Page 63 - 2022-08-01 Sound & Vision

input board that will be offered as SETUP works out to a respectable $781 per
an option in the future. channel, which is in line with other
Each output grouping has four Over the years I’ve go en quite high-end multichannel ampli- At a Glance
binding posts (plus and minus good at swapping components in fiers. But since I’m only using 11
for each channel) and a bridging and out of my A/V rack and I always channels, cost per channel jumps Convenient one-chassis
switch that combines the channels use the opportunity to do a good 45% to $1,136, which hurts the design
for a serious bump in power when dusting and make sure the cables value equation. Bridging channels Superb dynamics and
it’s moved to its BTL position; the aren’t tangled. For this review, I does, however, provide a way to soundstage
binding posts accept bare wires, removed both of my ATI power maximize the value equation. You Channels can be bridged
spade lugs, or banana plugs. amps and put the Amplitude 16 in could, for example, create three to double the output
A white band in each grouping the space previously occupied by bridged channels to power the
Amp runs very hot
highlights where to connect the the seven-channel amp. Strikingly, front, center, and le speakers
speaker wire when channels are that amp outweighs the Trinnov by and still have 10 channels le to No legacy inputs
bridged: the plus connector from nearly 20 pounds even though it power four surround speakers and Price: $12,500
the odd channel and the minus has fewer than half the channels. six overheads in a Dolby Atmos or
310-572-1070, 860-833-4400
connector from the even channel. To make the connection DTS:X setup.
When two channels are bridged, between the Altitude16 processor trinnov.com
the front panel display shows a and Amplitude16 power amp, PERFORMANCE
solid line running between the Trinnov sent me two eight-channel
LED for each channel to indicate DB-25 cables (ACC-SUBD25- I lived with the Amplitude 16 for past—they generally don’t get
they are paired. In bridged mode, XLRF1.5M), which are 1.5 meters a few days of casual listening above 110 degrees. Thinking that
single-channel output jumps from long. Hookup was a breeze, though before jumping into my full-scale maybe my rack didn’t have enough
200 to 800 wa s into 8 ohms or I only needed to use 11 of the 16 evaluation. The first thing I noticed airflow (even though it’s actively
from 400 to 1,000 wa s into 4 available channels to power my is this amp gets hot—really hot. cooled with multiple PC fans), I
ohms with less than 0.1% THD+ N speaker setup, which includes Granted, we were having a 100+ pulled the Amplitude16 out of my
at 1 kHz. Mighty impressive! three M&K S-150 speakers degree heatwave in California rack and placed it out in the open
Cable-management is across the front, four M&K SS-150 during my evaluation, but my with no obstructions. This helped a
challenging under the best of surrounds, and four Atlantic theater room never gets above 77 li le with the temperature dropping
circumstances, especially if you’re Technology IC6-OBA height degrees. Anyway, a er watching to 140 degrees—still higher than
using bulky XLR balanced cables, speakers in the ceiling. a few TV shows, I grabbed my IR I’m accustomed to.
so Trinnov chose a different path This got me thinking about thermometer and got a reading of I performed an audio calibration
for some of its products. If you’re cost per channel. At $12,500, the 145 degrees at the vent that expels using Trinnov’s Setup Wizard
mating the 32-channel version of Trinnov isn’t cheap by any stretch the heat. This is not the experience and se led in for some serious
the Altitude processor (Altitude32) but when you break it down, it I’ve had with class-D amps in the listening, starting with the opening
with the Amplitude16 amplifier,
the connection for each group of
eight channels is a simple ma er
of running a single cable with a
male DB-25 connector on either
end between the components.
(I can’t even imagine trying to
corral 32 XLR cables!) Sadly, the
Altitude16 in my setup doesn’t have
a DB-25 output so I had to se le for
a hybrid solution using two sets of
eight-channel cables with female
XLR connections on one end (the
processor side) and a male DB-25
connector on the other (the ampli-
fier side), which still greatly simpli-
fied hookup on the amplifier end.
(Trinnov sells these cables for $200
apiece.) As far as I’m concerned,
DB-25 connections should be
standard on all audio products.
To prevent the mighty Ampli-
tude16 from overheating, a pair
of temperature-activated fans
move air across the array of power
modules as needed to help keep
them running cool. A series of
vents on each side panel allow air
to flow in and out of the amp.

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