Orion 280gx User Manual

SPEAKER CONNECTIONS
IMPEDANCE
All gx and GS amplifiers are designed for operation
with 4 to 16 ohm speakers. For best operation, we
recommend high quality 8-ohm speakers. The efficiency
of 8-ohm speakers tends to be a little better than
4-ohm speakers. You only get 3 dB gain by going
from 8 ohms to 4 ohms. Many high quality 8-ohm
subwoofers are actually 5 to 6 dB more efficient than
4-ohm subwoofers. Also, if you use 8-ohm speakers,
your amplifier will run half as hot. Your battery will
last longer so you can sit on the side of the road and
play your audio system and still start your car.
CONNECTIONS
NEVER connect any speaker to chassis ground. This
will introduce ground loops that cause noise in the
system and, in the case of bridging, cancels out the
two-phase effect.
NEVER used twisted wire connections. Always make
connections using spade insulated butt connectors or
quick-disconnect connectors. If quick-disconnects are
used, insulate the connections using shrink tubing. Do
not use electrician’s tape since the adhesive on such
tapes tends to dissipate with time and cause short
circuits.
SPEAKER WIRE
Use substantial wire for speaker connections. We rec¬
ommend that speaker wires be at least 16 AWG. Some
installers prefer the use of specially-made heavy-duty
speaker wiring.
NOTE: ORION amplifiers have an excellent damping
factor. Damping factor is the reflected output imped¬
ance in the amplifier. The higher the damping factor
in the amplifier, the less tendency for the speaker to
move on its own, say when it is bumped. The ampli¬
fier controls the damping in the speaker.
Always keep in mind than any amplifier is only 60%
efficient. When you load the amplifier to a 2-ohm
load, you don’t just double the power, you lose some
efficiency in the amplifier as well, so the actual amount
of current draw from the battery is higher than if used
two amplifiers. Dropping impedance increases current
drain. Two 4-ohm speakers in parallel connected to a
100 watt amplifiers as in bridging means that the
amplifier is going to have to deliver 200 watts. At the
200 watt rating, the amplifiers are still contained in
the same heat sink so the heat is going to have to be
dissipated by the same surface plus the resistance of
the wires. You are now using twice as much current
which means a greater drop in voltage, increase in
current, and a little less efficiency. Whereas, if you
use a separate amplifier for each subwoofer, you have
twice the area in the heat sink, each amplifier is going
to have to work half as hard, the voltage drop is less
in the wires, and the dynamics of sound will be
greatly improved.
Do NOT route the speaker wires next to any power
Be sure to observe speaker wire polarity. Except as
shown and described in the connection diagrams in
figures 1 through 15, the yellow wire is positive and
the black/yellow wire is negative. Also, the orange
wire is positive and the black/orange wire is negative.
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Orion 280gx Specifications

General

Brand	Orion
Model	280gx
Category	Amplifier
Language	English