Contemporary Research
232-Amp+W
232-AMP+W Stereo Mixer/Amplifier
Description
The Contemporary Research 232-AMP+W is a compact, programmable stereo mixer/amplifier designed specifically for integration with flat-panel displays and video projectors. It is designed for a room that needs amplified audio, a couple of microphone inputs and remote control, but has neither the space nor the budget for a DSP and a separate amplifier.
The +W designation denotes the version with integrated mounting wings, and this generation has been updated with more audio power than its predecessor.
Class D output and plenum-rated mounting
Output is Class D and configuration-dependent with 32W RMS total (16W per channel) into 8 ohms on an 18VDC supply, rising to 40W RMS total (20W per channel) into 4 ohms. Class D operation uses roughly 90% of the DC power supplied, which keeps heat generation low enough for confined mounting positions behind a display or above a ceiling.
The unit is UL 2043 plenum rated, so those positions are code-compliant as well as practical. It also features thermal and short-circuit protection with automatic recovery guards against abuse that display-mounted normaly receive.
Input flexibility is the reason this unit turns up in so many designs. One stereo line input on a 1/8" jack handles program audio from the display or source, while two mono 3.5mm inputs accept wireless microphone receivers or a paging feed.
Those mono inputs offer programmable ducking, so a presenter's microphone or an announcement automatically attenuates program material without an external mixer or a separate DSP a genuinely useful feature at this price point.
Full RS-232 control makes the amplifier a first-class citizen with master gain, individual input levels and ducking thresholds all addressable from a control processor, and onboard switches. This allows a technician to make adjustments manually in the field without a laptop. The integrated mounting wings simplify attachment to display brackets and mounting structures.
Programmable ducking and RS-232 control
Now if you want speech privacy rather than programme audio, the Contemporary Research SMG-40 sound masking generator shares the same design philosophy. For a larger distributed system consider moving up to the Bose PowerShareX PSX4804D.
