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[Joseph D. Macry]

Looking at an existing elementary school sound system. Power amp (5600 watts/ch/4ohms) runs a pair of 8-ohm speakers in cafeteria, plus another pair in the gym just past the airwall, where they can open up into one larger room. All 4 speakers are home run to the amp (Architectural Acoustics model ICA1200).

Gym speaker lines are run through a toggle switch to cut them in or out. My boss says that running signal into that amp channel with the switch open can damage the amplifier because it doesn't see the proper load. I believe that modern amplifiers are not bothered by putting a voltage onto open terminals.

There is currently no DSP in the system (not even delay for the gym speakers) for a graceful mute-by-software. The toggle switch looks fairly beefy, though I do not not it's power rating.

What do you think? Does running an amp with one channel open cause harm to a power amp?

[Ivan Beaver]

Looking at an existing elementary school sound system. Power amp (5600 watts/ch/4ohms) runs a pair of 8-ohm speakers in cafeteria, plus another pair in the gym just past the airwall, where they can open up into one larger room. All 4 speakers are home run to the amp (Architectural Acoustics model ICA1200).

Gym speaker lines are run through a toggle switch to cut them in or out. My boss says that running signal into that amp channel with the switch open can damage the amplifier because it doesn't see the proper load. I believe that modern amplifiers are not bothered by putting a voltage onto open terminals.

There is currently no DSP in the system (not even delay for the gym speakers) for a graceful mute-by-software. The toggle switch looks fairly beefy, though I do not not it's power rating.

What do you think? Does running an amp with one channel open cause harm to a power amp?

Solid state amps do not have a problem with an open/no load.

Tube amps HOWEVER do.  You will kill a tube amp if the impedance load is to high (done it myself several times-back in experimentation days).

Maybe he is thinking of the old days.

Another misconception that people have is that you have to have the same load on both sides of the amp.  The amp doesn't care.

[John Roberts {JR}]

Looking at an existing elementary school sound system. Power amp (5600 watts/ch/4ohms) runs a pair of 8-ohm speakers in cafeteria, plus another pair in the gym just past the airwall, where they can open up into one larger room. All 4 speakers are home run to the amp (Architectural Acoustics model ICA1200).

That's impressive, I didn't know there were any fixed install amps that powerful. 

Gym speaker lines are run through a toggle switch to cut them in or out. My boss says that running signal into that amp channel with the switch open can damage the amplifier because it doesn't see the proper load. I believe that modern amplifiers are not bothered by putting a voltage onto open terminals.

Your boss is wrong....

There is currently no DSP in the system (not even delay for the gym speakers) for a graceful mute-by-software. The toggle switch looks fairly beefy, though I do not not it's power rating.

What do you think? Does running an amp with one channel open cause harm to a power amp?

No problemo... other than how do you convince your boss....

JR

[Joseph D. Macry]

That's impressive, I didn't know there were any fixed install amps that powerful. 

My typo. The amp is 600 watts/ch/4ohms.

[Charlie Zureki]

My typo. The amp is 600 watts/ch/4ohms.

   Sure... you're aspiring to be the Tech writer for some Audio Manufacturer...aren't you ? 

  Hammer

[Ivan Beaver]

   Sure... you're aspiring to be the Tech writer for some Audio Manufacturer...aren't you ? 

  Hammer

I hear the marketing department has an opening--------------

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