At FlatPanel Audio, we love LEA Professional amplifiers, including our go-to favorite, the  CS1504/CS1504D. It carries 1500 watts of power x 4 channels, while maintaining all of the cloud-managed and integrator-friendly features of the lower-powered LEA amplifiers. LEA amplifiers also have pristine 96k DSP signal path - this is important because we have found that the limitation to the sound quality being emitted from a DML is controlled by the signal path. A lesser amplifier with 48k DSP will be noticeable when compared with LEA. DML's do not create measurable 3rd order harmonic distortion - the cleaner the signal being fed to the DML, the cleaner the resulting sound. As amplifiers improve over time, so does the sound coming out of the same DML.

Astute users will note that the DML500 has a program power rating of 300w RMS, and a peak power rating of 600w RMS. So why do we recommend a 1500 watt per channel amplifier?

The DML500 does really well processing those brief, high wattage transient signals, such as the crack of a snare drum. And being that it is a nearly distortion-free loudspeaker, things don't get out-of-hand (distortion-wise) during those transient events, and the result is a new level of clarity and detail not normally found in traditional point-source loudspeakers. Of course one must use our recommended limiter settings, with which we can help to keep the DML500 from receiving too much power for too long (heat being one of the major killers of loudspeakers).

In addition, as the amount of wattage available in a 1U or 2U rackspace device continues to be more affordable than in years past, we find that it a bit easier to justify extra power and headroom. Since the DMLs can absorb those transient signals well and without distorting, we also are keeping the amplifier well away from its maximum output which can be another source of distortion. The results of this is a sonic experience that is extremely clear and pristine, without any coloration. Think of it like having well behaved studio monitors, but with much more SPL, 165 degrees of coverage, and minimal negative room interaction. And if this seems impossible, we assure you—DML500 will deliver on these claims—if you haven't heard it, please contact us so we can help you to have a demonstration.

We are not recommending that you use a 1500+ watt amplifier of your own choosing with untested limiter settings - our limiter settings have been meticulously established by our engineers to protect the DML500 loudspeaker and our line of LS subwoofers as much as possible.

 

Choosing your amplifier's power rating

As a baseline, for live sound reinforcement of venues up to 200-250** seats, the LEA 704 (700w/ch w/ Smart Bridging enabled on the sub channel) should be your minimum - and if high energy is required, such as for live mic'd drums, you may want to reach for more watts. For high energy music, multi-panel systems, and venues larger than 200–250** seats the CS1504 will bring out the full capabilities of the DML500 and its associated subwoofers. The CS1504 works for two DML500 loudspeakers  and one to two subwoofers. Again this is a general guideline, please contact us if you have questions—especially if you have systems with more than two panels and two subwoofers. Please also note that as of this writing, the LEA SmartBridge feature is only available on a single channel on the CS704/CS704D models (2 channels on CS1504/CS3004.)

For speech only applications or applications with light BGM (background music) and no subwoofers, such as airports, warehouses, and transit stations, you may be able to utilize LEA CS354, with 350 w/ch. Please share with us your needs and we're happy to guide you.

DML500 loudspeakers can also be used with 70v/100v (Hi-Z) systems, and all LEA amplifiers support 70v/100v mode on a per-channel basis. You will need to acquire transformers in the 200-300. watt range to take advantage of all of the SPL that the DML500 can deliver. 

 

A note about power balancing:

We do recommend balancing the amplifier load between DML loudspeakers and subwoofers whenever possible to avoid driving all subwoofers or all DML500 loudspeakers with a 4 channel amp. The theory behind this is this: In the case where a 4 channel amp is being called upon to deliver 4 channels of the exact same content to the exact same type of loudspeaker, all channels are calling for the same audio at the same time - which can make peak demand on the amplifier’s power supply occur sooner (all four channels called upon to deliver the same content at the same time.) Whereas if in the same 4-channel amp—2 channels were driving the DML500 (main content) and one channel (smart-bridged) is driving a subwoofer, the amp is much less likely to hit peak power demand when each “half” of the amp is delivering unique content (mains vs sub)s In other words, in a 2x2 DML500 system with 2 LS212 subwoofers, use two channels of the LEA CS704 or CS1504 for DML loudspeakers, and one bridged channel for the sub. The subs are more likely to want to extract the full load out of the amplifier’s power circuit—balancing ½ sub and ½ DML500 keeps the amplifier’s power supply from having to run at max (and as a result, draw closer to 30A off of the mains.)

 

**The 200-250 seat guideline is a very general estimate—there may be larger venues where a C704 or C704D are appropriate and there may also be smaller venues that would truly benefit from the additional wattage of the CD1504 or Cs1504D. We’ve seen both cases—please contact us for guidance on amplifier selection.

Related Articles: