K2S4800 (serv.man2) - JBL Audio User Guide / Operation Manual. Page 9

No single type of amplifier is 
specified for use with the S4800
system. The speakers are highly
efficient and will operate
adequately with an amplifier or
receiver of 70-100 watts.

However, the transient response
and audio definition of a high-end
system such as the S4800 will pick
up all inefficiencies and distortion
in an amplifier system. For full-
range operation, the S4800 system
can be used with an amplifier/
receiver of as little as 30 watts.
Amplifiers/receivers of 
100-300 watts will ensure optimum
system performance.

There is no effective limit to the
power handling capabilities of the
S4800 loudspeakers when driven 
by consumer audio amplifiers. No
damage will occur when used with
high-powered components. Source
impedance is an important criterion
in selecting an appropriate unit; the
selected amplifier(s) should have a
very high current capacity and
must be capable of driving a low 
impedance load.

For bi-wiring applications, four
identical amplifiers or two dual-
channel units may be used,
although specialized low-frequency
and high-frequency amplifiers offer
clear advantages. 

NOTE: When using separate high-
and low-frequency amplifiers with
dual wires to each speaker, the
amplifiers must have exactly the
same gain structure, or one of them
must have a level control to adjust
the gain between the two
amplifiers. If four amplifier
channels are used, the high-
frequency amplifier may be up to
6dB less powerful than the low-
frequency amplifier. Due to the
power versus frequency
distribution of the music, the low-
frequency section requires
approximately four times the power
of the high-frequency section.

JBL specialist dealers can
recommend amplification to best
suit individual needs. In all cases,
the left and right amplifiers for each
section must be identical. Make
sure that the input sensitivity of the
two amplifiers is equal or that input
level controls are provided to
maintain the proper low to mid/high
balance. If two identical stereo
amplifiers are chosen, each
amplifier may be located near a
loudspeaker and drive low-
frequency and high-frequency
sections through short wire runs.

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