The main amp is a new category for us but in reality it is a logical progression. Amp design started here at Axiom with the DSP-controlled subwoofers. I had always wanted to produce a DSP-controlled subwoofer with tons of headroom since we started playing around with this at the NRC in 1989. Our barrier was that we were having our subwoofer amps made by an OEM vendor and that severely limited our design envelope. Tom and I started talking about the possibilities back in 2001 and it was soon becoming clear that the only way we were going to be able to do it was to start making the amps ourselves. Tom had a design concept that was just too exciting to me to leave as an idea. It was then that Tom joined Axiom full time and the research work began in earnest on his new design. Even though in the beginning the focus of this new design was to make subwoofer amps, it was pretty clear early on that we needed to take this technology broadband; it simply just worked too well not to. For Axiom I like to bring out products that have some kind of distinct and measurable advantage at their price point. Though we could easily bring to market another 7-channel amp at $1,500; we would not have anything extra to offer compared to what is on the market currently (in fact we are selling the Sherwood amp in that category for those looking for a step up to a big receiver). We knew however that we had the ability to go the next step up and replace the mono block category with a single multi-channel amplifier by using the technology that was in our sub amp and taking it broadband. The A1400-8 is that amp.
Lots of specs will start coming out on the A1400-8 over the next few weeks for those of you who have been inquiring. We just received the final version of the output coils today that will allow us to finalize a lot of these specs.
So far we don’t have any plans for a toaster oven; though I have owned some class A/B amps through the years that would have made some decent toast on the heat sinks. Of course the A1400-8 with its high efficiency would hardly warm up that piece of bread.
