Jordan O'BrienSpeakerCraft, a unit of Nortek’s Core Brands, is debuting a full line of amplifiers at ISE 2014. The products are so new, the company doesn’t even have spec sheets on them, says brand manager Mitch Witten.
SpeakerCraft had created its own line of Big Bang amps a several years ago, but the new line is based on amplifier designs by sister Core Brands company Niles – which makes sense since Niles was born into the audio electronics business.
The new products, modeled after Niles’ popular Systems Integration (SI) line, are “very systems-integrator friendly,” says Witten, who cites bridging capabilities, multiple triggers and Web configuration tools for the biggest of the Big Bangs.
When bridged, he says, the products are “extremely stable into 4 Ohms.”
At ISE, SpeakerCraft has on display three two-channel amps from 50 watts per channel RMS at 8 Ohms (100w at 4 Ohms) up to 150 wpc (270w at 4 Ohms).
Two other models include the 5016 16×50 (based on SI 1650) and the 3012 12×30 (based on the SI 1230).
We can assume that the speakers will have similar specs as their Niles counterparts. In the case of the 5016, that would be:
Fully Configurable 16-Channel Amplifier
50 Watts RMS Per Channel Into 8 Ohms
100 Watts RMS Per Channel Into 4 Ohms
High Power Mode Configures Amplifier To 8 Channels X 100 Watts RMS Into 8 Ohms
Auto Switching 110V-230V Power Supply
Unique Web Browser Configuration Allows Each Channel To Select From Any Of 16 Inputs Or Combination Of Inputs
IP Web-based Configurable EQ Adjustment, Volume Level And High/low Pass Selection
Three Turn-on Modes: Music Sense, Voltage Trigger, And Manual
Audio Circuitry Constructed With The Finest Parts Available, Including 1% Metal Film Resistors, High Quality Capacitors And Oversized Heat Sinks For Clear And Uncolored Sound
Independent Thermal And Short Circuit Protection On Each Channel
Status Display For Troubleshooting
Core Brands is considering creating a similar line under its Proficient Audio brand, which is more widely distributed than SpeakerCraft. The SpeakerCraft amps are expected to ship mid-year.