Hi Mojo and all,
To clarify the differences between ICEPower modules and the new Axiom A1400-8 amplifier, I went to the source--Tom Cumberland, Axiom's chief R&D engineer and the Axiom A1400's designer. Here is Tom's response to my question on the ICEPower modules and our Axiom A1400-8:
"The ICEPower amplifier modules were developed at Bang & Olufsen in Denmark by a friend of mine. We even have two of the 250-Watt modules in our lab. They were developed in the late 1990s and early 2000 as a very efficient substitute for Class AB amplifiers. Bang & Olufsen recognized, as we did at Axiom, that the real benefit of Class D amplification is in high-power applications. They developed a 250-Watt and later a 500-Watt module. The design of the module itself was exceptional in its day. By today’s standards, it is still up there with the best of them. I have a great deal of respect for these modules. They make great ‘plug & play’ amps for companies that do not want to invest in the costly R&D needed to start from scratch, so to speak, in building a truly high-powered hi-fi amplifier.
"The B & O design has similarities to Axiom's in that it is really designed for high-fidelity applications, and not just for raw power output with no regard for high-fidelity criteria. However, here at Axiom we were looking to exceed what was available-- and what will be available--anytime soon. By using new silicon devices that were not available two years ago, we are able to exceed the power limits that even the ICEPower modules have. They stop at the 500-Watt mark due to the voltage and current requirements. But because of the newer parts we are using, we are able to exceed the voltage and current limits of older MOSFETs, thereby gaining incredible instantaneous power into any channel that needs it. This allows the music to dynamically peak without clipping into one or several of the loudspeakers without distortion. As testing our prototype amplifier has demonstrated, the limitations only then come in speaker compression, not in amplifier clipping. The sonic differences are quite noticeable. Clipping is very irritating, while compression is very livable."
Regards,
