Apex debuts installation amplifier range
- Details
The first two models in the new series, the 4x 350W CP354 and the 4x 700W CP704, are shipping now, and will be joined by a pair of more powerful amplifiers in the near future. All CloudPower amplifiers include comprehensive signal and speaker processing tools and are designed for standalone or networked deployment in installations scaling from bars and hotels through to theatres and theme parks.
CloudPower is the first product to benefit from Apex’s GlidePath direct drive technology, which fully integrates DSP and amplifier circuits, employing DC coupling throughout the signal path to dramatically reduce time offsets and distortion. CloudPower’s precise reproduction of high transients manages speaker cone excursion, minimizing distortion and prolonging speaker life by cutting mechanical wear.
As the name suggests, multiple CloudPower amplifiers can be monitored and controlled remotely from any device over the Apex Cloud, cutting unnecessary site visits and enabling integrators to offer value-added monitoring services. Every unit features a built-in WiFi Hotspot, allowing connection via APEX’s intuitive IntelliCloud WebUI, or through a wired Ethernet connection.
“Cloud Power represents a technology leap for Class-D amplifiers,” comments Apex R&D director, Henrik-Jan Gielis. “In our lab tests we can clearly measure how CloudPower outperforms the competition in terms of phase shift and transient response, and we can demonstrate what it’s doing to the speakers: we achieve more output at the initial impulse, and the speaker cones swings much less after the signal stops.
“More importantly, when we’ve brought engineers in for listening tests, they immediately hear the difference, even at lower levels. The bass is tighter and crisper, the highs sound more natural, and overall intelligibility and perceived volume are greater. The end-result in installations is better audio quality and intelligibility for less output.”
A feature of CloudPower is the inclusion of an integrated audio source, allowing streaming of background audio from devices running apps such as Spotify or AirPlay.
