Crown Audio Introduces ComTech DriveCore™ Series Amplifiers: New Chip Based Amplifier Technology Redefines Standard For Installation Market Applications

LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Providing sound integration professionals with high performance, energy efficient amplifier technology that will redefine the way amplifiers are designed and built, Crown Audio today introduced the ComTech DriveCore™ series of amplifiers. The new line – consisting of four models, are all one rack, convection cooled, ultra-energy efficient amplifiers.  

Offering up to eight channels and 150 watts per channel in a one-unit chassis without a fan, the ComTech DriveCore amplifiers are the ultimate for solution for a range of fixed installation environments, from video conferencing in boardrooms to luxury suites in stadiums.

The new line features the Integrated DriveCore technology chip that offers greater than 90 percent efficiency with no compromise in performance boasting a signal-to-noise ratio of 110dB. DriveCore also has patented feedback and protection circuits integrated into the silicon for fast and accurate response.

“The ComTech DriveCore introduction is destructive in the sense that it obsoletes everything that has come before it. Today’s introduction is a watershed event in amplifier design and manufacturing in every aspect from performance, weight, heat generation, and efficiency,” stated Marc Kellom, vice president of marketing for Crown. As part of Harman International, Crown has more research and development at its disposal than all of its competitors combined. This introduction is a clear demonstration of our determination to out innovate and outperform the competition while providing our customer base with unmatched value.”

The amplifiers feature flexible input routing and universal power supply.  Conforming to Harman Professional’s Green Edge™ environmental initiative, the amplifiers are convection-cooled and Energy Star 2.0 compliant. Crown’s new advanced circuit components use fewer resources in manufacturing, but have also contributed to significant weight reduction in the amplifiers that result in less energy consumption. The amplifier’s high operating efficiency translates into greater efficiency for output and each of the four amplifiers in the series weighs only 10lbs.

Crown is a unit of Harman International Industries, Incorporated (www.harman.com).
HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems.  HARMAN has a workforce of about 11,000 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $3.2 billion for the last twelve months ended March 31, 2010.  The Company’s shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.

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