Note: the majority of this article applies to North American power regions, where 110v 15A to 20A service is the common power provided in residential and commercial spaces. We have some notes at the end of the article for other regions - if your region utilizes 220-240v power, this is likely not as much of a concern.

CS1504/1504D Power Requirements

We're big fans of the CS1504/CS1504D amplifier from LEA Professional. It has enormous amounts of headroom for most DML applications and anytime we can keep the amplifier from operating at its maximum, it becomes extremely unlikely that we will introduce distortion to the content. Because a DML does not by nature generate any measurable 3rd order* harmonic distortion, this keeps the sound being generated by the DML pristine.

The CS1504/1504D amplifiers come with a NEMA L6-30P 110v twist lock connector (30 Amp) on the line side, and a PowerCon 32A connector on the amplifier side. The power cable looks like this:

The NEMA L6-30P is rated at 30amps/110v, and will not connect to a standard 15A/20A Edison outlet. This is because the LEA 1504 amplifier is fully capable of delivering 1500w per channel (6000 watts total) continuously. If, for example, you were powering 4 18" subwoofers, one on each channel, you could, at peak demands, have the amplifier trying to draw more than 20 amps of power from the 110V mains. Other than initial power-on momentary inrush current, the max power draw of the CS1504/CS1504D series is just shy of 23 amps (@110v) with all 4 channels driven at maximum power, with a 2 Ohm load—see below from the amplifier's Users Guide:

So let's consider the DMLs practical load on an amplifier. 

FlatPanel Audio installations commonly consist of 2 DML500 loudspeakers, with one or two subwoofers—or some multiple of that basic system configuration (4 panels 2-4 subs, etc.) The CS1504/CS1504D amplifiers are our go-to amplifier choice for most live-sound installations, and one amplifier will easily drive two DML500 loudspeakers, and one or two subwoofers. The two DML500 loudspeakers on channel 1 and 2 will rarely tax the amplifier at or near the peak of 1500w, and if they do, it's only for fractions of a second—usually handled well by the capacitors in LEA's awesome power supply—resulting in minimal—if any—mains power drain. The subwoofer(s) can be the power-hungry ones—and this is where the LEA "SmartBridge" feature comes into play, providing a fantastic solution for systems from FlatPanel Audio. See our article here on the Smart Power Bridge feature.

It is unlikely for the DML500 loudspeaker to ever peak a 1500w channel for more than a fraction of a second. The rest of the time, the channel feeding the DML500 loudspeaker are experiencing a "program" power level that is much lower than the channel maximum. Glancing at the table above, you can see that about the only time you might approach 20 amps of power draw is if you were driving 4 subwoofers with one amplifier. We've been able to run our Demonstration systems (2x DML500, 1 or 2 subwoofers) on an LEA power cord modified with a standard Edison 15 amp plug without issue in live sound applications. The DML loudspeakers get their undistorted transient peaks, the subwoofers get all the power they need, without drawing more than the 15 amp or 20 amp circuit will allow.

What about 220v-240V Regions?

In our experience, these regions are able to operate the CS1504/1504D within the normal current specifications of widely available power outlets - See table below. In these cases, installing your local mains power line plug on the supply end of the power cord should meet requirements. If you are unsure, please consult with a professional who is familiar with power requirements in your region.

 

CS3004/3004D Power Requirements

NOTE: The new CS3004/CS3004D, with 3000w/ch of power is soon to be available, and this amplifier likely come with the NEMA L6-30P/Powercon 32A mains cord combination as well. We are awaiting amplifier specifications from LEA on this model, but at this point we do not recommend deviating from the mains circuit size recommended by LEA for this amplifier. Check back here for updates when the amplifier begins shipping. We are awaiting final specifications from LEA for this model.

* 3rd order harmonic distortion refers to the distortion most often experienced in a traditional pistonic loudspeaker when, during movement, the diaphragm of the loudspeaker loses shape, resulting in sound being created that was not part of the original content. DMLs generally do not create measurable 3rd order harmonic distortion