Harman's Crown Introduces Its DriveCore Install Series Power Amplifiers

	Crown Dci Series front and back

Harman's Crown Audio, a provider of professional audio power amplifiers, announces the introduction of its DriveCore Install (DCi) Series power amplifiers. Successor to the company's acclaimed CTs Series, the new DCi Analog stereo and multichannel amplifiers incorporate a host of improvements including Harman's exclusive DriveCore technology for reliability, sound quality, flexibility, and efficiency.

Twelve models in the DCi Series are available ranging from 300W to 600W (into four and eight ohms and 70Vrms and 100Vrms). The first number in the model is the amount of channels and the second number indicates the watts-per-channel power rating. All amplifiers are just 2U rack spaces high, to conserve valuable installation space.

"In introducing the DCi Series we had to exceed the benchmarks set by our acclaimed CTs Series, which has established itself as the de facto amplifier standard for installed sound applications," said Daniel Saenz, business segment manager, install sound, Crown. "It was no easy task, but our new DCi Series offers an entirely new level of unsurpassed performance that will be appreciated by audio professionals worldwide."

At the heart of the DCi Series is Harman's proprietary DriveCore amplifier IC chip. The DriveCore chip combines the amplifier driver stage into the power output stage along with additional audio-signal functions -- yet is about the size of a postage stamp. DriveCore and the DCi Series' amplifier topologies, according to the company, dramatically reduce size and power consumption requirements and yield much more energy-efficient operation that conforms to Harman International's GreenEdge environmental initiative.

DriveCore technology reduces the footprint of the amplifier by replacing over 500 parts from a typical amplifier design with one single IC. Smaller amplifier engines means more channels can be put into a 2 RU box with more capabilities.

Crown DCi Series amplifiers can be operated into eight-, four-, or two-ohm loads and offer direct drive "constant voltage" capabilities for 70Vrms and 100Vrms amplification without the need for a step-up transformer, yielding higher audio quality in distributed audio applications. The amplifiers incorporate an exclusive power factor corrected global power supply that is designed to deliver maximum power in any country and their universal AC input accepts voltages from 100 - 240 VAC, 50/60Hz (+/- 10%).

The DCi Series is Crown's greenest amplifier line ever, with a power factor corrected (PFC) power supply, a selectable powersave auto-standby mode where the amplifier will power down after 30 minutes of no input signal and consume less than one watt. In addition to the amplifiers' balanced three-pin input connectors and two-pin terminal strip output connectors, a rear-panel AUX port enables the amplifiers to be integrated into control systems for remote on/off and amplifier fault monitoring.

Crown DCi Series amplifiers are built for the most demanding conditions of continuous professional use and carry a three-year, no-fault fully transferrable warranty.

Crown DCi Series amplifiers will be available in Spring 2013.