Practice Test Geeks(CEA) Certified Audio Engineer Practice Test
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Speaker Systems & Amplification Flashcards

7 cards from real CEA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 Speaker Systems & Amplification flashcards as text

  1. What distinguishes a Class D amplifier from Class A or Class AB designs?

    Answer: It uses pulse-width modulation to switch output transistors rapidly

    Class D amplifiers use pulse-width modulation (PWM) to rapidly switch output transistors between fully on and fully off states, achieving very high efficiency compared to linear amplifier classes.

  2. Two 8-ohm speakers are wired in parallel. What is the combined impedance presented to the amplifier?

    Answer: 4 ohms

    Two equal impedances in parallel result in half the impedance of a single unit: 8 ÷ 2 = 4 ohms.

  3. Speaker sensitivity is standardized as the SPL measured at what reference distance and input power?

    Answer: 1 meter with 1 watt

    Speaker sensitivity is defined as the dB SPL measured at 1 meter with 1 watt (or 2.83 V RMS into 8 ohms) of pink noise input.

  4. What is the primary function of a passive crossover network inside a speaker cabinet?

    Answer: To route specific frequency ranges to the appropriate drivers

    A passive crossover divides the audio spectrum so each driver—woofer, midrange, tweeter—receives only the frequency band it can reproduce efficiently.

  5. How does a speaker's RMS power rating differ from its peak power rating?

    Answer: RMS reflects continuous power handling; peak is the short-term transient maximum

    RMS (continuous) power is what the speaker can handle indefinitely without damage, while peak power is the brief transient capacity, typically 2–4× the RMS value.

  6. Damping factor in a power amplifier is defined as the ratio of:

    Answer: Load impedance to amplifier output impedance

    Damping factor = speaker (load) impedance ÷ amplifier output impedance; a higher value means the amplifier more effectively controls the speaker cone's back-EMF motion.

  7. Which amplifier class is most widely used in professional audio systems because it balances low distortion with reasonable efficiency?

    Answer: Class AB

    Class AB amplifiers bias both output transistors slightly on, eliminating crossover distortion while achieving far better efficiency than pure Class A, making them the professional audio standard.