Skip to main content
Lars Brustad
Contributor I
May 13, 2015

SONOS CONNECT AND CROWN CDi 1000 amp

g'day all.

i have bought the Sonance SLS LS47 SUB10 System system which comes with a Crown CDi 1000 Amp.

I have connected the ZP90 to the balanced input (phoenix connector) from the unbalanced zp90 by cutting the RCA cable and connecting it as instructed by the manual (with jumper cables between the channels and ground).

the amp deliver 500w per channel and is feeding 8 sat speakers and 1 sub (4 sat's on one channel + 4 sat's and the sub on the other channel).
if the vol control on the amp is turned up more than 65-70% per channel, and i turn the vol control on the sonos over 80% the amp starts to clipp.

my questions is, do the ZP90 deliver sufficient gain to this amp? or do i need another pre-amp between the amp and the ZP90? it makes no sense to me that an amp this powerful start to clipp this "early", thus im trying to find out if it could be the output signal from the zp90 which is too weak.

any ideas?
    This topic has been closed for further comments. You can use the search bar to find a similar topic, or create a new one by clicking Create Topic at the top of the page.

    4 replies

    ratty
    ratty
    May 13, 2015
    If anything it suggests that the CONNECT's output signal is overloading the power amp's input, not that it's too weak.

    Looking into the power amp, what input impedance does the CONNECT see? Does the amp clip when you hit 80% Sonos volume, irrespective of the amp's volume setting?

    Here is info about the Line-Out voltage.
    Lars BrustadAuthor
    Contributor I
    May 13, 2015
    Hi ratty, thanks replying. I'm no expert on these things so guess I need som guidance on what info you look for. But to answer one of yr questions, no. When I turn the vol on the amp to abt 65-70% per channel I can turn the volume all the way up on the Sonos controller. The thing is that by doing this I can't play as loud as I think is possible with this equipment, although I can't say for sure. Would you recommend adding another preamp between the zp90 and the amp? Let's say I can buy some equipment which are more suited to be connected to the amp, which have unbalanced rca inputs, and balanced output to the amp? ie the Crown 135ma
    buzz
    buzz
    Grand Maestro
    May 13, 2015
    Lars Brustad,

    I don't think that there is any mismatch between the CONNECT and your power amplifier. From here i can't know your expectations. Essentially, you have a very large "room". (2) x 500W is not much power in this "room". In order to be "loud" a sound contractor will use thousands of Watts of power, more, and much larger speakers.

    I assume that this is a new installation. Check for wiring errors which could be upsetting the amplifier. Make sure that the amplifier is set for "70V" and that you are using the correct 70V output terminals.
    Steve Margraf
    Lyricist I
    July 22, 2017
    This thread is quite old but somehow I came across it and thought I'd provide the correct guidance.
    The CDi-1000 is meant to play ONLY the subwoofer on Channel 1, and the 8 satellites on Channel 2. Go through the setup process on the CDi for configuring each channel. Set each to HI Z (for 70v), then set the low-pass crossover for Channel 1 to 80Hz. Channel 2 can be default as full range. If you bought the Crown amp from Sonance or an authorized dealer your Crown amp will have EQ presets already built for use with the Sonance Landscape speaker combinations for the best sound possible. You're amp was clipping due to improper loading and settings. However, with this info you should be all set and your system should absolutely ROCK. Only downside is I wish I sold you and set up the system ;)
    As an Audio/Video contractor and installer we install these setups on a regular basis. You have a fantastic setup, you just need the final connections and configuration correct. Hope you got this figured out!
    Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement