SPL Performer s800 Stereo Power Amp with VOLTAiR Tech (Silver)

SPL Performer s800 Stereo Power Amp with VOLTAiR Tech (Silver)

PREOWNED - FULLY TESTED - SILVER - INCLUDES ORIGINAL BOX/PACKING, MANUAL POWER CABLE

Performer s800 is a stereo power amplifier that delivers 2 x 285 W to 4 ohms loudspeakers. In Bridge Mode it delivers 450 W into 4 oder 8 ohms.

• Bi polar transistor power amplifier with VOLTAiR 120V technology

• 2 x 285 W into 4 ohms; 2 x 185 W into 8 ohms (stereo operation) 

• 450 W into 4 or 8 ohms (mono operation – Bridge Mode)

• Toroidal transformer with 855 VA

• 40800 µF capacitance for faithful reproduction of impulse peaks

• Gold-plated loudspeaker binding posts with protection covers

• Neutrik XLR connectors for balanced in- and outputs

• Direct slave through of the input (e.g. for bi-wiring)

• Input trim switch for attenuation up to -5.5 dB in 0.5 dB steps

• AMP CTR connector for remote power on/off switching (e.g. with Director or Phonitor x)

• Overheat protection with Temp LED

• DC (direct current) voltage protection with Protect LED

• Made in Germany

The technical basis of all Professional Fidelity units is our proprietory 120 V Rail Technology, which we also call VOLTAiR technology. The name makes reference to the unequalled high voltage of 120 V (+/-60 V DC) and the huge dynamic range of over 140 dB that goes with it.

The Performer s800 amplifier is an ultra-compact power amplifier. Thanks to the VOLTAiR technology this power amplifier has absolute control over the speakers up to their load limits. 

In stereo operation this bi-polar transistor power amplifier delivers up to 2x 285 W into 4 ohms speakers. In Bridge Mode it delivers 450 W into a 4 or 8 ohms speaker.

The Performer s800 is equipped with slave-through outputs and input trim switches.

Toroidal transformer

The Performer s800 is equipped with a 855 VA toroidal transformer. After many listening test we are convinced that an fully analog power amplifier with a power supply built around a toroidal transformer sound superior to digital amplifiers and power amplifiers with switch mode power supplies.

The power supply is equipped with a capacitance of 40800 µF for screening and electricity storage for faithful reproduction of impulse peaks.

Protection

The Performer amplifier has a protection circuit against DC (direct current) voltage at the output and against overheating.

At about 70° C at the heat sink, the amplifier will switch off. After the temperature has fallen below 55° C, the amplifier automatically switches on again. The Temp LED on the front indicates the overheating.

If DC is detected at the outputs, the amplifier automatically switches off. DC voltage can be an indication for a defect in the power stage. The Performer s800 does not automatically switch on again. It needs to be disconnected from the power (on/off). The Protect LED on the front indicates that the protection circuit is activated and the power stage has been switched off.

Inputs and outputs

The Performer s800 is equipped with Neutrik XLR input and output connectors for balanced operation. The input signal is passively routed to the output connector to feed e.g. a second power amplifier for bi-wiring.

The input can be lowered via a Trim rotary switch from 0 dB to -5.5 dB in 0.5 dB steps. This is useful in order to a achieve an optimal stereo sweet-spot in acoustically sub-optimal rooms. In bi-wiring line-ups or in the studio with multi speaker sets it allows to level speakers with different efficiency to equal loudness.

The speaker outputs are gold plated binding post connectors. The terminals can accommodate both banana plugs, as well as a strand of up to 4mm diameter. To protect against short-circuits the Binding post is equipped with a clear plastic cap.

Amp Control

The Performer s800 has a 3.5mm mono jack designated as AMP CTR (amplifier control). With the appropriate cable, the Performer can be connected to a pre-amplifier, so that when you turn the pre-amplifier the amplifier is automatically switched on, too. In our Pro-Fi series the Director and the Phonitor x adequate AMP CTR ports.

Professional Fidelity • Pro-Fi-Serie

Performer s800 is part of our Pro-Fi series of products. Pro-Fi stands for Professional Fidelity and it expresses that these products have their roots in professional studio technology being optimized for high-fidelity music playback. 

We love simple elegance and a certain level of understatement. Therefore we renounce over-dimensioned housing milled out of a solid block and other mostly price-driving attributes of many high-end products. Our background is come from professional studio technology, where inner values and audio performance count the most.

Mastering studios give your records and CDs the final tough – with SPL 120V technology. And because the Performer s800 is built with the same technology it belongs to best amplifiers. With its extraordinary specifications and enormous headroom Performer s800 amplifies audio in the most relaxed and detailed fashion. 

VOLTAiR-Technologie

VOLTAiR technology is what we also call the 120V rail technology to express the unequalled high voltage, which is four times as high as usual. The performance characteristics are unique and they have just such effect on the listening experience.

The 120V electronics operate quasi 'idle' even at highest audio levels and impulse peaks. They never operate on the limit and therefore never get stressed. The music presents itself with a serenity that you feel pleasant when listening.

The Sound

120V Rail Technology is our reference technology developed and manufactured to run on an operating voltage of 120 volts, which corresponds to twice that of discrete operational amplifiers and four-times that of semiconductor operational amplifiers.

120V Rail Technology reaches outstanding technical and sonic performances. Technically especially in terms of dynamic range and headroom and sonically especially in reproducing the finest details and delivering a totally relaxed sounding audio experience. Music sounds absolutely natural and hearing fatigue is drastically reduced.

Even the best audio measuring equipment arrives at the boundaries. In same situations we ended up just measuring the Audio Precision Cascade 2 measuring device and we cannot say how good the 120V Rail Technology actually performs.

Comparisons

The direct relation between operating level and maximum level is fundamental for the classification: the higher the operating level, the higher the maximum level a circuit can handle. And since virtually all essential acoustic and musical parameters depend on this relation, a higher operating voltage also has a positive impact on the dynamic range, distortion limit and signal-to-noise ratio.

Do bear in mind that dB scales do not represent linear but rather exponential increases. A 3dB increase corresponds to doubling the acoustic power, +6dB correspond to twice the sound pressure level, and +10dB correspond to twice the perceived loudness.

When it comes to volume, the 120V Rail Technology exhibits a performance, in regard to maximum level and dynamic range, that is twice that of common components and circuits given that its values are approximately 10dB higher.

THD measurements of the 120V op-amp show a difference of more than 3dB compared to the OPA134 at 36V — in terms of sound pressure level, that corresponds to an improvement of more than 50%.

The operating level most commonly used for audio equipment is 30 volts.