OUR GUIDE TO

UNDERSTANDING LOUDSPEAKER SPECIFICATIONS

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THE SOUND EXPERIENCE
Fane loudspeaker technology is internationally renowned for delivering
the ultimate audio performance in theatre, club and concert hall sound
reinforcement systems, offering maximum efficiency, wide frequency range
and minimal distortion.

Fane component loudspeaker products are the culmination of

intensive research and near 60 years experience of designing the finest
quality loudspeakers without compromise. Fane has a heritage of delivering a
quality of performance, reliability and sonic excellence demanded by the most
discerning of audio professionals.

Frequency response and sound pressure an optimised combination of components

levels are scientifically calculated and adjusted to provide a harmonious blend of
to provide accurate matching and balance bass, mid and high frequency drivers,
over all frequency bandwidths, at overall high seamlessly covering all sectors of the audio
efficiency and with negligible distortion. spectrum. Hand-crafted using only the finest
materials for an understated British flair and
Driven by an uncompromising quest for style. Blending the best of British design, our
excellence, the Yorkshire-based, family-owned products represent the ideal combination of
and managed company is committed to design technology, engineering excellence,
building the very best professional loudspeaker craftsmanship and refined performance, which
drivers. All products are designed and underscores our commitment to achieving the
engineered by our UK R&D team, responsible epitome in world-class audio engineering.
for designing some of the finest quality audio
components in the pro audio industry. Our conservative approach to technical
specifications such as power ratings ensures
Any single specification is not the that every parameter is accurately defined
distinguishing feature of any one of our without making exaggerated claims or stating
products; each model represents the a peak figure that does not accurately reflect
optimised combination of parameters the performance of the drive unit across
and technical design to achieve optimal its recommended working bandwidth. This
results for various applications and cabinet approach, one born of a desire for providing
enclosure designs. audio professionals with accuracy and
consistency, reflects our ethos of understated
The Fane product line is conceived as a British engineering excellence and is a
complete range, designed to integrate as hallmark of Fane’s commitment to quality.
3
 Reproducing an audio signal is INTRODUCTION TO AES POWER HANDLING
something almost all of us take for
granted; what appears simple on the It would seem generally accepted that a high
surface suddenly becomes a lot more power rating is desirable and a sign of quality.
complicated on further investigation. Many manufacturers exaggerate or draw
Part science, part art, it’s a world filled attention to ‘big numbers’ that sometimes
with confusing terminology, conflicting have the greatest influence on driver
opinions, misunderstanding drenched choices. In reality, the figures themselves
in creative marketing. Even seasoned can mean little and be misleading in terms of
professionals do not seem to fully agree a speaker’s actual performance compared
on the various approaches to designing to other specifications. The result of being
and building loudspeakers. Although misled by power handling ratings is that it
the basic principles of the loudspeaker does not allow ‘like-for-like’ comparisons
are relatively easy to grasp, designing between similar products. Fane choose to
one and optimising it for the best give realistic figures that are proper and
sound is a difficult process. What often correct, each measured using approved
appears perfect in theory doesn’t always industry standard practices.
translate as predicted in the real world.
Loudspeaker power ratings describe the
There is so much to consider in Pro amount of continuous power that can
Audio than can be covered in this be dissipated in the form of heat without
document. Rather than an exhaustive damage. While it may appear that more
guide on the subjects covered, our goal power dissipation is better, this is only
is to provide insight into the methods, true if the method used to achieve it does
approaches and perspectives of Fane not compromise the efficiency of the
based on our near 60 years experience loudspeaker. Understanding the two main
designing and manufacturing pro audio causes for driver failure can help when it
transducers. The aim is to provide comes to understanding power ratings:
inspiration for audio enthusiasts from Thermal and Mechanical.
which to build, research and develop
further. As such, this document contains Thermal Failure
a number of simplifications and may Thermal is the most common of failure
touch on some subjects without modes, and often unfairly blamed on the
expanding further to that end. loudspeaker driver itself. Failures occur
from too much current when an amplifier’s

TIP: If you have any questions or doubts, our Fane appointed representatives, who
possess years of combined experience, are perfect to advise and guide you. Get in touch,
we’re happy to help! [email protected]
4
 continuous output reaches beyond the heat wave output. At the peak of a sine wave, the
dissipation capabilities of the loudspeakers voice coil of a speaker is pushed out and
voice coil. Loudspeakers are very inefficient therefore if a square wave is applied, the
devices, on average 0.5-5% of power voice coil is spending more time out of the
supplied is converted to sound; the rest is coil gap. This leads to a poor heat distribution
converted to heat. If a loudspeaker is unable through the magnet, which overheats the
to dissipate that heat quickly enough
sin(x) thecos(x) voice coil and burns it.
speaker will soon fail. One of the main causes
of driver failure is a clipped or square-wave Other causes of thermal failure can
signal being sent from an amplifier. At the occur when a driver is sent a signal from
same voltage, a square wave represents a misconfigured system outside of its
double the power of a sine wave. Essentially,
3dB operationalPeak
bandwidth; input power is then
RMS
Voltage

the AC signal is more sustained and therefore purely dissipated asTime

heat. Enclosure designs
presents a load similar to that of a DC without adequate consideration for ventilation
signal, hence it is sometimes referred to can also cause problems or if DC voltage is

Peak Peak Peak

RMS RMS RMS
Voltage

Voltage

Voltage
Time Time Time

Fig. 1: Showing a 1W sine wave going into clipping. Notice that the voltage is sustained for longer periods at the waves peak as
becomes a square-wave.

as ‘DC burn’. That means that the speaker applied to the coil (most modern amplifiers
+120
has to dissipate twice the amount of heat. +120
have DC protection circuits so this kind of
+110
Amplifiers are rated at the power they can +110
fault is rare). Overheating may also damage
+100
provide with a sine wave type signal. When +100
adhesives and other parts that can also lead
that signal is pushed into a square wave, the to mechanical failures.
dB (1W-1m)

dB (1W-1m)

+90 +90

+80
amplifier can often output more than its rated +80

+70 +70
power. Mechanical Failure
+60 +60
Mechanical failure occurs when the
+50 +50
20 In most
50 cases,
100 200 this
(Hz) 500fault
1k is caused
2k 5k by
10kthe20k transducer
20 50 cone200or(Hz)diaphragm,
100 500 1k 2k voice
5k coil
10k or20k

amplifier ‘clipping’ the input signal due to the suspension systems are forced to physically
user trying to get more out of the amplifier move beyond their limits (Xmax / Xmech).
than it96isdBrated
(1W/1M)for.
avg. This causes an increase Typically, this99
isdB (1W/1M)
the avg. of amplifier peak
result
+120 +120
in input level to the speaker, therefore a voltage being too high. The result is over-
+110 +110
larger sine wave. If this sine wave is pushed excursion that can cause the coil to move
+100 +100
too hard, the amplifier will ‘clip’ the top and out of the voice coil gap completely, or hit
dB (1W-1m)

dB (1W-1m)

5
+90 +90
bottom of the wave and produce a square the back plate – known as ‘bottoming-out’.
+80 +80

+70 +70

+60 +60
 This causes destruction of one or more For instance, a 35-350 Hz range, was used
of the software components or voice coil. when rating our 1300W (AES), FC-185F03 sub
Sometimes they may continue to work but bass driver.
performance is usually severely affected with
audible results such as hissing and rattling. Calculation: (P=V2 / Z min) Power shall be
Misconfigured cabinet designs can also determined as the square of applied RMS
cause excursion problems. voltage, as measured with a “true RMS”
voltmeter, divided by Zmin. The rated power
HOW WE DETERMINE POWER RATINGS of the device shall be that power the device
can withstand for 2 hours without permanent
How much power a speaker can handle gives change in acoustical, mechanical, or
no direct indication of its performance at full electrical characteristics greater than 10%.
power or how loud it will be. It just tells you
that’s how much power it can survive. Many The successful test conditions will
methods exist for determining the maximum therefore be derived AES nominal Power
input power. All of them have merits, and rating for all Fane Drivers. However, in a
similar attributes yet yield different results. correctly optimised enclosure featuring
Fane specified nominal power ratings are good cabinet assistance, Fane drivers
governed according to AES2-1984 standards often out-perform their nominal rated AES
that test both thermal and mechanical power ratings and also outperforming
properties of a driver to the limits. Key competitor’s offerings of the same nature
conditions of the test are as follows: even with their higher rated powers.

Transducer Mounting: Low frequency PEAK POWER

drivers are tested in free air orientated in This is the amount of power the speaker
the horizontal axis. Compression drivers can take for very brief periods at a time. In
are mounted to a suitable industry standard a sine wave, the relationship between peak
horn or a device to reasonably simulate the and average power is 2:1 (the peak voltage is
acoustic loading of a horn. 1.414 - the square root of 2 - times the RMS
voltage, which doubles the amount of power
Signal: Transducers under test are driven with produced in a given load).
a band of pink noise extending one decade
upward from the manufacturer’s stated lowest Most speakers will briefly handle signals
usable frequency .The input signal shall be with greater peaks (Fane’s Peak Power is
bandpass filtered at 12dB per octave with listed on our specification sheets as being
Butterworth filter response characteristics, a calculated four times greater than the
and the peak-to-RMS voltage ratio of the AES Nominal Power Rating as a guide to
noise signal supplied to the LF driver shall be recommended amplifier power). Peak power
2:1 (6 dB Crest factor). is not representative: typical content last no
6 more than a few milliseconds.
 3dB
Peak POWER Vs. PERFORMANCE
RMS
Voltage

Time

Everyone wants great, high-quality sound from

their loudspeakers, sounds that fill a space
Fig. 2: Illustrating a sine wave audio signal RMS and Peak. with deep bass, rich mid range and sparkling
treble. To us there is nothing impressive
PeakRMS Peak or beneficial inPeak
driving lots of power into a
RMS RMS RMS
Root
Time Mean Square is used to compare loudspeaker. The ideal loudspeaker should
Voltage

Voltage
Time Time

the AC power to the equivalent DC power be able to produce the desired sound level
required to provide the same heating using as little power as possible. We feel it is
capacity into the load. In amplifiers and more impressive to get lots of quality sound
speakers this is usually measured with a with less applied power. Rather than reading
1kHz sine wave input. This is measured a specification sheet and saying, “Wow, that
as a constant input signal. In real sounds speaker handles 5000 watts!” we think it’s
+120
however, the levels change all the time so better to ask “Why do I have to use 5000
+110
this is the reason for quoting peak power. watts when Fane speakers can produce the
+100
But this refers to only short bursts of input same SPL level at 1000 watts?” Horn loading
dB (1W-1m)

+90
causing large outputs. An amplifier couldn’t and other enclosure design techniques are
+80
maintain a peak output constantly because methods of increasing loudspeaker efficiency,
+70
of power supply, and overheating problems. allowing more sound per the applied voltage
+60

You might see a 6-Inch home

+50
speaker rated (and ultimately the applied power).
0 (Hz) 500 1k 2k 5k 10k 20k 20 50 100 200 (Hz) 500 1k 2k 5k 10k 20k
as a 1000W Peak music Power Output
(PMPO) but you try and put even 50W RMS As a woofer reaches its power limits, unless
through it and it will be destroyed swiftly. failure occurs there will be a point where
1M) avg. 99 dB (1W/1M) avg.
+120 the resistance of the voice coil rises faster
PROGRAM / MUSIC POWER
+110 than the power going into the driver and
Although having no specific
+100 meaning, it’s therefore produces lots of heat that the driver
generally accepted that it+90is the amount of is not able to dissipate. This is called ‘power
dB (1W-1m)

power that a speaker can+80handle during compression’. It implies that the more power
typical music or ‘typical program’
+70 (if there you put into the driver, the less output you
were such a thing) where+60frequency content get out. For this reason, it is a mistake to
0 (Hz) 500 1k and2k power
5k constantly
10k 20k vary.20 Program
50 100power
+50
200 (Hz) 500 associate
1k 2k 5kthe10k
power
20k rating of the loudspeaker
is typically given as twice that of the nominal with its sonic performance.
power rating.
Higher power ratings simply mean that a
speaker is one of two things; firstly it is so
inefficient that it needs excessive power
to drive the coil. Or, secondly, it has such
an effective heat dissipation management
system that it is able to deliver high SPL 7
 at the stated higher input power. Sadly, in AVERAGE SENSITIVITY
the vast majority of cases the first option
sin(x) cos(x)

applies. Power ratings by themselves give There is no industry standard practice

no indication of efficiency in producing for measuring loudspeaker sensitivity. As
acoustic power, which is the purpose of the such manufacturers use different methods
loudspeaker. Ultimately if you want more to define SPL output and this is when
volume/ SPL performance you’ll need to add marketing spin
Peak often comes into play. ‘Big’
3dB
RMS
multiples of your given enclosure design. sensitivity numbers are
Time shown in the most
Voltage

obvious places on a specification sheet,

THE PERFORMANCE ADVANTAGE such as 99dB. Often large peaks found on a
frequency response chart, that are outside
Take this example. In a recent A/B test we a drivers intended working bandwidth and
performed with our sister Peak
company Precision would bePeakremoved as part of a larger system
Peak
RMS RMS RMS
Devices, PD.184NR1, 1000W (AES continuous) network, are Time
included which manipulates the
Voltage

Voltage

Voltage
Time Time

against a competitor’s equivalent model that truth to give a higher SPL figure. It’s only on
claimed 1500W. Both speaker specifications closer inspection in the darkest corners of
showed a sensitivity of 99 dB (1W/1M) over their some spec sheets that the true ‘reference
working bandwidth. On paper at least, many efficiency’, band limited, sensitivity figures
would pick the higher power rated speaker, but are found. Fane list average sensitivity figures
this could prove to be an unwise choice. that are calculated from the speaker’s Thiele/
+120
Small
+120
Parameters and take band limiting into
+110
In this particular instance, after incremental account
+110
so as to give a true reflection. Take
+100 +100
power tests, we discovered that in excess the graph below for example, it shows the
dB (1W-1m)

dB (1W-1m)

+90 +90
of 1000W the efficiency of the 1500W driver same speaker rated in two different ways,
+80 +80
actually began to slope-off as a result of 96dB to include it’s true working range and
+70 +70
power compression, producing lower SPL 99dB that includes upper frequency peaks to
+60 +60
while the lower power-rated PD model was increase the figure.
+50 +50

rising
20
in50SPL
100
to 200
a +3dB
(Hz) 500
difference.
1k 2k 5k 10k 20k 20 50 100 200 (Hz) 500 1k 2k 5k 10k 20k

96 dB (1W/1M) avg. 99 dB (1W/1M) avg.

+120 +120

+110 +110

+100 +100
dB (1W-1m)

dB (1W-1m)

+90 +90

+80 +80

+70 +70

+60 +60

+50 +50
20 50 100 200 (Hz) 500 1k 2k 5k 10k 20k 20 50 100 200 (Hz) 500 1k 2k 5k 10k 20k

Fig. 3: Spot the difference... The same speaker can be rated almost twice as loud. Sensitivity ratings can be manipulated depending
8 on the frequency bandwidth tested.
TIP: 3 dB of additional sound power CABINET DESIGN
from the same loudspeaker requires
double the number of amplifier watts. Loudspeaker drivers are typically housed
It is commonly accepted that 3 dB is within a speaker enclosure, cabinet, along
the smallest practical sound pressure with associated electronic hardware such as
difference detectable by the human ear. crossover circuits and, in the case of active
systems, internal power amplifiers.
If you want your sound system to be
noticeable louder, you will need at The primary role of an enclosure is to
least twice as much amplifier power prevent the sound waves generated by the
or loudspeakers at least 3 dB more reverse motion of an open chassis speaker’s
efficient. diaphragm from interacting with sound waves
generated from the forward motion. As the
That means if you have a 1500W front and rear sound waves are generated
amplifier and are considering replacing out-of-phase to each other, they travel
it with a 2000W amplifier you should different paths before finally converging at the
save your money, as that is only a 1.2 listener’s position.
dB difference. At least 3000W are
necessary for a significant improvement Any interaction in the listening space
in performance... if your current introduces interference and distortion to the
loudspeakers cannot handle that kind audio reproduction resulting in unintended
of power, you need loudspeakers with effects such as echo or reverberation etc.
either higher power handling, higher This is especially true in the case of low
efficiency or simply more loudspeakers. frequencies, on which enclosure design
mostly focuses. As such, a loudspeaker can’t
really be used without a cabinet of some
type, or by mounting it into a wall or ceiling.
Some designs attempt to take advantage of
this behaviour, using the opposing forces to
enhance sound and increase efficiency.

Most commonly made from wood, enclosure

materials play a very important role in the
quality of the sound, managing vibration
induced by the driver frame and moving
air mass within the enclosure, as well as
heat generated by driver voice coils and
amplifiers (especially where woofers and
subwoofers are concerned). There are many
types of enclosures, with various levels of 9
 skill and knowledge required to design and alignment. All topics too vast to discuss here,
construct each. From small full-range home subjects for further research and definitely
‘bookshelf’ enclosures to huge dedicated not for the faint of heart!
18, 21 or 24-inch subwoofer enclosures for
clubs and stadiums. Designs can vary from
simple, DIY rectangular MDF boxes to very
complex and expensive CAD designs that CROSSOVER NETWORKS
include composite materials, internal baffles,
bracing, horns, bass reflex ports and acoustic A crossover network (Xover) is a device
insulation etc. that divides an audio signal into separate
frequency ranges, or bandwidths, ultimately
Enclosure design requires the use of routed to different drivers (speakers,
specifications called TSPs (Thiele / Small tweeters, horns, etc.) In a multi-way audio
Parameters). TSPs quantify a number of a system. By doing so, a crossover network
loudspeaker’s performance characteristics serves two important functions;
and can be used to predict the performance
of a speaker in various types of enclosure. 1) It allows optimum system sound quality by
Thankfully there are a number of computer ensuring that each speaker only operates
software tools available to help in this part of with its intended bandwidth.
the design process.
2) It prevents damage that would otherwise
Designers must ultimately learn to balance be caused by low frequencies being fed to
low bass extension, linear frequency midrange and high frequency drivers.
response, efficiency, distortion, loudness
and enclosure size, while simultaneously The degree by which a crossover network
addressing issues higher in the audible reduces the unwanted input above or below
frequency range such as diffraction from the specified frequency is known as the
enclosure edges, the baffle step effect when ‘slope’ and is expressed by the level of dB
wavelengths approach enclosure dimensions, by which the signal is reduced for each
crossovers, driver blending and time frequency octave. The minimum slope

TIP: What enclosure is best suited for you?

That’s for you to decide, it largely depends on the listening environment and objectives
of the final system.

If you don’t feel like designing your own enclosure, don’t worry; Fane partners are able
to offer full cabinet and crossover design kits that have been developed for select Fane
loudspeaker drivers. Speak to your local representative for more information.

10
NEW
FC-152F01TC FULL RANGE DRIVER

15” / 381 mm 300 W (A.E.S.) 99 dB

NOMINAL DIAMETER POWER HANDLING SENSITIVITY (1W/ 1m)

50 Hz - 15 kHz 2.0” / 50.8 mm 3.5 mm Xmax

FREQUENCY RESPONSE VOICE COIL DIAMETER MAXIMUM LINEAR EXCURSION

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 normally used is 12dB per octave, which AMPLIFIER SELECTION
is suitable for most normal requirements.
However, some midrange drivers and high Amplifiers can be highly specific and
frequency devices require a slope of 18dB/ technically complex pieces of equipment.
octave. For such devices correct crossover Sorting through the specifications and
specification is paramount. terminology can be confusing when selecting
the correct amplifier and power requirements.
There are two basic types of crossover: When most people are asked what they
want or expect out of a premium sound
PASSIVE CROSSOVERS system, their answer is almost always “more
Passive networks consist of electrical power”. These days amp power is relatively
components that require no external power inexpensive yet prices and quality vary
supply. Connected between the amplifier and widely. While saving money is always desired,
the loudspeaker they are normally located low-quality amps can contain component
within the enclosure. When using passive parts that introduce unwanted signal noise
crossovers the power proportion to each and effects that can have a massive impact
bandwidth varies in accordance with the on an otherwise outstanding system.
crossover frequency. We recommend the use of high-quality
amplification equipment (with protective
ACTIVE CROSSOVERS circuits), as typically they can improve sound
These are electronic devices that are quality, providing increased response,
connected before the amplifier stage. The sensitivity and lower distortion due to lower
frequency spectrum is then divided before interference or noise introduced by the other
it is amplified. Each loudspeaker is then electrical components etc. Lookout for high
fed with it’s own bandwidth by its own THD or Total Harmonic Distortion, the lower
amplifier channel. the figure the less distortion. Look for figures
below 0.05%.
In sound systems where less than 500
watts per crossover network is employed, WHAT IS THE APPLICATION?
the acceptable performance and costs of a Generally working out how much space
passive crossover is normally preferred. For you need to fill with sound and how many
larger systems we advise the use of active people will be in that space is a good
crossovers since single active crossovers can place to begin. Will you be playing music
drive a multitude of amplifiers. Perhaps more in a local bar? Blasting out heavy metal
so, active crossovers usually incorporate a in a 2000 seat stadium? Or just powering
range of adjustment which can be very useful a system to play as loud as possible?
for optimising performance on-site. This information will determine the best
system design and setup to use for that
environment. Smaller venues will obviously
12 require less equipment than you would
need for a larger club or concert. (Don’t IMPEDANCE
forget, people absorb sound too. The
larger crowd, the more power you’ll need to If you intend powering multiple cabinets
compensate for absorption). from any single amplifier channel you will
need to consider loudspeaker impedance.
HOW MUCH POWER DO YOU NEED? Modern PA amplifiers are designed to handle
Every Fane product has a technical different resistance loads depending on the
datasheet that is available in our product system design, the most common are 4, 8
catalogues or on our website or 16 Ohms. Optimum system performance
www.fane-international.com. First take will be obtained if the total resistive load (or
note of the transducer Nominal Impedance impedance) of the loudspeaker or multiple
specification. Typically it will be 8 Ohms. loudspeakers is exactly correct for the
Then look for the Continuous Power amplifier. If it is not, a mismatch occurs. If
Handling or AES Power Rating. the total loudspeaker impedance is too high,
the power delivered to the loudspeakers
If you are able to prevent the power amplifier will be reduced. If the total loudspeaker
from clipping the signal by the use of a impedance is too low, the power delivered
limiter within the signal chain, we suggest to the loudspeakers will be higher, which
amplifier power of (Program Power) 2-times can overload your speakers and damage the
the transducers AES Nominal Power Rating amplifier.
per channel. This provides +3dB crest factor
of ‘headroom’ for short-term transient peaks Any number of loudspeakers or systems
in the audio signal. For greater protection we can be connected to one amplifier
recommend (Peak Power) 4-times that of the provided they are correctly wired so that
transducer’s AES nominal power. However, the final impedance presented to the
audio signals can have peaks that are from amplifier is an exact match. Multiples of
+6 to +25 dB above the RMS level depending loudspeakers can be connected together
on the source input type. Some larger by three different methods, Series, Parallel
applications may require much more power to and a combination of the two, Series/
handle peaks without distortion. Parallel. Impedance (Z) load, in Ohms, is
calculated by using the following formulae
(see fig. 4, P.14, for examples):

TIP: Every part of the signal chain is important, and as such is only as strong as it’s
weakest link, so quality where possible is recommended. Consulting with a professional
is always recommended for those unsure of their mechanical or electrical abilities. Our
sales partners are able to provide excellent support and advice on amplifier selection
and setups.
13
 Series Connection: enclosure sections - bass, midrange
Z Total = Z1(speaker 1) + Z2 + Z 3 etc… and treble - should individually have an
impedance of 8 ohms. If each individual
For Parallel Connection: section comprises of more than one drive
1 1 1 1 unit, the drive units in that section must
= + + etc.
Z Total Z1 Z1 Z1 be connected to present a total section
impedance if 8 ohms. There is, however,
For combined Series/ Parallel, calculate the an exception to this rule, in respect of the
impedance of each similarly placed group of treble, high frequency section only. At
loudspeakers and regard the total impedance frequencies above 3 kHz it is possible for
as being that of a single loudspeaker with the treble section to present a higher, but
a single impedance, calculate the total never lower, impedance than the other
combined impedance using the formulae sections. The effect of higher impedance
above. here is a decrease in sound output level but
an increase in power handling capability,
In multi-way systems using passive proportional to the miss-match ratio. If a 16
crossovers, it is important that each separate ohm compression driver were fitted into an 8
frequency bandwidth of the system should ohm system, as described above, the power
present the same impedance. For example, handling capability of the treble section would
in a system with 8 ohms total impedance, it therefore increase by a factor of two.
is important that each of the three divided

(SERIES WIRING) (SERIES WIRING) (PARALLEL WIRING)

+ + +
+ +
+
Z

Z Z + +
ZTotal = Z x 2 Z
ZTotal = Z x 4 ZTotal = Z Z
+ + 2 +
Z Z Z
+

- - -
(PARALLEL WIRING) (SERIES / PARALLEL WIRING)
+ +
+ +

Z
+ + + + Z Z
ZTotal = Z Z Z Z ZTotal = Z
4 + + + + +
Z Z

- -

Fig. 4: Illustrating various wiring configurations and the formulae to calculate their load.

14
REPLACING AND UPGRADING PA SPEAKERS
Fane offer a wide range of loudspeakers suitable for the vast majority of sound reinforcement
enclosure designs, ideal for upgrades to stock loudspeakers, custom cab designs or
replacements for damaged drivers.

Identifying the correct driver or comparing two loudspeakers can be difficult, often with
manufacturers having different testing methods or figures that only become clear about how
they were achieved when delving deeper into the small print. While power rating is typically the
first parameter to be looked at, there are other parameters that probably bear more important
consideration such as Sensitivity and Impedance. Here are a few simple things to look out for
when choosing a replacement speaker:

• What is the speaker’s application? Sub bass, bass, mid etc?

• What are the physical dimensions of the speaker?

- Such as chassis size and overall depth.

• Look for power handling and impedance ratings that match closely to the driver you are
replacing, but beware of the figures.

• For best performance, try and select a driver that displays similar sensitivity (dB), Frequency
Response Range and also check excursion capabilities (Xmax / Xmech / peak-to-peak).

• Check the loudspeaker chassis fixing hole PCD positions and baffle cut-out match that your
enclosure (if you are not willing to cut new holes, that is!)

• Of course there are many more things that can be checked and compared; however, this list
serves as a quick starting point.

THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING…

Achieving consistent high-quality live sound can be a challenge. Your choice of PA speakers
can determine whether you’re mixing to make something good sound great, or struggling to
solve sound-reinforcement problems. So, now you’ve got a general idea about what types of
speakers you’ll need, call your Fane representative, and we’ll help you determine what your
best options are. Don’t forget, there’s much more to learn and at Fane we’re here to help
you on your journey, regularly visit our website, www.fane-international.com for more handy
guides and articles.
15
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