The Extron XTRA™ Series of Class D amplifiers are the commercial AV industry’s first complete family of ENERGY STAR® qualified amplifiers. These amplifiers have higher energy efficiency than conventional Class AB amplifiers, drawing less power from the wall to produce the same audio output power and producing less waste heat, which in turn translates to lower ownership costs for facilities.
XTRA Series amplifiers also offer space efficiency when it comes to placing products into confined or limited spaces. The compact nature of Extron XTRA Series Class D amplifiers results in a reduction of the space required for amplification, resulting in more room in equipment racks for other AV gear. A comparison of the size and physical dimensions of the same XTRA Series amplifiers and their corresponding Class AB counterparts is shown in Table 1. XTRA Series Class D amplifiers have a rack unit or height advantage over competitive models in that they fit into a single rack unit, while the Class AB competitors all require 3.5 inches or two rack units of space.
XTRA Series Amplifiers Require Less Space
In addition to accommodating the physical chassis, there may be additional space requirements. Some manufacturers in their installation guides specify rack space requirements in order to maintain ideal operating conditions for the amplifier. For example, Competitor A requires that its vents remain unblocked, and that at least one rack space above and below remain open for proper cooling of the amplifier. In this case, Competitor A is really a 4U product with two rack units for the amplifier and two for the cooling space. The space and thermal efficiency of the half rack width XPA 1002 means that no additional rack space is required for cooling, so that system designers choosing this amplifier gain three rack units in height and a half rack unit next to the amplifier for additional installation opportunities.
Extron recommendations allow for up to four XTRA Series amplifiers to be stacked together before providing 1U of isolation. For the four-channel XPA 2004 amplifier with 200 watts rms output per channel, 800 watts x 4 = 3200 watts of amplification can fit in just a 5U space.
Less Space Required Means Infrastructure Savings
The decision to use an XTRA Series Class D amplifier can also mean a reduction in infrastructure costs. Reducing the rack units needed in a boardroom AV system design can reduce the need for additional custom millwork or casework manufactured for a given project. This translates further to a reduction in internal equipment racks, required power circuits, and cable looms, as well as all the labor involved with these trades.
Weight Efficiency Leads to Savings on Shipping Costs
In addition to being smaller than their competitors, the XTRA Series of Class D amplifiers are substantially lighter and are class leaders in weight. The XTRA Series amplifiers weigh as little as one-fourth to one-eighth as much as competitive models. They employ lightweight, energy efficient power supplies and do not require fans or heavy toroidal transformers. For this reason, they are also housed in much smaller enclosures. These factors translate to savings in shipping costs.
For example, the XPA 1002 features an enclosure one-quarter the size of Competitor A, which measures 2U in height and 19 inches wide. The XPA 1002 is also less than one-eighth the weight of Competitor A. As a result, the estimated cost to ship the XPA 1002 by ground, from Extron headquarters in Southern California to the Midwestern U.S., is nearly 50% less than the cost to ship the competitive model.
Shipping costs are also dramatically reduced when considering a pre-packaged rack design using an 8 pound XPA 2004 versus the 26 pound amplifier from Competitor C. For each XPA 2004 substituted in the rack for Competitor C, the weight of the system is reduced by 18 pounds.
XTRA Series Class D Amplifiers
Extron XTRA Series amplifiers deliver a combination of energy efficiency, low heat dissipation, and space efficiency that lowers ownership costs for facilities compared to installing conventional Class AB amplifiers. For more information, download the XTRA Series efficiency white paper at www.extron.com/xtrapaper.