Crown Audio STUDIO AMPLIFIER owner manual Installation, Mounting, Cooling

Studio Reference I & II Professional Studio Amplifiers

3 Installation

3.1 Mounting

Studio Reference amplifiers are designed for standard 19 inch (48.3 cm) rack mounting or stacking without a cabinet. In a rack, it is best to mount units directly on top of each other. This provides the most efficient air flow and support. If the rack will be transported, we recommend that you fasten the amplifier’s back panel securely to the rack to help support the unit’s weight.

FRONT VIEW	7 in
	(17.3 cm)

19 in

(48.3 cm)

SIDE VIEW

16 in

(40.6 cm)1.4 in

(3.6 cm)

Fig. 3.1 Mounting Dimensions

Before proceeding, make sure the meter switches are set to your liking. The front panel assembly must first be removed to change these switches, so it is easier to do before the unit is mounted (see Section 4.4).

By now, you may be looking for rack ears. The rack ears are covered by two attractive end caps which are held in place by phillips screws (see Figure 3.2). To use the rack ears, remove the screws and lift off the caps. With sufficient side clearance, you can reinstall the end caps once the amplifier is mounted in the rack.

Fig. 3.2 Removing an End Cap

3.2 Cooling

Your amplifier has an internal variable speed fan that is controlled to match the unit’s real-time cooling needs. With proper installation and typical studio use, the fan may never need to run. For best results, you should fa- miliarize yourself with its cooling requirements.

Here are some tips to help keep your amplifier cool. First, never block the amplifier’s front or side air vents. If the amplifier is rack-mounted, its sides should be at least 2 inches (5 cm) away from the cabinet (see Fig- ure 3.3). Also, open rack spaces should be covered to prevent heated air from the side vents from being drawn out the front of the rack into the front air intake.

You will know when your Studio Reference amplifier has sufficient cooling because its ODEP indicators will be brightly lit. If the amplifier’s ODEP indicators dim or turn off, overly demanding conditions are forcing it to protect itself from overheating. If you experience a cooling problem, you should consider several factors that may be contributing to the problem, including load impedance, air flow and ambient air temperature.

Low-impedance loads generate more heat than higher impedance loads. To avoid impedance-related cooling problems, connect loads to each channel with a total impedance of at least 2 ohms in Stereo, 4 ohms in Bridge-Mono, and 1 ohm in Parallel-Mono mode (see Section 3.3 for wiring instructions). If your loads are reasonable and you still have a cooling problem, check for shorts in the loudspeaker cables, and look for prob- lems with air flow or ambient air temperature.

Air flow restrictions are the most common cause of inad- equate cooling. Restrictions may result from improper

			17 in
			IMPORTANT: Be sure the back of
			the amplifier is supported.
		AIR		AIR
	FLOW			FLOW
6 in			AMPLIFIER
			(TOP VIEW)
		2 in
		MIN.

RACK

CABINE

AIR FLOW

Fig. 3.3 Top View of a Rack-Mounted Unit

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