EAW SB730 - Manual (Page 7)

EAW KF730 & SB730 PRELIMINARY OWNER’S MANUAL Page 7 of 16
5.5 AMPLIFIER GAIN SETTINGS
In order for Divergence Shading to work properly, all amplifiers for all passbands must be set to the same
voltage gain, regardless of their power output ratings.
NOTE: This does NOT mean the same input sensitivity, but the same input to output voltage gain. Consult
your amplifier manufacturer if this cannot be readily determined. Do not selectively boost or attenuate
loudspeaker levels at the amplifiers in order to achieve consistent SPL at various distances. This is
achieved by adjusting the array curvature as described above. This will also maintain array coherence
throughout the venue.
5.6 USER ADJUSTEMENTS
5.6.1 Equalization
EAW recommends that 1/3 octave or careful use of parametric equalization be used to modify performance
to accommodate a particular program, venue characteristics, or personal taste.
5.6.2 Array
Measurements
SMAART - The SmaartLive program from SIA Software Company is an ideal tool to use to measure and
optimize a KF730 array for a particular venue. This is a fast, yet sophisticated, process that will show up
problem areas due to particular venue characteristics. Usually it is a matter of applying small amounts of
1/3 octave or parametric equalization to adjust significant anomalies. A demo version of SmaartLive is
available at www.siasoft.com.
5.7 AMPLIFIER POWER REQUIREMENTS
As is true of all professional loudspeaker systems, the performance of the KF730s and SB730s depends on
amplifiers delivering an adequate supply of clean power. The selection of the appropriate power amplifier is
a subject of some debate. There is no exact answer to the question of what amplifier power you should use
for a particular loudspeaker or transducer. There are three separate and distinct issues regarding amplifier
power as discussed in the next sections.
For more information on selecting appropriate amplifiers, please consult EAW’s Technical Paper on
Amplifier Power, available on the EAW web site or by contacting EAW Applications Support Group.
5.7.1 Power
Ratings
The KF730 is a bi-amplified loudspeaker, requiring one LF and one MF/HF amplifier channel. The SB730
can be either single amplified, requiring one amplifier channel for both drivers, or multi-amplified, requiring
a separate amplifier channel for each driver.
Model KF730 SB730
Input LF MF/HF SUB 1 / SUB 2 (paralleled) SUB 1 & SUB 2 (each)
Continuous 700 W / 106 V 350 W / 75 V 1400 W / 75 V 700 W / 75 V
Nominal Impedance 16 ohm 16 ohm 4 ohm 8 ohm
CAUTION: The ratings listed above are the published continuous (thermal) power ratings meaning that
they have passed EAW’s standard power handling test. In this test, transducers are “exercised” to a point
of damage or failure. A power rating for the loudspeaker is then determined based on these test results and
the transducer’s application in the system. The powers listed are calculated from the RMS voltage level of
an EIA-426A pink noise signal with a 6 dB peak to average ratio at each sub-system’s nominal impedance.
The listed power ratings are intended as a point of comparison with the power ratings of other
loudspeakers. In many applications, these ratings do not necessarily correspond to the best amplifier sizes
for optimizing loudspeaker reliability and performance. Proper amplifier selection requires a considered
analysis for the particular application.