CEDIA 2019

Pro Audio Technology, the Lake Forest, CA-based speaker specialist that blurs the line between pro and consumer audio, is showcasing a sophisticated amplifier/controller with swiss-army-knife-like functionality at the CEDIA Expo 2019 exhibition, which opened today in Denver.

Slated to ship in October at an estimated $3,600, the new ALC-3316 combines a high-power nine-channel amplifier and a high-resolution multichannel DSP processor with unique bass-management capabilities in a low-profile rack-mountable (1U) chassis.

The amplifier section is a flexible fan-less design boasting six bridgeable 100-watt channels plus a trio of 300-watt high-current subwoofer channels. The system is capable of supporting 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 7.1, 7.2, and Dolby Atmos 5.2.2 system configurations.

Aimed a serious system builders, the heart of the amp/processor is a 32-bit/96-kHz DSP engine equipped with 80 user-programmable parametric EQ filters (10 per channel), more than 140 infinite-impulse response (IIR) filters, and eight finite impulse response (FIR) filters. The processor also provides gain adjustment, source signals for system diagnosis, and a delay of up to 75 milliseconds (ms) per channel for system-wide optimization and calibration.

The amp/controller boasts an 8x8 matrix mixer with four stereo-plus-mono-sum inputs, bass and treble controls, a mic input, and all-channel priority ducking, which allows voice-activated control devices to “page” any or all of the audio zones in a distributed system.

Providing bass management in systems with full-range speakers and subwoofers, the ALC-3316 is able to steer deep bass to any of its eight balanced analog-audio inputs and any amplifier output enabling bass management in home theater and distributed-audio applications — a first for a residential multichannel amplifier, according to Pro Audio Technology.

The system is being demonstrated as part of a killer 11.4.6-channel surround-sound system comprising Dolby’s cinema-grade CP850-C Atmos processor and Pro Audio S and SR Series speakers.

For more information, visit proaudiotechnology.com.