Meet the next generation of audio from Sonance and Dana Innovations
January 20, 2015
Dana Innovations isn’t a company that is driven by big box store presence; they don’t do flashy commercials or cookie-cutter end cap displays. When they pull integrators together from across Canada to talk about a revolution in their line-up, it’s time to listen.
That’s where we found ourselves on January 19th, 2015–sitting in the Marriott hotel on West Hastings Street in Vancouver, BC, ready to hear what Jason Sloan, Chief Sales Officer, and Kent Sheldon, VP International Business Development, of Dana Innovations had to say. Along with their partners at Trends Electronics Inc. they hit us with some impressive new game-changing technology, specifically from Sonance.
Sonance evolves
If you’ve owned Sonance in the past you’re aware of their reputation: starting in the early 80s, the Sonance brand has been an overachiever in technology advancement. They pioneered the first in-wall speakers in the early 90s, broke new ground with outdoor audio, and acquired and developed the world’s first “invisible speakers” in 2005. They’re a passionate group that have dedicated themselves to developing the digital audio space with new and innovative products.
SONAMP® Digital Amplifiers: the features and advantages
With over 29 models in their 2014 line-up, the legacy of decades of Sonance development weighed heavily on the brand. As technologies developed and changed they added to their roster, creating individual models to solve individual challenges. It was a complex web of products, and getting the right tool for the right job took some time and effort. Likewise, the design hadn’t changed in quite some time; the old Sonamp line was big, heavy, consumed a lot of power, and generated a lot of heat.
With 2014 behind us, 2015 rolls on, and the Sonamp Digital Amplifier line has evolved. They’ve cut a huge number of models from the lineup, consolidating 29 models down to just 6, with the power of digital amplification making remarkable changes in how each new Sonamp unit is built.
The first thing you’ll notice is that each Sonamp unit is drastically smaller than the model it’s replacing. Though each model comes with a power supply that is safety rated for use around the world (TUV, RCM, CE and it meets FCC Standards), they consume less power–a lot less power. The Class-D power supply design is 93% efficient, meaning you’ll get more power output for minimal power usage. Each unit is rated at 8 and 4 ohms, and is stable into 2 ohms. When you need more power you can bridge each unit, and there’s a full array of inputs and outputs, including terminal blocks that can accept 12AWG speaker cable.
The 2-100 is 75% smaller than its predecessor and puts out more power, while the 12-50 is 50% smaller while putting out the same degree of power as the older model. It’s an achievement in design that you almost have to see to believe.
And when you do see it, it’s shocking. Each Digital Amp is small; up to 68% smaller when rack mounted. The smaller units can be rack-mounted side-by-side and stacked with no air gap; they’re convection cooled, keeping them running efficiently and allowing for more power density in every rack. They even come with rack ears and removable feet in the box.
Sonamp: just the benefits
That all sounds fantastic if you’re an integrator, but what if you’re at home reading this thinking “so what does this mean to me?”
The new Sonamp Digital Amplifiers are smaller and run cooler. That means they take up less space in your rack, so you can either have more of them, or you can have other components installed in the rack that used to take up that space. Consuming less power and running cooler has its advantages: it means a lower number on your power bill at the end of the month, and it means your gear will last longer–heat is the number one killer of audio / video components. Essentially, the team at Sonance looked at their lineup and said “how can we make this easier and better for everyone to use? What does our dream amp look like?”
Long story short? The design and implementation of Sonance’s new Sonamp Digital Amplifiers is going to give you more performance in less space, saving you money. They do all of this while putting out the same or more power to your speakers, making it an all-around superior experience.
Sonance DSP Amplifiers and SonARC
Much like the new Sonance Digital Amplifiers, Sonance DSP Amps with SONARC are smaller, lighter, and more power efficient than the older Sonamp models. They take up less rack space, consume less power, output more power, and offer greater power density in your racks.
One of the most impressive things we saw during this demo was SONARC or “Sonance Advanced Room Correction”. SONARC is software that is built into each DSP amplifier; it offers hundreds of EQ presets that are designed specifically for Sonance speakers. By selecting which speaker is connected to a specific output through a pull-down menu, an integrator can program the digital signal processor through a simple, smart IP-based interface. SONARC has a 10-band parametric EQ to optimize how things sound… which sounds dry until you realize that it’s done in real-time, with adjustments taking place the moment you change the value through the software. It’s an impressive way to really tune a speaker to offer the best performance, all without extra hardware or complicated software. We saw it in action and hearing the DSP make changes was revelatory: by combining Sonance DSP amplifiers with Sonance speakers you can correct for acoustic aberrations in any room, making this combination a powerful choice both for consumers and integrators alike.
The other major leap forward for Sonance DSP Amplifiers isn’t going to change things… right now. Inside every unit is a 24 bit/96K DAC, built to handle 4608Kbps of audio data. That’s designed to handle High Resolution Audio, something we’re only starting to see now from content providers. It’s the equivalent of finally getting a digital camera that shoots crisp, clear pictures. Gone are the days of “blurry”, badly-compressed audio. It’s a good thing!
There is a list of other innovations from Sonance for 2015, but even the changes above can take some time to grasp. It’s a big change for the lineup: a whole new form factor, and a fresh take on what a Sonance Digital Amplifier can be. The launch of SONARC in their DSP Amplifiers is nothing short of revolutionary, making every room a welcome space for Sonance speakers.
Whether you’re an integrator, a returning customer or you’re thinking about Sonance for the first time, they’ve given each of us a lot of reason to pay attention in 2015. We know we’re really excited to see how this new line performs. Keep your eye on this space for a first-hand review!
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