical signal and by using a series of transistors ultimately produces an
                    electrical signal that recreates the voltage fluctuations of the original but of a much higher power. Speakers work on
                    the electric motor principle whereby the electrical pulses from the amplifier are channelled through a coil of wire
                    creating magnetic energy in the form of an electromagnet. This coil is then attracted or repelled from a second fixed
                    magnet creating vibrations in the paper cone to which it is fixed which in turn transfers energy into the surrounding
                    air molecules resulting in&nbsp;sound.
                </p>

                <h2 class="avb-typography__heading avb-typography__heading--title">
                    <span class="avb-typography__heading-line avb-typography__heading-line--marginBottom dsg-block-26__heading-line-1">
                        How Speakers and Amplifiers Are&nbsp;Rated
                    </span>
                    
                </h2>
                
                <p class="avb-typography__paragraph dsg-block-26__paragraph">
                    Both amplifiers and speakers are given ratings in terms of the power they are capable of supplying or their ability to
                    cope with the power supplied to them. Power is measured in Watts (W) and is the rate at which energy (measured in
                    Joules) is converted from one form to another. For example 1 Watt of power is the equivalent of 1 Joule of energy being
                    converted per second or 10 Watts of power is the equivalent of 10 joules of energy being converted per&nbsp;second.
                </p>
                
                <p class="avb-typography__paragraph dsg-block-26__paragraph">
                    There are a number of methods in use to describe the power of an electrical signal not all of which are best used to
                    rate the power of amplifiers and&nbsp;speakers:
                </p>
                
                <p class="avb-typography__paragraph dsg-block-26__paragraph">
                    <span class="dsg-tools-fw-bold">Instantaneous Power:</span> This refers to the power being used at any particular instant during operation but as the power
                    used to move the speaker cone in the complex manner required is continually and rapidly varying this is not a useful
                    measure for describing the capability of an amplifier or speaker.
                </p>
                
                <p class="avb-typography__paragraph dsg-block-26__paragraph">
                    <span class="dsg-tools-fw-bold">Peak Power:</span> The maximum amount of instantaneous power present at the highest level during the signal. For amplifiers peak power is
                    useful for describing the maximum instantaneous limit of its capability for sounds such as drumbeats and bass notes.
                    Amplifier peak power is limited by the available power supply and if the input level is increased beyond a point where
                    the amplifier reaches the limits of its power supply a form of signal distortion known as clipping occurs. For speakers
                    the peak power occurs at the point where the speaker cone reaches its fore or rearmost point beyond which damage may&nbsp;occur.
                </p>

                <p class="avb-typography__paragraph dsg-block-26__paragraph">
                    <span class="dsg-tools-fw-bold">RMS or Average Power:</span> This is the Maximum Continuous Average power output capability of an essentially undistorted signal to a specified load
                    impedance (in this case the load is the speaker) and is the most consistent method of comparing power levels between
                    amplifiers and&nbsp;speakers.
                </p>

                <p class="avb-typography__paragraph dsg-block-26__paragraph">
                    <span class="dsg-tools-fw-bold">Music or Programme Power:</span> Often used in speaker ratings these terms were conceived by manufacturers as speakers are very rarely used to produce
                    pure tones (for which average power is measured) instead being used to reproduce sounds of rapidly changing power
                    distribution. Music or programme power is said to be approximately twice the equivalent average&nbsp;power.
                </p>

                <h2 class="avb-typography__heading avb-typography__heading--title">
                    <span class="avb-typography__heading-line avb-typography__heading-line--marginBottom dsg-block-26__heading-line-1">
                        Why Speakers&nbsp;Fail
                    </span>
                    
                </h2>
                
                <p class="avb-typography__paragraph dsg-block-26__paragraph">
                    Speakers most commonly fail due to either excessive power or a distorted signal being supplied by the amplifier. Heat is
                    a by-product of the motor effect caused by sending an electrical signal through the speaker coil and if excessive power
                    is sent to a speaker the heat generated can damage or destroy the coil. Alternatively if an underpowered amplifier is
                    driven to the point beyond which it is capable of delivering, this “clipped” signal produces excessive high frequencies
                    which can burn up tweeters or&nbsp;horns.
                </p>

                <h2 class="avb-typography__heading avb-typography__heading--title">
                    <span class="avb-typography__heading-line avb-typography__heading-line--marginBottom dsg-block-26__heading-line-1">
                        How to Match Amplifiers and&nbsp;Speakers
                    </span>
                    
                </h2>

                <p class="avb-typography__paragraph dsg-block-26__paragraph">
                    When putting together a PA system you may have to match amplifiers and speakers rated with different methods (e.g. the
                    amplifier is rated by RMS Power and the Speakers are rated with Music Power) and as such you may be unsure how these two
                    measurements relate to each other and if the amp and speakers are correctly&nbsp;matched.
                </p>

                <p class="avb-typography__paragraph dsg-block-26__paragraph">
                    If both the amplifiers and speakers are rated in terms of RMS power and they are not likely to be overdriven you can
                    compare them directly matching an amplifier of 100 Watts per channel with speakers rated at 100 Watts RMS. If however
                    the system is to be used for dance music or heavy metal where the amplifier is likely to be overdriven resulting in
                    clipping, a speaker system rated at approximately twice the amplifier RMS is&nbsp;recommended.
                </p>

                <p class="avb-typography__paragraph dsg-block-26__paragraph">
                    If your speakers are rated in terms of Music or Programme Power remember that this is approximately twice the average or
                    RMS power and as such for low level applications such as speech the speakers should be double the amplifier rating (e.g.
                    100 W amp to power 200 W speakers). For applications such as live or dance music where clipping may occur speakers of
                    Programme Power more than twice the amp RMS Power will be required and potentially up to three times more for high power&nbsp;applications.
                </p>

                <p class="avb-typography__paragraph dsg-block-26__paragraph">
                    Overall your PA system should be designed so that the amplifier is powerful enough so as to never be driven to clipping
                    and the speakers sufficiently powerful so as to cater for the continuous power produced by the&nbsp;amp.
                </p>

                <p class="avb-typography__paragraph dsg-block-26__paragraph dsg-block-26__paragraph-footnote">
                    Ian Hammond is an audio and live music enthusiast who writes for FRASP PA hire Nottingham. Ian has worked in the live
                    music industry installing and engineering live sound systems for a variety of&nbsp;bands.
                </p>


            </div>
        </div>
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A Guide to How Speakers and Amplifiers Work Together and How to Match Them Correctly

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The New McIntosh MA352 Hybrid Integrated Tube Amplifier

A Guide to How Speakers and Amplifiers Work Together and How to Match Them Correctly

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