Practice Test Geeks(CEA) Certified Audio Engineer Practice Test
← All CEA Flashcard Decks

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. A speaker has a sensitivity of 100 dB SPL (1W/1m). What SPL is produced at 1 meter when driven with 100 watts?

    Answer: 120 dB

    SPL = sensitivity + 10×log10(power): 10×log10(100) = 20 dB, so 100 + 20 = 120 dB SPL.

  2. What is the primary sonic advantage of bi-amping a two-way speaker system?

    Answer: Each amplifier handles only its frequency band, reducing intermodulation distortion

    With bi-amping, separate amplifiers handle high and low frequencies independently, so intermodulation between bass and treble signals is eliminated and each amp operates with greater headroom.

  3. Reversing the polarity of one speaker in a stereo pair most noticeably causes:

    Answer: Bass cancellation and a diffuse, unfocused stereo image

    Out-of-phase speakers cause their long-wavelength bass frequencies to cancel, and the stereo image spreads unnaturally rather than focusing in the center.

  4. How does a ported (bass reflex) cabinet differ from a sealed cabinet in terms of low-frequency behavior?

    Answer: Its tuned port extends low-frequency output below the driver's natural resonance

    The tuned port acts as a Helmholtz resonator, reinforcing bass output at and below the driver's resonant frequency and extending usable low-frequency response.

  5. What does the horizontal dispersion specification of a loudspeaker describe?

    Answer: The angular range over which the speaker maintains consistent frequency response in the horizontal plane

    Horizontal dispersion is the angular coverage (e.g., ±60°) within which frequency response remains relatively flat, which is critical for determining audience coverage in live sound.

  6. Amplifier headroom is best defined as:

    Answer: The margin in dB between the normal operating level and the onset of clipping

    Headroom is the dB gap between the typical program level and the amplifier's clip point, providing a safety margin that allows transient peaks to pass without distortion.

  7. When integrating a subwoofer with full-range speakers, the crossover point is most commonly set in which frequency range?

    Answer: 60–120 Hz

    A 60–120 Hz crossover smoothly hands off bass to the subwoofer while the full-range speakers handle midrange and above, providing flat overall response without a gap or overlap.