The new cool thing in the audio world is full range Class D amplifiers and JL Audio is not one to shy away from keeping up with the first wave of audio technology. Their new HD series of amplifiers take a similar approach to full range Class D that others have but with a slightly different twist.
If you’re familiar with other full range Class D amplifiers, I’m sure your first thought is “Bang & Olufsen ICEPower, right?” Well, you’d actually be wrong in this case. The HD series uses a patented approach from Power Physics, Inc. What JL Audio calls “Single Cycle Control” is a method of tracking the audio signal, comparing it to the real PWM waveform, and then correcting it in each cycle. This approach is said to tightly control “a multitude of distortion-causing mechanisms”.
Just to spice it up a bit more, the HD series uses the same R.I.P.S. power supply technology used in their Slash series of amplifiers. The end result is a tightly regulated power supply allowing for the same output over a wider range of impedances.
That’s not all for these guys. The HD series is stackable (much like the new PDX series from Alpine), has “studio-grade signal processing”, and is touted as smaller than the competitors offering by 13% overall. A nice by-product of going full-range Class D is that now JL Audio has a relatively efficient series of amplifiers (over 80% at half rated power) that still uses the R.I.P.S. technologies (something the Slash series of amplifiers has been criticized for in the past).
There are two models set to be available in the 2nd quarter of 2008.
HD600/1 – 600 Watt Monoblock
Type: Class D, Full-Range Amplifier
Continuous Power: 600W x 1 @ 1.5 – 4 ohms
(11.0V-14.5V supply with less than 0.08% THD+N)
Dimensions: 10.75 x 7.87 x 1.93 in.
HD600/4 – 600 Watt Four Channel
Type: Class D, Full-Range Amplifier
Continuous Power: 150W x 4 @ 1.5 – 4 ohms per channel
300W x 2 @ 3 – 8 ohms (bridged)
(11.0V-14.5V supply with less than 0.08% THD+N)
Dimensions: 10.75 x 7.87 x 1.93 in.
Source: JL Audio
