A number of new amplifiers are shipping this March and April, some with standout technology that deserves a mention. Among them are new amplifiers from AudioControl, Harman, Focal and Mosconi.
AudioControl is shipping the LC-4.800 amplifier that claims to be the only one to offer onboard channel summing.
The amplifier may be used to update a factory car audio system without removing the radio. It performs channel summing so it combines together the limited response signals that are used by the OEM radio, creating a full range workable signal that may be delivered to the speakers.
The LC-4.800 is rated at 125 watt per channel power output (at 4 ohms; 200 watts at 2 ohms). It is a 4-channel amplifier with 6 active high-level speaker inputs.
It ships this month at $499. A sister model D 4.800 will ship in May with built in DSP and a built-in RTA on both the inputs and outputs of amplifier so installers can see and hear in real time the audio signal both coming in and leaving the device.
Harman is shipping its first aftermarket amplifiers to use a real time sound restoration system called Clari-Fi. It analyzes music as it plays. And based on algorithms taken from other music samples, it predicts the audio details that have been lost in the music through compression and restores them as the music plays.
Harman says compression can remove up to 90 percent of the audio details originally recorded so with its restoration system you get “clarity of voice, harmonics for piano” and “clearer, crisper, wider and more dynamic” music.
The feature is already included in some OEM systems from Lexus and in its home audio products including a $15,000 Mark Levinson component. It has been shown at CES, and now it comes to car audio in new Infinity Kappa and JBL GTR amplifiers that ship mid-month, starting at $349 for the JBL line and $399 for the Infinity line.
Focal is introducing a rare 11 channel limited edition amplifier. The “California Long Board” basically combines 3 amplifiers into one chassis for a sleeker looking install. It houses a 2,000 watt monoblock plus 6-channel and 4-channel amplifiers rated at 10 x 150 watts RMS into 4 ohms for a total of 3,500 watts RMS.
Focal will produce 100 pieces of the model FDP 11.3500.
The amplifier measures 47 x 7.75 x 2 inches. It ships in April at $3,499 street price.
Also, Mosconi is shipping a compact 8-channel amplifier (Class AB) with 10-channel DSP.
The Mosconi One 60.8 DSP is rated at 8 by 60 watts RMS and it has an 8 channel DSP with 2 channel DSP outputs. Chassis size is 7.8 x 10 x 2 inches. The DSP amp is designed and built in Italy and will carry a street price of $1,699.
Other amplifiers shipping in March/April include a Sound Pack plug and play system from Audison that includes a Prima amplifier. The Sound Pack system works specifically with Volkswagen Golf 6 and 7 vehicles (and future models will work with other cars). JL Audio’s new budget RD amplifiers with auto turn-on ship in April. Wet Sounds is shipping new marine amplifiers (see separate story). Massive Audio is shipping Blade and Edge models. DD Audio will ship new amplifiers this spring (details to come). PowerBass is shipping new XL powersports amplifiers (see story) and Kicker is shipping a new CXA1800.1 mono amplifier with an improved heat sink that delivers 1,800 watts at 2 ohms mono and can mount horizontally or vertically. It works with factory or aftermarket radios.
