A recent upgrade of the auditorium audio system at Ridgeview Classical Schools in Fort Collins, CO, a public K-12 charter school serving approximately 750 students, realized it was time to upgrade their auditorium AV system they chose LEA Professional amplifiers in a project under the direction of local AV systems integrator Sight + Sound Technologies.
The project was actually started a few months earlier than it did but was running over budget, and school managers wanted a re-look at the project to see if cost-saving adjustments could be made. “The original estimates only included equipment costs, not labor, and the school had a strict budget they needed to adhere to, but of course, quality and usability were still important,” says Kris Johnson, chief operating officer at Sight + Sound Technologies. “So, we ended up working with the system designer to value engineer the project and come up with a solution that would still accomplish the school’s performance goals, and save some money.”
The auditorium, which seats about 350, is a multi-use space used for various meetings, presentations, events, and announcements, as well as for entertainment and musical productions. Within the auditorium, there are four EAW MKD Series loudspeakers and a set of delay and side-fill loudspeakers., with Johnson and the team looking at amplifiers from LEA Professional and finding the power ratings, frequency response, and connectivity options they needed at a price point that fit the school’s budget. As a result, the four main loudspeakers are now powered by a 704D Connect Series amplifier and a 354D Connect Series amplifier drives the fills. The system is also networked via Dante.
The Dante Connect Series amplifiers are designed for small- to medium-scale installations, available with two, four, and eight channels and direct HiZ (70- or 100-volt) or LoZ, selectable by channel. Integrators can engage the built-in Wi-Fi access point, connect to the venue’s Wi-Fi, or use the FAST Ethernet to connect to any local area network via Cat-5/6 cable. The series also has analog inputs and Dante inputs and external I/O control for remote on/off and fault monitoring.
“We’ve done quite a few projects with the LEA amps, and they’ve all been great. We trust that LEA is going to hit the mark for our customers,” Johnson concludes. “We feel like we won on both sides of the equation with excellent price and quality. We’ve been pleased with LEA, for sure, and the school is enjoying their system.”
