What does VZ stand for in the MA-3600VZ and MA-5002VZ amplifiers? What does it do?
VZ means Variable Impedance and is the name of Crown’s patented articulated power supply technology. VZ technology enables Crown to pack tremendous power into small rack spaces. Background: A power supply must be large enough to handle the maximum voltage and current necessary for the amplifier to drive its maximum rated power into a specified load. In the process of achieving this requirement conventional power supply designs produce large quantities of heat, are heavy, and take up precious real estate. It’s no secret that heat is a power amplifier’s greatest destructive factor. The larger the power supply, the more heat the output stage will be required to dissipate. An articulated power supply, like VZ, can bypass much of this dilemma by reducing the voltage applied to the transistors when less voltage is required. Reducing the voltage decreases the heat. Subsequently the amplifier runs cooler allowing more power to be safely packed into the chassis.
