Audio Video News

A recent post by outdoor speaker specialist Terra addresses the question of whether you should install surge suppressors in an outdoor AV installation.

The answer, of course, is a resounding yes. Here’s what Terra’s experts have to say on the subject:

When installing a surge suppressor on outdoor speaker wires, the goal isn’t to absorb a full-on direct lightning strike. It’s for the much more common situation where lightning strikes the earth nearby. Actually, the claim is that strikes up to a quarter mile away can induce high enough voltages in outdoor wires to cause serious damage to electronics. This induced current courses through speaker wires, into the house and to the speaker.

In these rare occasions, chances are the speaker’s a goner but that’s not the whole story. As the voltage reaches the head end of the electronics it will quite possibly blow out the power amp and source components further “upstream.” It can actually take out the entire rack depending upon how it’s wired, grounded and protected.

The post goes on to recommend surge protectors from Panamax, L-Com, TPD (Transient Protection Design), and Juice Goose that offer "at least some level of protection" to the system electronics. It goes on to say: "Some claim to protect the attached speaker too, though keep in mind that this may not be possible depending upon the level of the surge. We strongly recommend that you install these on every outdoor sound installation you are involved with.”