Thanks to VOLTAiR technology, the Performer s800 has fewer components than conventional power amplifiers. The precursor can directly drive the bipolar power transistors. Fast, direct, highly efficient and with a superior sound experience.
The Performer power amplifier playfully controls the speakers with up to 2 x 285 W power to 4 ohms from an analog linear power supply with toroidal transformer. In bridge mode, the Performer provides s800 as a mono power amplifier with 450 W power at 4 or 8 ohms.
Ultra-compact Power Amplifier
The Performer s800 power amplifier is an ultra-compact power amp that can deliver 2 x 285 W to 4 ohm speakers and 450 W and 8 ohms in bridge operation. Thanks to the VOLTAiR-120V technology, it only needs a single driver stage to power the bi-polar transistor output stage. This saves a complete driver stage, which benefits the audio quality, because still less is more. Also in terms of electronics.
Toroidal Transformer
The Performer s800 is equipped with a 855 VA toroidal transformer. We deliberately opted for an analogue power supply with a ring core transformer, as we repeatedly found in acoustic comparisons with digital power amplifiers and power amplifiers with switched-mode power supplies that the rounder and more pleasant sound was produced by purely analogue power supplies.
The power supply is equipped with a capacity of 40800 μF for screening and power storage for faithful reproduction of pulse peaks.
Protection
The Performer amplifier has a protection circuit against DC voltage at the output and against overheating.
At over 70 ° C on the heat sink, the power amplifier switches off. After the temperature has fallen below 55 ° C, the power amplifier automatically switches on again. The Temp LED on the front indicates overheating.
If a direct current voltage (DC) is detected at the outputs, the power amplifier switches off automatically, as the DC voltage indicates a defect in the power amplifier. The Performer power amplifier does not automatically switch on again, but must be disconnected from the power (switch on / off). The Protect LED on the front indicates that the protection circuit has been activated and the power amplifier has been switched off.
Amp Control
The Performer s800 has a 3.5mm mono jack, which is called AMP CTR. With a suitable cable, the output stage can be connected to a pre-stage so that the power stage is automatically switched on when the pre-stage is switched on.
In our Pro-Fi series, the Director and Phonitor x have two AMP CTR connectors each. So you can switch two power amplifiers directly.
Inputs and Outputs
The Performer s800 is equipped with XLR inputs and outputs for the symmetrical connection to the input stage on the input side and the transmission to a second output stage for, for example, the bi-wiring operation of loudspeakers on the output side.
The input can be lowered by a trim switch up to 5.5 dB in 0.5 dB. This is helpful, on the one hand, to achieve an optimal acoustic stereo sweetspot in acoustically sub-optimal rooms or loudspeaker installations and, on the other hand, to enable adaptation to differently efficient loudspeaker modules in bi-wiring operation.
The speaker outputs are designed as gold-plated binding post connectors. The connectors can accept both banana plugs and a strand of up to 4mm diameter. To protect against short circuits, the Binding Post is equipped with a clear plastic cap.
