News

1/9/2003

Audio Design Associates Adds To Its Multi-Channel Power Amplifier Line With The World's First 32 Channel - 16 Zone Power Amp

Audio Design Associates, Inc. (ADA) has announced it will be showing the award winning (Best Audio Distribution Amplifier - first ever Distributed Audio Awards) 32 Channel/16 Zone power amplifier, the PTM-3245, at this year's CEDIA Expo in Indianpolis.

ADA was the first manufacturer to introduce whole-house multi-channel power amplification with its MRA-808 8 Zone Integrated Power Amplifier in 1987. In 1988, ADA introduced the MPA-6, the world's first multi-channel home theater amplifier. In 1992, the MPA-500 was introduced, the first THX certified multi-channel home theater power amplifier. Today, it is still the most powerful multi-channel THX amp on the market, a tribute to its outstanding design.

With the introduction of the Suite 16, ADA's bold new multi-room A/V system and CEDIA's 2002 "Custom Installation Product of the Year", Albert Langella, ADA's President, CEO, and Chief Design Engineer, decided the blow the doors off traditional six and eight zone multi-channel power amplifiers by designing a sixteen-zone amp that would mate perfectly with Suite 16. "We had three key design elements to consider with the PTM-3245," states Langella. "First and most important was sound quality and with it power. In order for speakers to have proper bass response, especially at low volume levels, you need to drive current. This becomes essential when using in-walls. Naturally with power being a key ingredient, we had to contend with heat and finding a way to keep the amp cool. This was made even more challenging by the third constraint, size and the fact that most of the electronics would be set into tight racks." As such, one can quickly misjudge the PTM-3245 project if thought of as just another amplifier with way too many channels.

The PTM-3245 is an A/AB high-current power amplifier that delivers 45 Watts per channel at 8 Ohms, 85 Watts per channel at 4 Ohms, and is stable down to 2 Ohms. Aside from the all-current power, the fact that the amplifier is stable to 2 Ohms deserves special attention. Langella continues, "After being in the business for twenty-five years, I know how installers often load up a zone with speakers and with today's speakers, which often run at around 6 Ohms, the ability to get an amp to clip is even more common. For this reason alone I make certain most all of our amplifiers are stable to at least 2 Ohms." As such, a single PTM-3245 could drive as many as 128 speakers making it an impressive power horse. What will most likely impress most is the quality of the sound. When connected to any type of speaker, the PTM-3245 will make that speaker simply sound better, sound a layman can notice as superior.

The PTM-3245 also delivers this massive punch in a very small package. Measuring only 5-1/4 inches in height, three rack-units, the PTM-3245 is much smaller than its counterparts that are anywhere from 4 to 6 rack-units tall. In addition, the PTM-3245 is specifically designed for rack-mounting in tight cabinets. Richard D. Stoerger, ADA's Vice President and Chief Operating Officer notes, "The truth in today's installations is that rack space is a premium. It wasn't always this way but with so many new electronic technologies available, people are doing more in a single home. And because each component now sits in the main rack, you can run out of space quickly." The PTM-3245 uses a tunnel-fan-cooling architecture that forces air across the chassis from side to side. Stoerger continues, "Many amps vent through the top. This is in itself a problem because dealers are often stacking gear up, above the vent holes. And since many amps don't even include fan cooling, the amps burn up. The PTM-3245 vents side to side, permitting a dealer to stack components both above and below the amplifier. And since the amplifier is fan cooled, the dealer doesn't need to install massive circulating fans inside the cabinet."

The PTM-3245 has quickly become a favorite of many ADA dealers. They love the fact that one can run an entire home on one amplifier. Best of all, it produces amazing sound and easily integrates with Suite 16.

The PTM-3245 also features zone low voltage turn-on triggers. These permit channel pairs to be turned off when the zone is off. The triggering mechanism is extremely precise, providing fast turn-on, which is essential when integrating paging features within a home.

www.ada-usa.com