ICEpower Updates Existing Amplifier Modules with New Technology

The Danish purveyor of high-performance Class-D amplifiers, ICEpower, announced it will be progressively updating its amplifier modules with the full benefits of its new Conductor topology and integrated gate driver ICC5 chips, combined with refined design and functionality. The integration, ICEpower says, takes audio quality to the next level and redefines the company’s already renowned amplifier technology. First products to receive the updates are the 50ASX2, 125ASX2, 700AS1, and 700AS2 modules. The decision to introduce these updates to existing amplifier modules is based on the company’s strategic relationship with its customers. As ICEpower states in the announcement, partnering with many leading brands in audio is based not only on performance and pricing, but also trust. “There is much noise in the market. But at ICEpower, we partner, we don't compete. We honor that trust by continually delivering amplifiers into products which have life times sometimes more than 10 years. We honor that trust by continuing to invest in lifecycle improvements and performance upgrades,” the company says.

As audioXpress has revealed in previous articles and news updates, even though the ICEpower has remained relatively low-profile over recent years (it’s also a Danish thing...), a lot has happened in the company. Starting with the recent hiring of Andrew Peter Cresswell as head of sales for its audio products. And finally, the results of the company’s engineering team’s work, led by CTO Patrik Boström, are being implemented in the latest Conductor topology and ICC5 ICs. In Patrik Boström’s own words, “The Conductor is a nested negative feedback system with two integrator stages, where both stages take feedback from the output of the amplifier. Leads, poles, and zeroes are selected so that each stage, as far as possible, only works to correct the errors, not the absolute gain of the modulator, which by itself is a very smooth first-order slope.”

And this research naturally benefits from the ICEpower ICC5, the company’s latest innovation, building upon the successful legacy of previous generations ICCx and ICEedge platforms. “The ICC5 is designed to cater to cost-sensitive Class-D audio amplifiers, requiring the superior audio quality ICEpower is known for. With its advanced technology, fast propagation delay, and support of up to 220V supply voltage, ICC5 is a flexible platform that enables high-fidelity sound with minimal noise and distortion, for reliable Class-D amplifier designs ranging from 25W to 4kW,” the company describes.
 
ICC5 can compete with the cost of monolithic Class-D amplifier chips from around 70-100W and upwards, while offering significantly better audio performance in a flexible and scalable platform. This makes it ideal for a wide range of applications, from consumer hifi applications to the most powerful pro audio rack amplifiers and line arrays.

One of the key features of this ICEpower innovation is the high power efficiency it enables, which allows audio manufacturers to create amplifiers that produce more power with less energy consumption. ICC5’s high efficiency also helps to reduce heat dissipation, which can be a major issue in high-power audio systems, helping to prolong the life of the amplifier.

“The ICC5 allows us to tailor the drive circuit for a wide range of applications and power ranges; it’s a simple, low-cost device in an 8-pin case. We use our audio ICs throughout our own amplifier power modules and turnkey products and can also create reference designs for your specific application based on our large catalog of platforms. When designing with our ICs, you get access to design support from our IC designers directly. This gives you the freedom to create a custom design on your own and utilize your existing PCBA manufacturing supply chain. This can be a good solution if your project requirements fall outside of our existing power module platforms and/or if the volumes are high. With ICC5, you can be sure that you are getting the best audio performance at a cost-effective price, and our team of experts will be there to support you throughout the process,” Patrik Boström explains.
 
Combining the new Conductor and ICC5 technologies and bringing them out to the market, ICEpower could easily create a completely new generation of amplifier modules and boost a new business cycle by forcing obsolescence of existing products. Instead, it decided to update its existing amplifiers and make them even better. The first modules to benefit are some of the sales champions from the company: the 50ASX2, 125ASX2, 700AS1, and 700AS2.

Step by step, ICEpower intends to update more modules, some of which are implemented in different audio solutions since the 2000s and are still going strong. “We put great excellence and effort into product maintenance, so when we say we commit to the industry, we follow through and keep up our product maintenance year after year,” Andrew Cresswell says. “Throughout our history as an audio company, we have rarely discontinued our modules. The only instances where a module has reached End of Life (EOL) have been when we have engineered and introduced a significantly superior alternative. Our focus is always on continuous improvement, ensuring that any replacement offers enhanced performance, efficiency, and reliability, meeting the evolving needs of our customers and the industry.” “The amplifier topology used is brand new and based on >20 years of experience and research. The distortion is much lower at high frequencies and the output impedance is almost constant in the audio band, giving a load-independent gain vs frequency. The sound is quite different than from previous models, especially the ASX-series, which was based on the first technology invented by ICEpower more than 20 years ago. We have also trimmed the energy consumption where we can, which has led to a 10-15% reduction of heat emission,” adds Patrik Boström.

For a more detailed overview of this technology, read this audioXpress article.
www.icepoweraudio.com