Ohm DSP-A3
“A well-mannered amp should accept an input, amplify it, drive it into the connected load without any extra noises, distortion or speaker threatening DC failures and definitely no expensive vacations to the repair shop,” notes Ohm’s Clive Kinton. “User error must be met with quiet protection, not with system-destroying violence. And it has to sound good.”

The philosophy that Ohm applied to its solid analog CFU series of amps has now been carried over to its brand new digital model, the DSP-A3 – shipping in production quantities as you read.

With an output of 1,800 Watts per channel at four Ohms, the DSP-A3 combines a Class H output with a switch mode power supply and a DSP Ethernet controller. As a result, it weighs only 13kgs and is suited for touring systems.

It features a 48/96 DA converter and a DSP engine that affords system filtering, crossover, up to two seconds of delay, eq and limiting functions. Configuring, monitoring and controlling can be done locally or by use of full Ethernet communications. Performance can be monitored and settings changed via a Windows based computer over a local area network or from the internet. The user interface shows the DSP functionality identically to an analog unit with one-to-one portraits of every control.

A two-unit patch panel is also available to configure mains, outputs and DSP LAN. Mains is supplied via a male C32 socket and distributed to four Powercon outlets via an auto-switching sequencer.

QSC Powerlight 3 series
Penned as the ‘ultimate analog amplifier’, QSC’s Powerlight 3 series has been designed for demanding live audio professionals in either the fixed install or touring market, and is specifically targeted at those who provide the technical foundation for top-grossing concert performers.

The flagship amp, the Class D, 8,000-Watt PL380 more than doubles the output power and thermal capacity of QSC’s previous 2RU designs, yet the company insists that it looks and sounds linear, whether on the bench or driving sound systems. Reactive ‘back EMF’ from the speaker is recycled to the power supply, and the amp achieves a plug-to-plug efficiency of 85 per cent and a response time of less than five nanoseconds.
Peak output can reach 185V and the QSC assures concert pros that its amp won’t lose efficiency when driving reactive loads. All this helped the unit to scoop the TEC Award in the Amplifier Technology category at AES last year.

Void Acoustics Infinite X
One of three X-rated debuts at PLASA 08, Void’s Infinite X range of two-channel power amplifiers has now been fully tested and is in full-scale volume production.

The first three models in the range – the X4 (2 x 600W into 4 Ohms), X5 (2 x 800W into 4 Ohms) and X6 (2 x 1200W into 4 Ohms) – feature high-efficiency switch-mode power supplies that deliver up to 8kVA, and newly-developed Mosfet output stages to maximise audio fidelity and reliability. All models will deliver  increased power output into a two-Ohm load.

Even at the production stage, the amps are already benefiting from the expertise of the renowned audio designer, Andy Hunt, and B&W’s Aura brand, who joined the Void design team, led by Rog Mogale, in January. Andy Hunt’s design influence is soon to be seen in the Infinite X7 and X8 two-channel amplifiers (in beta testing at the time of going to press) and subsequent four-channel designs, the Infinite 5X4 and 6X4.

Hunt’s design philosophy is to create amps that optimise power output and audio performance, while ensuring the concepts are production engineered for swift and economical manufacture; of critical importance to Void, which integrates the entire production process, from conceptual design to volume manufacturing at its HQ in Dorset. Void is the only amp builder in the industry that does this and it is a business model that director Alex Skan can aptly demonstrate the merits of in terms of both profitability and performance of finished products.

“As we’ve progressed more as a business, we’ve realised that you’ve got to go for the complete package and the amplifier side is the key to this,” explains Skan. “Some loudspeaker manufacturers use amplifiers that aren’t manufactured by them and actually let down the performance of the whole system. So this really gives us an edge in being able to offer a full package to a customer and to retain that control.”

Martin Audio MA series
Powering Martin Audio’s proprietary loudspeaker systems, such as the W8L Longbow line array, the company’s quickly expanding MA series of amps include the MA12K and MA9.6K  and the MA5.2K. The series utilises the Pulse Width Modulation principal in combination with a high efficiency two-stage switching power supply for Class D operation at up to 95 per cent efficiency.

Around 55 of the new amplifiers make up the bulk of the engine room’s racks at Matter, the three-floor, 2,600 capacity nightclub at the O2 arena complex.

In Room one, six MA4.2s drive the W8L Longbow and downfill line array, with two MA12K driving the subs. Three MA6.8Qs are assigned to Martin Audio’s Blackline H3H enclosures and an MA2.8s runs the W8LM combo of MA2.8s, an MA4.8Q and an MA6.8Q drive LE400C and LE1200 monitors.

MC2 E90
“There are many loudspeakers that are much better powered by a muscle amp,” says MC2’s Duncan Hamilton, designer of the E90 amp. “Some of these loudspeakers need huge currents to get them moving and keep them under control, which is a perfect example of why having amplifiers that can deliver such large voltage swings and current in an instant is good for them.”

As those present will attest, the E90 certainly kept the mighty Infrabass 218s under control in Funktion One’s PLASA demo room this year, where it landed with a 16k-sized crater. The two-channel, Class D amp delivers an enormous 8,000 Watts RMS per channel into two Ohms or 4,500 into four.

“I’ve never experienced so much power so clean,” notes Funktion-One’s Tony Andrews. “It marks a sort of departure for MC2 in that it’s different to the rest of the E series. The influence of a young chap [Hamilton] we pointed at XTA a few years ago has resulted in a more advanced design, which is actually simpler.

“This has made it one of the most transparent-sounding amps I’ve ever heard. This, on top of all that power makes it a bloody good product. We’ve had to beef up the 21s since it appeared in terms of the mechanics. It’s not about being able to turn your speaker into an electric fire – it’s more about its ability to follow a waveform.”

In one of their first UK outings, the amps hit the road late last year for The Pigeon Detectives’ winter tour, powering WE Audio's 24-stack Turbosound Aspect TA-890 and TSW-218 system in venues such as Belfast City Hall.

Crown I-Tech HD
Boldly stating that it ‘dramatically resets expectations of what a professional-grade touring amplifier should deliver in terms of performance and advances every criteria by which an amplifier is judged’, Crown unveiled the I-Tech HD series amplifier in what was possibly one the most high profile NAMM pro audio debuts this year.Topping the bill is the I-T12000 HD, which puts out 4,500 Watts at four Ohms.

I-Tech HD is the result of a massive engineering R&D drive, along with Crown’s 60 years of experience and user input from tour sound leaders. The Class-I amplifier sports a brand new user-inspired DSP engine, OmniDriveHD, co-developed by Harman sister company BSS, with linear phase FIR filters that provide greatly improved midrange clarity and off-axis response.

LevelMax limiter technology links the previously
independent peak, thermal and RMS limiters, enabling more effective, elegant protection of connected speakers while maximising SPLs.

I-Tech HDs are now set to go out on tour with Audio Analysts for the Bruce Springsteen tour in April. In the meantime, Southern California-based Sound Image, which handles big-ticket acts such as Eric Clapton, recently placed an order for over 800 units, totalling 10 million Watts.

“There were a lot of features that stand out in this new amplifier that are going to help us be more efficient. The new built-in DSP is a major advantage for eq and tuning,” states Sound Image president, Dave Shadoan.

Lab.gruppen PLM series
The PLM series combines Lab.gruppen amplification with its  networked digital signal distribution, drive processing, power amplification, load verification and performance monitoring from a single piece of hardware.

LG’s established current road-proven model is the 2,300-Watt into four Ohms PLM 10000Q, although the company has recently announced the PLM 14000, optimised for high-power requirements based on two-channel operation. The new powerhouse delivers a thumping 7,000 Watts per channel into two ohms or 4,350 into four.

New circuitry in the 14000 provides current-carrying capabilities and the Regulated Switch Mode power supply (R.SMPS) has been upgraded to include full power during long low-frequency bursts. It also has patented intercoolers, a full complement of protection features and a Power Average Limiter (PAL) to prevent tripping of mains breakers.

While reports of the unit’s first applications are still pending, the 10,000 is already a seasoned amp and a firm favourite among a number of top touring and installation firms, such as MediaTech, a Lab.gruppen distributor, which employed the devices in an upgrade of the Nitra’s Andrej Bagar Theatre, one of the biggest in Slovakia. MediaTech opted for an Adamson SpekTrix compact line array for the main system, driven by three PLM 10000Qs.

Full Fat Audio FFA 10000
FFA’s Class D bass application power amps were designed for a customer who required a two-Ohm drive stereo amp that could be used for extended periods of time, at full power and in above average temperatures. The amps are designed and manufactured in the UK, housed in a thick, ridged enclosure to ensure components are protected from vibration and make them ideal for touring and temporary installs.

The company’s flagship amplifier is the FFA-10000, rated at 5,000W into two Ohm loads, 3,000W into four or 1,500W into eight. The amp’s design negates the need for power reductions to protect itself when driven to its full potential at two-Ohm loads. FFA uses a dual mono amplifier architecture, which, although more costly to manufacture, ensures the ability to deliver very high power and superb bass performance. Dual redundancy comes within the design specification. Recent installations of the amp include The Egg in London and Cream in Liverpool. Cream’s engineer Andy Kayll notes the improvement in the club’s sound after he and FFA founder Dave Millard fitted the new amps: “The difference was startling, the bass was tighter and fuller and the amps were just ticking over. A couple of hours with Smaart [EAW’s sound system measurement software] to rough it in and ears to perfect it and the place was absolutely rocking.”

Yamaha TXN Series
Yamaha’s new TXn Series amplifiers will be its most powerful offering to date. The company states the TXn Series bring together several industry-leading Yamaha technologies for the ultimate in power, processing and networking.
The three new amps in the line include the TX4n (2x 1,900W into 4 Ohms), TX5n (2x 2,300W into 4 Ohms) and TX6n (2x 3,000W into 4 Ohms). The amps feature versatile I/O using an MY card slot, Yamaha DSP power with advanced limiter and protection functions and speaker processing, input signal redundancy using analog XLR inputs and advanced remote control/monitoring capabilities with the software. The stable two-ohm drive capability of the TXn Series makes it ideal for use with line array systems.

Electro-Voice Q Series
EV introduced the new Q series amps at NAMM 2009 with four models designed for mobile audio applications.

 Based on Class H layout for maximum efficiency and reduced weight in a 2U box, the amp family features additional switchable low pass notch (LPN) filters, providing extra fundament and kick, as well as protective low-cut when driving compact 12-inch or 15-inch full-range speaker cabinets without subwoofers.

 Q Series is launching with four models, including the flagship, Q1212 (1,200 Watts per channel into four Ohms, or 1,800 into two), which offers the horsepower to challenge its Precision series predecessor, the P3000. It provides the same power from a 2U case, making it ideal for a subwoofer or high-power top-drive.

Camco Q power
Camco’s Q Power amps are equally at home in a touring PA system as they are in a fixed installation. The Q- Power 6 and Q- Power 10 are 19-inch 2RU four-channel amps using class D and class H technology, respectively featuring Camco’s proprietary dual-voltage SMPS with automatic voltage selection for 120V/230V operation.
Rated at 2,500W (Q-Power 10) and 1,500W (Q-Power 6) peak power RMS output at four Ohms, Q-Power 10 offers  625W per channel for 100 Volt line operation and the Q-Power 6 will deliver 950W for 70 Volt line operation.