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Amplifiers & Mixers

Amplifiers and mixers drive and shape a sound system. This page covers mixer-amplifiers and slave amplifiers for commercial sound installations and paging, stereo and multi-zone amplifiers for background music, high-power amplifiers for live sound, powered mixers, mixing consoles, DJ mixers and zoning mixers, plus in-wall and streaming amplifiers and induction loop amplifiers that help hearing aid users in public and commercial buildings.

Choosing Amplifiers & Mixers

Start with the speakers the amplifier will drive, because 100V line speakers and low-impedance speakers need different amplifiers.

Commercial PA

A mixer-amplifier combines inputs, playback and amplification in one unit. The Adastra 953.225UK RM-series model powers 100V line speakers or standard speakers down to a 4 Ohm load, with a DAB+/FM tuner, Bluetooth, a USB/SD player, 4 switchable 100V outputs and 24V emergency mute contacts. To add power, 100V slave amplifiers such as the Adastra 953.201UK RS series take line audio from a mixer or connect directly to an existing 100V speaker feed. The TOA VM-2240 feeds 5 switchable speaker zones for paging and background music.

Live sound and DJ

Power amplifiers drive low-impedance speakers for bands and events: the Citronic 172.106UK D-Series is a 1U Class-D amplifier with switchable parallel and bridge modes, and the Citronic 172.216UK PLX has output stable down to 2 Ohms. Powered mixers such as the Citronic 170.843UK CSP have an internal stereo power amplifier, and DJ mixers include the 2 channel Citronic 172.752UK PRO-2 MKII. Adastra supplies the most products in this range, and Citronic and QTX add live sound amplifiers and mixers.

Zones, background music and hearing loops

The Adastra 953.019UK zoning mixer sends 2 inputs to 5 stereo zones, in-wall amplifiers such as the Adastra 953.081UK fit cavity walls and ceilings and take Bluetooth, and the Adastra S260-WIFI streams music from a WiFi network. The Adastra 952.864UK induction loop amplifier drives a cable loop around a room to provide assisted listening for hearing aid users.

TypeExampleOutputNotes
100V mixer-amplifierAdastra 953.225UK240WDAB+, Bluetooth, 24V mute
100V slave amplifierAdastra 953.196UK60W100V input, fire alarm mute
Zone PA amplifierTOA VM-2240240 W5 speaker zones
Power amplifierCitronic 172.106UK2 x 300W RMSClass-D, 1U
Power amplifierQTX 172.052UK480W2U, fan cooled
Powered mixerCitronic FLITE-6002 x 300WUHF microphones, flight case
Induction loop amplifierAdastra 952.864UK300m² coverage3 mic/line channels

Related categories

Narrow the choice in power amplifiers, mixer amplifiers and mixers. This page is part of our audio visual range; pair it with speakers and microphones, or read our Help & Support guides.

Brands we stock in Amplifiers & Mixers

Adastra, Axis Communications, Bose Professional, Citronic, Clever Acoustics, Dynacord, Hikvision, JBL Professional, LEA Professional, Penton, QTX, Signet, TOA, Vanco and Zenith.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a 100V line amplifier?

You need one when the speakers are 100V line models, as used in commercial sound installations. The Adastra 953.225UK RM-series mixer-amplifier is built for commercial installations and powers 100V line speakers or standard speakers down to a 4 Ohm load, and the Adastra 953.173UK UM series supports both 100V line and 8 Ohms speaker operation. Check the rating printed on the speakers first.

How does a mixer-amplifier differ from a power amplifier?

A mixer-amplifier has its own inputs and controls, while a power amplifier takes a line signal from a separate mixer. The Adastra 953.225UK has mic/line inputs with phantom power, a media player and a tuner, whereas the Adastra 953.201UK slave amplifier accepts standard line level audio from a mixer or RM series mixer-amplifier, and its slave outputs cascade onto further RS slaves.

How do I add power to an existing 100V system?

Add a 100V slave amplifier fed from the existing speaker line. The Adastra 953.196UK has a 100V input for connection in parallel with existing 100V speakers, so it extends the system straight from the speaker cable, and the Adastra 953.201UK RS series can take a long distance 100V feed over standard double-insulated cable.

What is a powered mixer?

It is a mixer with the power amplifier built in, so it can drive passive speakers directly. The Citronic 170.843UK CSP has an internal stereo power amplifier, 48V phantom power and 24-bit DSP effects, and the Citronic FLITE-600 gives 2 x 300W from a moulded flight case with dual UHF microphones, Bluetooth and USB recording.

What does an induction loop amplifier do?

It drives a cable loop around a room so hearing aid users can pick up the sound. The Adastra 952.864UK LA series amplifier provides assisted listening in public and commercial buildings, is rated for 300m² coverage and has 3 mic/line channels with tamper proof controls. The Adastra 952.867UK is the 600m² version.

Can a PA amplifier be muted by the fire alarm?

Yes, where it has mute contacts wired to the alarm panel. The Adastra 953.196UK slave amplifier has 24V fire alarm mute contacts, the Adastra 953.225UK mixer-amplifier has 24V emergency mute contacts, and the Adastra 953.201UK RS series has a 24V terminal for a security or alert panel to mute the output during an alarm.

  • Established 1975
  • Birmingham trade counter
  • UK-only supply

Written by the West Midlands Electrics technical team

Updated

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