NEXO has added a flagship model to its NXAMP series of power and processing solutions, the new NXAMP4x4mk2 controller/amplifier, which combines class D amplification with 32-bit/96 kKHz converters and 64-bit signal processing.
NXAMP was the first result of the technological collaboration formed between NEXO and parent company Yamaha in 2005. Until then and despite its 50-year history of making amplifiers, Yamaha had not developed high-powered professional models. Since the series’ introduction, the team has continually evolved the NXAMP Series’ power output, design, user interface and algorithms.
The NXAMP4x4mk2 is stated to deliver 3,300 watts per channel at 4 ohms and 4,500 watts per channel at 2 ohms. The 3RU package weighs about 55 pounds, smaller yet designed to deliver 12 percent more power than its predecessor.
The NXAMP4x4mk2 also offers a new aesthetic and interface. Users can set all functionality from the simplified front panel, which has just one knob and a large LCD color touchscreen. The tactile graphic display is designed to enable faster and easier navigation, providing direct access to all essential parameters.
On the back, four analog inputs use cascaded converters designed for low output noise. Four digital inputs are available through the rear-panel expansion card slot offering optional AES/EBU, EtherSound, Dante or AES67 inputs, all with automatic analog fallback and providing long-term network management flexibility if protocol preferences change. A native dual Ethernet port offers seamless integration with NEXO’s NeMo system management software.
Users can control the amplifiers remotely and daisy-chain models through a Remote Control card fitted as standard. Additional rear-panel connectivity includes RS232 serial and general-purpose I/O ports along with Speakon outputs for each of the four channels.
The 4x4mk2 amplifier includes a new modulator chip, developed and patented by Yamaha especially for NEXO’s mk2 Series. It is intended to deliver noticeable improvements over the mk1 in terms of cleaner sonic performance and more dynamic, clear and detailed high frequencies.
A mains voltage range of 100 to 240 volts makes the amplifiers compatible with worldwide power specifications and all types of generators. A new Power Factor Correction circuit, designed by Yamaha specifically for the 4x4mk2, is intended to foster maximum efficiency and smoother draw.
The NXAMP4x4mk2 fits into a mixed rack with mk1 versions and NEXO’s range of DTD amplifiers, as all latencies are the same. It also carries a five-year warranty, and NEXO will continue to support the NXAMP4x4mk1 as a legacy product.
“This is our most environmentally friendly amplifier, using specially engineered Yamaha technology to smooth-out consumption spikes, optimize mains management and maximize efficiency,” says Joseph Carcopino, NEXO’s director of R&D. ”It’s smaller and lighter than the mk1 version and our design goal for the mk2 Series was to deliver a better interface and an improved sonic signature, which are all now a reality in new reference amplifier.”
