How to Choose a Right Plate Amplifier for Your Powered Speaker?

Recently, we have many customers sent us inquiry for a solution that choosing a suitable amplifier for their speaker. Some of them are DIY loudspeaker makers, some of them was thinking to make their passive speaker active, so that can save money rather to buy a rack amplifier.

 

Which plate amplifier should I use for my speaker?

 

Firstly, you should know different kinds of plate amplifier module.

 

What is plate amplifier?

 

Plate amplifiers are designed for use in powered speaker system. There are various kinds of plate amplifier module with different channel, power and function. Currently, Sanway Audio has produced three categories active amplifiers: One channel, two channel and three channel.

 

All plate amplifier with built-in DSP with MUTE, Polarity, Gain, Delay ,Limiter, Mixer, EQ, X-Over function allows the user to set up and modify the signal processing data.

Also integrated USB or RS-485 interface enable DJ or engineer to control the system via PC.

 

One channel plate amplifier for use in full- Range speaker and subwoofer.

 

D1-450D	1x450W at 8 ohms; 1x500W at 4 ohms
D1-650D	1x650D at 8 ohms; 1x700W at 4 ohms
D1-800D	1x800W at 8 ohms; 1x850W at 4 ohms
D1-1KD	1x1000W at 8 ohms; 1x1200W at 4 ohms
D2-SUB8	1x1600W at 8 ohms
D2-SUB4	1x900W at 8 ohms; 1x1800W at 4 ohms

Two channel active speaker amplifier module for use in bi-amp loudspeaker, line array and stereo or subwoofer+ satellite sets

 

D2L/D2S	2x500W at 8 ohms; 2x900W at 4 ohms
D2S-TWO	2x500W at 8 ohms; 2x900W at 4 ohms with additional output to link another passive speaker
D2450	2x450W at 8 ohms; 4x500W at 4 ohms
D2650	2x650W at 8 ohms; 2x700W at 4 ohms
D2800	2x800W at 8 ohms; 2x850W at 4 ohms
D2-825	800W+250W 8 ohms
D103S-2CH	1000W+300W at 8 ohms; 1600W+550W at 4 ohms
D133S-2CH	1300W+300W at 8 ohms; 1700W+550W at 4 ohms
D155S-2CH	1500W+500W at 8 ohms; 1800W+700W at 4 ohms
D3-2CH	2x1500W at 8 ohms; 2x1800W at 4 ohms
D2-250D	2x250W at 8 ohms; 2x350W at 4 ohms

Three channel active amplifier module for use in stereo sets, composed of subwoofer and full range speaker pairs, installed in a subwoofer.

 

D3	1500W+500W+500W at 8 ohms; 1800W+900W+900W at 4 ohms
D3-2.1	1500W+2x500W at 8 ohms; 1800W+2x900W at 4 ohms
D3-215	1500W+1500W+500W at 8 ohms; 1800W+1800W+900W at 4 ohms

Secondly, you should know your speaker.

 

1.    RMS power of each speaker driver in the speaker.

To choose a suitable amplifier, you should know the power of your speaker and nominal impedance firstly, so that know how much amplifier power will you need.

A massively distorted signal can blow a speaker at lower levels much faster than a clean signal will at high levels. The bottom line is that you want to have an amplifier that can drive the speakers hard enough that you don’t need to be maxing out every part of the signal chain in order to get the music loud enough for the speakers. That’s where you start to run into messy audio and risk damaging your drivers.

You should have about 1.5 times more than nominal rated power for your top speakers and 2 about times more for your subwoofer so that you can handle the peaks associated with more dynamic tracks.

2.    Connection of speaker driver

After understanding what power will you need, you may need to know how many channel of the amp do you need?

  A.   Full range speaker and single subwoofer. 

If your speaker is full range speaker or single subwoofer, you could choose one channel plate amplifier.

Example:

1. 1)    SF15 single 15 inch full rang speaker: rms 500W 8 ohms.

We should choose a amplifier is one channel, power need 500x1.5=750W. Sanway Audio is using the D1-800D amplifier module 1x800W at 8 ohms for the speaker.

Frequency Response (±3 dB) 50 Hz - 18 kHz Sensitivity (1w/1m) 102 dB SPL  Long-term SPL 126dB Maximum SPL 136 dB Nominal Impedance8ohms  Power rated(rms)500 watts Peak Power handling1000 watts  Nominal Dispersion90 °H x 50 °V Low Frequency Driver 1×15inch High Frequency Driver1×.3 inch

2)    A single 18 inch subwoofer: rms 800W 8 ohms.

We should choose a amplifier is one channel, power need 800x2=1600W. We will use the D2-SUB8 1600W at 8 ohms plate amplifier for subwoofer.

  B.   Bi-amp line array and dual woofer subwoofer. 

If your speaker or line array is bi-amp or dual woofer subwoofer, you should choose two channel plate amplifier.

Example:

1. 1)    L-2 speaker consists of 1x5 inch LF driver, 1x8 inch MF driver, and 1x1.75 inch HF driver. There a crossover between MF and HF. LF is 400W 8 ohms, MHF is 250W at 8 ohms. Sanway Audio is using D2-825 2 channel amplifier 800W for LF, 250W for MHF.

2. Frequency Response( ±3dB) 50Hz-18KHz Sensitivity(1w/1m) LF:102dB MF:106dB HF:107dB Crossover Piont 250Hz Nominal Impedance LF:8ohms MF+HF:12ohms  Power rated LF:400 watts MF:200 watts HF:50 watts Low frequency driver 1 ×15 inch  Mid frequency driver 1 x 8 inch  High frequency driver 1 ×1 inch  Nominal dispersion50 ° ×25 °V  Dimensions(H ×W ×D)920×522 ×445mm  Enclosure material18mm plywood

3. 2)    L-8028 dual 18 inch subwoofer. Each woofer RMS is 800W at 8 ohms. Sanway Audio installed D3-2CH 2x1500W at 8ohms 2 channel subwoofer plate amplifier for L-8028.

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C.   stereo sets, composed of subwoofer and full range speaker pairs, installed in a subwoofer.

 If you want to make a powered system that active subwoofer power 2 pcs passive top speaker, Sanway Audio D3 3 channel plate amplifier is the good choice.

Example: VR10&S30 line array system. We mount one D3 customized 1800W+900W+900W at 4 ohms three way class-D DSP powered amplifier module in S30 cabinet box. The 1800W channel to driver the S30, and 900W+900W two channel to driver two top VR10 Bi-amped line array speakers.

ModelVR10 Drivers1 x 10" LF / 2 x 1.75" HF Frequency range60 - 16000 Hz Power capacity program / peak:500 / 1000 W bi-amped LF           200 / 400 W bi-amped HF  600 / 1200 W ModelS30 Driver2 x 15" Frequency range35-200 Hz Power capacity/ peaker2400/4800W Impedance4 ohms

3.    Space of the cabinet box.

If you are a speaker box maker, you could open the hole in the cabinet according to the dimension of the amplifier module.

After choosing the right power plate amplifier, you should check the size of the amp if you want to make your current passive speaker to be active. Some speaker is so compact, they may not have enough space to install a plate amplifier.

Please feel free to send us the specification of your speakers, Sanway team is glad to give you suggestion for a suitable plate amplifier.