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How To Protect Your Speakers & Amplifier
Check all Solid-State and OTL amps for DC at the speaker terminals before connecting speakers; failure to do so may result in costly speaker damage. (note that McIntosh ss amps with autoformers do not have this potential problem).
DC-offset should ideally be "0". Up to 50mV is considered acceptable by some manufacturers, but sound quality will suffer as it will bias the drivers from center of voicecoil, heating it and reducing dynamics.
Use a quality DIGITAL-Volt-Meter, and be sure to set it on "DC-Volts" before connecting to amp. Note: Do NOT use Analog meter for this measurement!
Missing from most of today's solid-state power amplifers are OUTPUT FUSES (not to be confused with power-supply rail-fuses, also a good idea), which can protect your speakers from excessive power input and your solid-state amplifer from failure due to excessive current demands, such as accidental short-circuit.
While most all solid-state amplifier manufacturers claim their amplifiers are short-circuit-proof, some turn out to be anything but, so why take the chance with your costly investment?
AllegroSound recommends the installation of Amp-to-Speaker protection fuses with all solid-state amplifiers.
FAILURE TO HEED THIS ADVISE CAN RESULT IN COSTLY AMP AND SPEAKER REPAIR.
Use the lowest value fuse that does not blow under normal use. i.e., pick a fuse value from the chart below as a starting point, lower the value until the fuse blows under normal use, then go up one small increment in value.
AllegroSound (Est.1973)
Los Angeles, California USA
Rick@AllegroSound.com
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