Simple protection with relay for amplifier up to 100W

For the ESL-63, Quad recommended 50 W to 100 W into 8 ohm amplifiers and warned against anything above 150 W into 8 ohm, see https://www.manualslib.com/manual/407328/Quad-Esl-63.html?page=5#manual (As far as I know, the protection kicks in sooner when the loudspeaker is off, so you should never turn off the loudspeaker while it is playing loud.)

The official sensitivity figure from Quad is 1.5 ubar/V referred to 1 m, which is equivalent to 86.54 dB with respect to 20 uPa at 2.83 V referred to 1 m, see https://www.manualslib.com/manual/407328/Quad-Esl-63.html?page=8#manual No idea how accurate or inaccurate it may be.
The IAG company is even more cautious and rates the newer ESL 2905 at a continuous voltage of 10V, program peak level for undistorted output at 40V, and the permitted peak at 55V.
Wrt the sensitivity, I should have made clear that the 82dB-83dB was my estimate based on measurements (larger measurement uncertainty for a large panel) and subjective comparison to other loudspeakers with a sensitivity of ~86dB. So it's more a mix, sort of "perceived" sensitivity. 😉

I have to check, but could the 1.5 microbar/V figure be calculated from Walker/Baxandell's equations considering the dimensions/voltages and distribution characteristics?
 
Those voltage levels are exactly the same as those on page 8 of the ESL-63 manual.

Could the directivity lead to a lower perceived sensitivity? For a given on-axis sensitivity, a dipole radiates 4.77 dB less power integrated over all directions than an omnidirectional speaker, if I'm not mistaken, so the reverberance will be weaker.
 
I have designed a couple of DC speaker protect systems.
One used an 8 pin PIC micro and relay. Simple AC detect using voltage divider into PIC pins. DC for 500ms and relay shuts off. Also had 4 second power up delay.
The other used an 8 pin PIC micro and a discrete solid state mosfet relay.
Both worked very well.

I also designed one with mains fail detect and over current detect as well.
 
Luckily, all my amplifiers are transformer coupled except for the SE MOSFET amp I made which is capacitor coupled.
My "protection" relay is wired so the bias supply turns on B+ so if there's a bias failure, the main B+ power is cut instead of blowing fuses/resistors or redplating tubes.
 
OT

Those voltage levels are exactly the same as those on page 8 of the ESL-63 manual.

Could the directivity lead to a lower perceived sensitivity? For a given on-axis sensitivity, a dipole radiates 4.77 dB less power integrated over all directions than an omnidirectional speaker, if I'm not mistaken, so the reverberance will be weaker.

Could be, but the other speakers weren't Omnis, just the usual mix over the audio band.
Maybe, I was fooling myself (the way lower distortion in the ESLs might provoke to hear at a higher level) but, besides the measured difference, the volume pot position constantly indicated a higher level.

The steel frames used for the professional version of the Quad 63s were probably cat-proofed and even improved the sound as well.
 
It is an unconventional circuit, the inputs of the circuit connected to the NC of the relay.🤔
1655913715676.png
 
The 2k7 resistors should go to COM, not NC, otherwise when the protection kicks in it will lose it's input and turn on again.
Koda...
I wired it that way on purpose.
In case a child plays with the volume control, and you don't notice it when turning the amp on.
On power up, if it senses if DC or a loud volume level, it prevents connecting the speakers.
If volume is at a reasonable level (adjusted by the pot) then the relay closes, (after 5 second delay) and removes volume sensing, and allows normal operation even full volume.
So if you turn on the amp with no relay action going on, simply lower the volume momentarily.
And yes, this is designed for cap-coupled outputs, single-supply, and transformer/tube amps.
And for those cap-coupled amps, it eliminates the POP noise when they charge to the half/v state.