Set power amplifier correctly - so it'll work
Power amplifiers often have many sound settings with different names. In this practical tip, we will explain how to correctly adjust your power amplifier in order to achieve a balanced sound.
Names and meaning for power amplifiers
You can make four important settings for most power amplifiers. These have no standardized names. The most common names and their meanings are explained below. We will show you how to set up your speaker system in an extra practical tip.
- Gain: The "Gain" or "Input Gain" is the amplification of each individual input signal. "Level" or "Volume", on the other hand, usually refers to the volume with which all input signals are passed on to the speakers.
- Crossover: The crossover is also known as a "crossover". It usually indicates the crossover frequency between tweeters and woofers. With some power amplifiers you can regulate a high-pass and a low-pass instead of a crossover, which together make up the crossover.
- Q-factor: The Q-factor describes the slope of a filter, basically: "How many decibels per octave does the filter's effect decrease?". In a crossover, the value tells you how wide the frequency range is, which is reproduced by both speakers at the same time. The lower the Q factor, the wider the range. With the equalizer, the Q factor indicates how wide the spectral range is, which is also amplified or weakened.
- EQ: The equalizer, also called "EQ", is a filter that you can use to boost or cut individual frequency ranges. The aim is to make the volume "equal" across the entire audible spectrum. You can usually regulate the lower frequencies "Tiefen" / "Low" / "Sub" / "Bass" and the higher frequencies "Höhen" / "Treble" / "Tweet". Sometimes the mid frequency range "Mid" can also be amplified or weakened.
The optimal settings for your power amplifier
Depending on the setting options of your power amplifier, as well as the size and quality of your speakers and the acoustic conditions of your room, you should make the following settings for the best listening experience. Further tips and information are documented in the photo gallery below. Make fine adjustments according to your personal feelings.
- Gain I: Always start with a neutral gain. Only adjust if you notice disturbing volume differences in several connected devices. Before turning the gain down, check whether you can reduce the volume of the connected playback device.
- Gain II: Equipment such as turntables, electric guitars and microphones have a low output voltage, which must be amplified by a high gain. If you have a battery-powered device, such as an MP3 player, you can save the battery by not turning the player so loud and turning up the gain control instead.
- Gain III: Avoid extremes: A high gain usually creates nonlinear distortions, i.e. frequencies that do not even appear in the original signal. In the entire chain, from the playback device to the power amplifier and possibly to the active speakers, gain and volume should not be fully turned up.
- Crossover I: Set the subwoofer channel to "low pass", "low pass", "TP" or "LP". Set the full range speakers to "Full" or "All" if you don't have a subwoofer. Otherwise on "high pass", "high pass" or "HP".
- Crossover II: The optimal crossover frequency between subwoofer and broadband loudspeaker depends heavily on the bandwidth of your broadband loudspeaker. If you have very small speakers, you should turn up the frequency very high. For larger speakers, a value around 80 Hz is optimal. A crossover between medium or broadband speakers and tweeters is more in the range around 1.8 kHz. If you can set the low pass of the subwoofer and the high pass of the broadband loudspeaker individually, start here with the same frequency.
- Crossover III: To fine-tune your crossover, you can use a sweep, as in this YouTube video. You should not hear any sudden jumps in amplitude or other "strange" effects (phase cancellations due to the superimposition of signals from low and broadband loudspeakers).
- Q-factor I: If crossovers have a high Q-factor, almost every frequency comes either from the subwoofer or from the broadband loudspeaker. Not from both. The advantage of this is that there are fewer phase cancellations known as the comb filter effect. In many hearing tests, however, crossovers with a low Q factor performed better than those with a very sudden separation. On the one hand, phase shifts occur in filters with a high Q factor. On the other hand, a sudden disconnection can be heard as a "jump" since the speakers are in different positions. If possible, set the Q factor for the crossover to a low value.
- Q-Factor II: With the equalizer, a low Q-factor means a wider frequency range that you can boost or cut. If your subwoofer "booms" with individual melody tones in the bass, you can possibly eliminate the resonance with a high Q factor.
- EQ: Always start with a neutral EQ. If your speakers are in a room with a thick carpet, heavy curtains and a full bookshelf, turn the heights a little louder. In tiled rooms, however, rather quieter. In very small rooms, you should weaken the bass. We dedicate a whole practical tip to the topic "Setting the equalizer correctly".
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The names range from "Bass" and "Bass Boost", "SUB-W" and "Bass EQ" to "<150 Hz". This means the amplification of low frequencies. If it can only be switched on and off, only activate it when you hear quietly. Otherwise, adjust the bass volume according to your taste. But: Think of your [[//zuhause.chip.de/laermbelaestigung-durch-nachbarn-das-koennen-sie-tun_42989|Nachbarn]].
Some amplifiers can handle 4 to 16 ohm speaker impedance, others cannot. We will show you how to use [[//praxistipps.chip.de/lauteakers-in-zeile-schalt-so-gehts_42236|Loudspeakers in series]] to increase the impedance and [[//praxistipps.chip.de / speaker-parallel-switch-so-gehts_42218 | switch parallel]] to lower the impedance.
Other amplifiers have a built-in bridge. Here you can switch two loudspeakers in series at the push of a button.
