With technology, bigger is not always better. Giant cell phone? Lame. Fat laptop? Ditto. But with amplifiers,
bigger is generally preferred. Traditional wisdom holds that amplifiers be encased in vault-like chunks
of metal, lined with heatsinks, feature massive toroidal power supplies, and have quality measured in
poundage. Not only are these amps bulky, but they occupy a bunch of rack space, put off tons of heat, and
suck down gobs of electricity.
Lexicon took a different multi-channel amp
approach. By leveraging the power of parent
company, Harman International, it partnered
with Texas Instruments to develop a new
technology called DriveCore. This design
is meant to employ all of the advantages of
efficient, Class D designs while delivering the
performance of Class AB amps. DriveCore
replaces a typical Class D amp’s 500-plus
components with a dime-sized chip. And
because of its 80-percent-plus efficiency, it is
also fanless and silent.
The first amp featuring DriveCore tech is
Lexicon’s new DD-8 ($2,500), an 8 x 125-watt
model. The box was so light when it arrived on
my porch, I momentarily wondered if Lexicon
had mistakenly shipped me a DVD player. At
little over nine pounds and 1U tall, I questioned
whether this puny thing could actually deliver
the promised 1,000 watts, 2 ohm stability and
produce decent sounding audio.
Visually the amp’s aluminum faceplate and
dark-gray chassis are recognizable as classic
Lexicon. Rack-mount ears are included, and
because of the DD-8’s cool-running temps,
you could stack the amps on top of each other
without any spacing. There are blue LED
indicators for each amp channel and a soft
power/standby button ringed in red (standby)
or blue (on).
Like all amplifiers, the business takes
place around back. There are Bus In/Out
connections for looping shared sources to
multiple channels/amps, as well as local
inputs for each channel. Trim pots tweak the
channel output level. Speakers connect via
phoenix-type connectors that easily accepted
my 14-guage wire. Interestingly, the channels
connect +, -, +, - instead of the more common
(and less chance of shorting) +, -, -, + method.
The DD-8 features a seldom found but
nonetheless awesome stereo/mono switch.
Selecting mono internally combines the left and
right channel information, which is perfect for areas
where speakers are spaced far apart. I used this
with my outdoor speakers and it solved that bizarre
Beatles-stereo issue of voices in one channel and
instruments in the other. For an audio distribution
amp, this is a fantastic feature.
The DD-8 should satisfy even the greenest of
audiophiles or any LEED projects. It consumes a
meager 0.34 watts in standby, and there are trigger
in/out inputs, and power-save and signal sense
switches. That’s a lot of stuff in a 1U space, but it
isn’t so crowded that working on it is difficult.
I initially connected the DD-8 to my home’s
distributed audio speakers, but something in my
system caused a ground hum that varied from mild
to severe. I tried multiple combinations of plugging
and unplugging and power conditioning and
source components but couldn’t remedy the issue.
Admittedly I have a ton of things in my rack (easily
20 power connections) so mine is not the typical
install. I was able to listen hum-free with an iPod
connected and I took the DD-8 to my custom install
showroom where it had no ground issues.
At my shop, I connected two pair of speakers
and ran them all day, every day for two weeks
and the amp barely rose above cool. At my home,
it indeed ran four speakers off a single channel,
meaning that this single, nine-pound, 1U amp could
conceivably drive up to 32 speakers; amazing! This
is tremendous for filling large areas with sound,
especially with the added flexibility of the stereo/
mono switch.
Most digital audio distribution amps have
failed to impress me in the past; they often have
a limited usable volume range and distorted top
end. However, the DD-8 was definitely a superior
performer, delivering full sound at lower volumes
and not straining until the volume started reaching
really loud levels. Also, its ability to handle twoohm
loads means it can drive anything that you
connect. As good as it sounded, the DD-8 didn’t
have the amp muscle and control of the 62-pound
Crestron SWAMP that preceded it. This was
most noticeable on the lack of bass depth on songs
like Christina Aguilera’s “Candy Man” or John
Mayer’s “Waiting on the World to Change” and,
well, pretty much any bass-filled, pop tune. They
just didn’t have the same punch and low-end
extension.
The DD-8 definitely proves that great things
can come in small packages. Beyond sonic
performance, it offers tremendous installation
flexibility and the ability to easily add multiple
speakers to larger listening zones. If space, heat or
energy conservation are installation concerns, the
DD-8 would be the perfect solution.
888.691.4171 | www.lexicon.com
Kudos
Incredibly lightweight, amazingly
cool running temps,
super green, wonderful
stereo-to-mono switch AND it
sounds great!
Concerns
Ground hum issue in my
home
Product Specs
■ 8 x 125-watt multi-room power amplifier
■ Patented DriveCore amplifier technology, highly
efficient and cool running
■ RCA Local and Bus Inputs
■ Independent stereo/mono selector switch and
output level controls per zone
■ Dimensions: (H x W x D): 2.1 w/feet, 1.7 w/o x 17.3 x
14.9 inches; 9.2 pounds