Category: LEA Professional

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LEA Professional

LEA Amps for Immersive Recording Studio

Nestled on the outskirts of Music City, Secret Sound—a cutting-edge studio designed by industry legend Chas Sandford, known for his work with icons like Tina Turner, Brooks & Dunn, and Rod Stewart—turned to LEA amplifiers when upgrading to Dolby Atmos. 

The Spec

🏢 Venue: Secret Sound  | Franklin, TN

👷‍♂️ Integrator: The Pad Group

🎶 Audio Spaces: Entire studio

🦈 Product Used: Connect Series 702D &  704D (Multiple)

Secret Sound

Chas Sandford’s Secret Sound studio is a state-of-the-art mixing and tracking environment located on 53 secluded acres in the heart of Franklin, TN.

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“In reviewing the specific requirements for our installation, LEA Professional amps checked all of the boxes perfectly,” said Sandford. “It was a breeze setting them up, we basically set them up once and forgot it. Once the system was tuned, I was floored by how great it sounded! The system performs flawlessly and sounds fabulous.”

Like many others in the music industry, Sandford’s quest to enjoy music at its highest level brought him to NAMM, where he served on a panel for Creating Your Own Atmos Studio. The panel was facilitated by Dave Malekpour, President of The PAD Group (Professional Audio Design, Inc.), who used Secret Sound to explain why Dolby Atmos could benefit Sandford and how to implement it effectively. Sandford was hooked and worked with Malekpour to make it a reality using the studio’s preexisting gear, including Augspurger monitors.

“Sandford wanted to use his existing isolation rack, which had limited space available,” said Malekpour. “We chose LEA amps primarily because of the Dante connectivity and the ability to fit into one rack space with four channels of great specifications and super low noise. An added benefit was that the amplifiers themselves don’t make a lot of noise or generate a lot of heat — they were just really efficient and effective in this installation.”

Malekpour installed a combination of multiple Connect Series 702Ds and 704Ds in the studio to power the PMC speakers. Both 1U amplifiers are well-suited for installations requiring high flexibility, making them the perfect choice for Secret Sound. With 96kHz-capable Dante and AES67 connectivity options, the IoT-enabled 2-channel 702D and the 4-channel 704D provide 700 watts per channel, support Hi-Z (70V or 100V) and Lo-Z selectable by channel, and feature Smart Power Bridge technology. With three ways to connect, the studio can engage the built-in Wi-Fi access point, connect to the building’s Wi-Fi, or connect to the local area network via Cat5 or Cat6 cable.

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The Conclusion

“Amplifiers have a big impact on how the speakers perform, how the low end is delivered, and the naturalness of it,” said Malekpour. “And the LEA amps are a great product, literally Dante-enabled little powerhouses. I highly recommend them, and I think I’ll use them again probably every chance I get.” 

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LEA Professional

From Poolside Beats to Lounge Ambience: LEA Amplifiers Set the Mood at Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Club

The Dominican Republic is a land of unparalleled natural beauty and vibrant culture, where lush landscapes and pristine beaches meet the rhythmic heartbeat of its people. Among the many treasures of this diverse island, Puerto Plata is a shining gem on the northern coast, offering a captivating blend of history, adventure, and natural beauty. A town steeped in colonial significance, Puerto Plata served as a key port during the colonial era, and its historic architecture still stands as a testament to its past. ☀️

The Spec

🛎️ Venue: Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Club | Puerto Plata

👷‍♂️ Integrators: Musitempo

🔊 Audio Spaces:  Entire Venue

🦈 Products Used: CS704D & CS354D

The Venue

Located oceanside in Puerto Plata, the Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Club resort boasts a diverse array of accommodations, where guests can enjoy breathtaking ocean or mountain views, fully-equipped kitchens, and both private and communal pools, creating a serene and pampering retreat. The resort offers a wide range of recreational activities, including golf, scuba diving, and various water sports. Guests can also enjoy nightly entertainment, dance lessons, and a supervised Kid’s Club, ensuring fun for all ages.

The original audio design was a series of independent systems by area. Each restaurant, bar, and other rooms had their own audio equipment, resulting in excess gear installed in multiple IDFs. Resort staff contacted Fernando Hernández Voigt, Founder of Musitempo, to help optimize the system and centralize operations. He included LEA Professional amplifiers as part of the retrofit.

“We had to retrofit the system while the resort was operating, so rewiring and centralizing everything while not disrupting guest activities was pretty challenging at times,” said Voigt. “Luckily, with the speaker tunings available from LEA, we didn’t have to go zone by zone and tweak the speaker settings. It was basically plug-and-play.”

The Install

Musitempo installed Connect Series 704D amplifiers and Connect Series 354D amplifiers to power the hotel’s loudspeakers. The IoT-enabled 4-channel 704D provides 700 watts per channel, while the 4-channel 354D offers 350 watts per channel. Both models support Hi-Z (70V or 100V) and Lo-Z selectable by channel, and feature Smart Power Bridge technology. Dante-enabled models include the same features as Network Connect models, plus 96kHz-capable Dante and AES67 connectivity options

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The Connect Series delivers an industry-first professional amplifier family to feature cloud connectivity, a revolutionary advancement and a significant benefit for anyone maintaining the systems. With LEA Cloud, AV teams like Musitempo can remotely control and monitor the amplifiers regardless of the location or time of day, and with no subscription model or hidden costs, it’s completely free to use.

Musitempo also utilized LEA’s free SharkWare software to configure a base profile and push it out to all the pre-staged LEA amplifiers. SharkWare includes amplifier grouping, offline design, granular user access control levels, locked speaker tunings, and a graphical EQ. Additionally, the software enables users to view and adjust channel settings, including input settings, signal generator, crossover, equalizer, limiter, and load monitoring, for all LEA Connect Series amplifiers.

The Conclusion

With the completion of the retrofit, the resort now has a world-class audio system to match the beauty and grandeur of the property. Resort staff have simple UIs to control everything, like source selection and volume by zone, making their jobs much easier.

“Hotel management feels like they’re in the future. That’s the way that they basically describe the way the system works. Now, instead of guest complaints, they’re getting praised,” said Voigt. “LEA was an integral part of the solution. We couldn’t be happier with how the system turned out.”

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LEA Professional

LEA Professional Install At Peak City Church

When a Colorodo Springs, CO Christian church expanded into a new location to better serve their growing congregation, they were in need of a powerful audio system. Amplifiers for house of worship must be able to deliver a scalable solution that will serve the community for years to come. That’s where we came in.

Let’s dive in and see how a local integrator used our Connect Series amplifiers to power the audio system at Peak City Church.

The Spec

Venue: Peak City Church

Install Purpose: New Location

Integrator: Global Technology Group, Inc. 

Product Used: Connect Series 704D (X5)

The Integrator

Global Technology Group, Inc. was tasked to design and install sound, lighting, and video systems. GTG has multiple offices and employees assisting with single-item purchases all the way up to complete audio, lighting, and video systems. GTG will take care of it all! 

The Venue

Peak City Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is a dynamic, contemporary Christian church experiencing a high level of growth. The church recently moved to a new location with room to expand its congregation, services, and community outreach.

They currently serve about 800 with a range of services, support groups, and classroom-based instruction for children and adults.

The Install

Peak City Church wanted to provide intelligible, pleasing, clear and flexible audio support for their auxiliary spaces and classrooms. The common areas often carry the audio of services or other programs happening in the main auditorium, but they may also have background music, announcements, or their own audio as needed. The three multi-purpose classroom systems are primarily independent and are used to support group-specific programs or video support.

Kris Johnson, the Chief Financial Officer for Global Technology Group, Inc., explained:

“We put in place five LEA Connect Series 704D, four-channel amplifiers — two supporting the distributed audio and three more amps, one in each of the classrooms. We did their whole distributed audio through the lobby and in the hallways with the LEA amps,” added Johnson. “All their sound systems are now on the same Dante network so that we can distribute the sound anywhere we want, which is a very nice growth feature for the church.”

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The Peak City Church distributed system is making full use of the DSP features of the 704D amps. With a built-in, 32-bit, 96kHz core DSP architecture, the Connect Series offers high-quality Routable Input Matrix, Crossovers, Parametric EQ, Output Delay, Limiting, and more. Johnson appreciates how the built-in DSP saves valuable rack space, weight, and system costs, as well as saves installation time. In addition, he has been impressed with the amp’s ability to connect through the LEA Cloud platform for remote service and support.

The Conclusion

“It’s really refreshing to have a single-rack-space amp that has good power, and a lot of network features behind it, and all at a great price — other single-rack-space amp brands are just not very economical for us for most applications,” added Johnson.

“LEA amps are feature-rich, rugged, and affordable; that’s what we love about it. We have a hotel project coming up, and we will most likely specify several LEA amps; I’m looking forward to working on that project and working more with LEA Professional.”

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LEA Professional

LEA Professional Amplifiers Make a Splash at Jawfish Restaurant

Jawfish Restaurant in Portland, Oregon, is where locals and Northwest travelers come together to eat, drink, and revel. The restaurant brings together inventive cooking, comforting flavors to satisfy a wide range of tastes, and a lively bar scene in an atmosphere alive with the spirit of the Pacific Northwest. 😊🔊

THE SPEC

🎭 Venue: Jawfish Restaurant | Portland, OG

👷‍♂️ Integrators: Novus AV

🔊 Audio Spaces:  Entire Venue(s)

🦈 Products Used: Connect Series 704

THE VENUE

Jawfish was undergoing a full renovation when Novus AV received a call about installing a new audio system there. The restaurant had received a referral from “a friend of a friend” and wanted a multi-zone configuration, with the caveat of using some existing Tannoy AMS 6ICT and AMS 5DC surface-mount loudspeakers. Novus AV immediately included LEA Professional amplifiers in the system.

“LEA is my primary go-to amplifier for just about everything, unless a customer specs it otherwise,” said Ryan Cook, Owner of Novus AV. “I wanted an amplifier that was going to be powerful enough to accommodate a flexible number of speakers and whatever the future might hold.”

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THE PROJECT

Shaw Theatres Lido and Shaw Theatres JEM, two of the most popular Shaw Theatres locations, decided it was time to upgrade their audio systems and contacted Lee Chew Kai, Director/Business Leader, Goldenduck Asia Pte. Ltd., to select and install new amplifiers to support the individual theaters at both locations. Since the LEA Connect Series of two-, four-, and eight-channel amplifiers is the most feature-rich in the industry, Lee recommended them to help the cinemas achieve their goal of immersive audio.

“LEA’s advanced performance and technology offer the best experience to cinema goers,” said Lee. “Space constraints are also a common challenge in boothless cinema setups, so LEA’s compact footprints are another benefit that helps us significantly reduce rack space without compromising performance.”

THE INSTALL

Novus AV installed a 4-channel Connect Series 704 amplifier to power the restaurant, which provides 700 watts per channel. The restaurant is divided into four zones: the bar, the dining area, the restrooms, and the front atrium, each on a dedicated channel.

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All amplifiers in the Connect Series are professional-grade, IoT-enabled smart amplifiers suitable for installations of any size. They support both Hi-Z (70V or 100V) and Lo-Z, selectable by channel, eliminating the need for separate amplifiers to handle different speaker impedances, while streamlining installations and reducing equipment costs. The Connect Series also includes 96kHz DSP as a standard feature, providing a range of benefits that greatly enhance audio performance and system versatility.

The Connect Series is the industry-first professional amplifier family to feature cloud connectivity, a revolutionary advancement, and a significant benefit for anyone maintaining the systems. With LEA Cloud, AV teams like Novus AV can remotely control and monitor amplifiers from anywhere, at any time, and with no subscription model or hidden costs. It’s completely free to use.

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Branch AV utilized nine LEA Professional Dante Connect Series amps for this install to give them the channel count they needed including one Connect 168D, one Connect 88D, one Connect 704D, two Connect 84D and four of the Connect 354D amps. As the configuration of the spaces changed, so too did room for equipment racks.

THE CONCLUSION

Even with a last-minute “oops” when someone accidentally switched off the rack’s power, the client is very happy with the installation. Everything is working and sounding great, and the restaurant’s popularity has blossomed since its grand opening, often requiring reservations to get a table.

“Restaurants are known to be harsh on AV equipment. I’ve seen other brands fail rather quickly because of the environment, but I’ve never had to send in an LEA amplifier for repair, regardless of the operating environment,” said Cook. “So I knew they were reliable and powerful enough, had the feature sets that I needed, and were going to give me peace of mind about the project. You can’t ask for much more.”

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LEA Professional

Shaw Theatres Elevates Cinema Experiences with LEA Professional Amplifiers

When two of Singapore’s most iconic cinema destinations set out to elevate the moviegoing experience, one thing took center stage: audio. 🎬🔊

With LEA Connect Series amplifiers powering 19 theaters across Shaw Theatres Lido and JEM, the upgrade delivered immersive, high-performance sound designed to bring every scene—and every emotion—to life. 🎥✨

THE SPEC

🎭 Venue: Shaw Theatres Lido | Shaw Theatres JEM

👷‍♂️ Integrators: Goldenduck Asia Pte. Ltd.

🔊 Audio Spaces:  Entire Venue(s)

🦈 Products Used: Connect Series 354, Connect Series 704, and Connect Series 1504

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THE VENUE

Cinema comes in many shapes and sizes, but one constant that transcends genres, directors, and venues is audio. It’s the invisible force that carries emotion, builds tension, and brings stories to life. Yet without high-quality audio, even the most visually stunning film can fall flat. Since 1928, the Shaw Theatres has set the standard for cinematic excellence in Singapore — a legacy built on exceptional experiences that keep audiences coming back.

Today, Shaw Brothers is one of Singapore’s oldest and most trusted cinema brands, operating eight locations that offer a diverse range of viewing formats. More than just destinations to watch the latest releases, these cinemas are carefully engineered environments where picture and sound work in perfect harmony. For Shaw, the moviegoing experience is multifaceted, from what you see to what you hear to how it makes you feel.

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THE PROJECT

Shaw Theatres Lido and Shaw Theatres JEM, two of the most popular Shaw Theatres locations, decided it was time to upgrade their audio systems and contacted Lee Chew Kai, Director/Business Leader, Goldenduck Asia Pte. Ltd., to select and install new amplifiers to support the individual theaters at both locations. Since the LEA Connect Series of two-, four-, and eight-channel amplifiers is the most feature-rich in the industry, Lee recommended them to help the cinemas achieve their goal of immersive audio.

“LEA’s advanced performance and technology offer the best experience to cinema goers,” said Lee. “Space constraints are also a common challenge in boothless cinema setups, so LEA’s compact footprints are another benefit that helps us significantly reduce rack space without compromising performance.”

THE INSTALL

Goldenduck installed 9 Connect Series 354, 49 Connect Series 704, and 19 Connect Series 1504 amplifiers to power the 19 theaters across both locations.

The CS354 is a 4-channel amplifier with 350 watts per channel, while the 4-channel CS704 offers 700 watts per channel, and the 4-channel CS1504 provides 1500 watts per channel. All amplifiers in the Connect Series are professional-grade, IoT-enabled smart amplifiers suitable for installations of any size. They support both Hi-Z (70V or 100V) and Lo-Z, selectable by channel, eliminating the need for separate amplifiers to handle different speaker impedances, while streamlining installations and reducing equipment costs. The Connect Series also includes 96kHz DSP as a standard feature, providing a range of benefits that greatly enhance audio performance and system versatility.

Goldenduck’s team used LEA’s free SharkWare software to configure a base profile and push it to all pre-staged LEA amplifiers. SharkWare includes amplifier grouping, offline design, granular user access control levels, locked speaker tunings, and a graphical EQ. SharkWare also allows users to monitor the status of every amplifier connected to the network, as well as the status and performance of individual channels. In addition, the software allows users to view and adjust channel settings, including input settings, signal generator, crossover, equalizer, limiter, and load monitoring, for all LEA Professional Connect Series amplifiers.

The Connect Series delivers an industry-first professional amplifier family to feature cloud connectivity, a revolutionary advancement, and a significant benefit for anyone maintaining the systems. With LEA Cloud, AV teams like Goldenduck can remotely control and monitor amplifiers from anywhere, at any time, and with no subscription model or hidden costs. It’s completely free to use.

WebUI functions as a simple on-site control interface, offering integrators and end users an easy-to-use platform to view and adjust channel settings, ranging from load monitoring to EQ adjustments, through any standard web browser. For AV companies like Goldenduck, WebUI streamlines on-the-spot testing and modifications, enabling efficient system setup and fine-tuning during system installation.

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Branch AV utilized nine LEA Professional Dante Connect Series amps for this install to give them the channel count they needed including one Connect 168D, one Connect 88D, one Connect 704D, two Connect 84D and four of the Connect 354D amps. As the configuration of the spaces changed, so too did room for equipment racks.

THE CONCLUSION

Since upgrading to LEA amplifiers, audiences have enjoyed enhanced sound quality with clearer, more immersive audio at every screening. With real-time monitoring capabilities, the team can actively track system performance to ensure the consistent, high-quality sound that movie-goers expect.

“Our audiences expect the best, and LEA Connect Series delivers exactly that — advanced performance and rock-solid reliability that keep every theater sounding flawless,” said Terence Heng, Vice President, Innovation at Shaw Theatres. “It was the clear choice for elevating audio across our cinemas.”

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LEA Professional

LEA Amplifiers Power The Pearle Hotel & Spa

When Ontario’s newest hotel project kicked off, the vision for its AV system was clear—and so was the solution behind it. 🦈⭐

Because let’s be honest—nothing ruins a stay faster than questionable audio in a “luxury” space.

Take a closer look at how it all came together, from the big-picture goals to the technical details that brought this elevated audio experience to life.

THE SPEC

🎭 Venue: The Pearle Hotel and Spa

👷‍♂️ Integrators: Branch Audiovisual

🔊 Audio Spaces:  Entire Hotel

🦈 Products Used: CS168D (X1), CS88D (X1), CS704D (X1), CS84D (X2), CS354D (X4)

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THE VENUE

Located just steps from Lake Ontario, The Pearle Hotel & Spa officially opened to guests on the first of November, 2021. The hotel, which is part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, boasts 151 guestrooms, two dining facilities, expansion meeting space, two large ballrooms, and a spa.

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THE INTEGRATOR

Branch AV, a relatively new Canadian audiovisual solutions company, was tasked with designing and integrating the entire AV system from the ground up. The company, which was established in 2020 by Bob Guy and George Puthenkulam supported by a team of experienced audiovisual professionals, works across various industries including performing arts, government, education and entertainment. The team are laser focused on providing the best user experience for their clients.

THE INSTALL

For The Pearle Hotel’s AV needs, the integrator turned to local partner SC Media who supplied nine LEA Professional Dante Connect Series amplifiers to power the new hotel’s sound system. George Puthenkulam, Partner at Branch AV, first made sure to understand exactly what the hotel would need from an AV system.

“The main thing hotel management was looking for from an audio system, was functionality,” said Puthenkulam. “However, I wanted to dig deeper, so we studied all their venues to see exactly how they are used. With that knowledge, we came up with a sound system design and user experience that they are happy with.”

The entire project was conducted during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic which meant delays in various equipment and constant changes.

“There were various iterations made throughout the project because the spaces kept changing,” said Puthenkulam. “With Covid happening it was pretty challenging trying to coordinate with all the trades, and make sure everything would be completed on time. Luckily the LEA amps were in stock and there were no delays from that end.”

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Branch AV utilized nine LEA Professional Dante Connect Series amps for this install to give them the channel count they needed including one Connect 168D, one Connect 88D, one Connect 704D, two Connect 84D and four of the Connect 354D amps. As the configuration of the spaces changed, so too did room for equipment racks.

“One of the challenges we had was finding space for racks,” explained Puthenkulam. “As you can imagine, a hotel of this size requires a lot of processing. What LEA provided us was the ability to do a certain amount of central processing, as well as decentralize it, but manage it all from one location, the entire system runs on a Dante audio network.”

Puthenkulam explained that using IP standard, network-based amplifiers had many benefits for the team, particularly as the design within the hotel changed.

“The placement of speakers is always a problem, especially when there are multiple trades trying to compete for real estate,” explained Puthenkulam. “We zoned the space well, so that our infrastructure could be coordinated with all the other trades, including lighting control, security, fire safety, et. which is necessary and required in a hotel of this sort. However, we did have new zone needs that came up; so, designing the system around network-based, multi-channel amplifiers gave us a lot of flexibility.”

Branch AV are utilizing the Connect Series Crestron Control Module to control and monitor essential functions and features within the LEA amplifiers. Third-party control plugins such as these are part of the LEA Professional control ecosystem, in addition to local area network amplifier control using LEA’s Web UI and Cloud Platform.

THE CONCLUSION

Branch AV has been using LEA Professional in all their AV projects and will continue to do so, not only because of their form factor and network-based design, but because of their confidence in the team behind the product.

“When Blake Augsburger and his team set up LEA a few years ago, we knew that they would have a completely different perspective than other manufacturers, and that LEA would build a product that puts the customer at the center,” commented Puthenkulam. “When you are customer-driven and are determined to rally around them it’s really special, and that’s the LEA way!” 🦈⭐

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LEA Professional

LEA Provides Professional-Grade Audio to 20-Zone Houston Residence

We’ve seen our amps power everything from packed stadiums to high-rise landmarks to buzzing restaurants and bars. But every now and then, a project comes along that feels a little more personal.

Set on five acres in Houston, this stunning home is more than just a residence—it’s a fully immersive audio experience. With 20 zones of seamless control, this residential AV system raises the bar for what’s possible at home.

Let’s take a closer look.

THE SPEC

🏡 Venue: Residential Property in Houston, TX | 6 Bedrooms, 5 acres

👷 Integrator: Sound Lab Designs

🔊 Audio Spaces: Full home including 6 Bedrooms, pool, patio, balconies, front and near lawns

🦈 Product Used: CS168 (x5), CS702 (x1), CS354 (x1) 

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THE INSTALL

A longtime customer of Texas-based AV integration company Sound Lab Designs, the homeowners were looking for an entirely new AV system across their six-bedroom home which is set over five acres of land in the middle of Houston. Sound Lab Designs designed and installed a new system from scratch to cover the interior and exterior of the large property. 

For Ernie Blumenthal, owner at Sound Lab Designs, this project was different from other residential installations he’s worked on because, for the first time, he used LEA Professional amplifiers. Blumenthal mapped over 20 audio zones in the property, many of which were external zones including the pool, patio, front and near lawns and balconies. Initially, for Blumenthal it was the style and form factor of the LEA amplifiers that convinced him to give them a try.

“Form factor was a huge plus, I knew I could really stack a lot of power in a home and not take up the whole rack,” commented Blumenthal. “I did my research on LEA and saw that the sound quality and the adjustability of the amplifier was highly regarded so I thought this would be a perfect installation to try this product.”

Sound Lab Designs installed five CS168, one CS702, and one CS354 in the home. The team chose to give the homeowners extra power and channel count so they would have plenty of headroom for future expansion.

The Cloud Platform provides systems integrators with powerful, reliable and secure remote monitoring and control capabilities across the entire lineup of IoT-enabled LEA Professional Connect Series amplifiers. Unique within the industry, all LEA Professional amplifiers leverage the built-in Amazon Web Services (AWS) IoT Core. The platform allows integrators to monitor critical operational data points that are integral to maintaining system health remotely. The capability delivers greater visibility to provide preventative maintenance, easier troubleshooting and fewer on-site maintenance requirements. 

“I really like the monitoring ability, you only need to go to one web page to see all the amplifiers and it means we are able to offer our clients a full end-to-end service,” commented Blumenthal. “The amplifiers provide great value and are reasonably priced for what you are getting so we will definitely be using them again.”

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THE CONCLUSION

Sound Lab Designs has received great feedback from the client and they are happy with how everything sounds and how it looks in their home. There have been no issues with the system so far but if anything does occur Ernie and the team know that with our cloud platform, they can quickly and easily address almost any issue.

We’d like to thank Ernie and his team at Soundlab Designs for choosing our amps for this killer installation and we hope that the audio systems will continue to deliver reliable audio for the homeowners for years to come.

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LEA Professional

LEA Amplifiers Power Clear Sound and Enhanced Learning Across a School District in Northern Virginia

When a Northern Virginia school district needed to modernize audio across more than 100 schools, standardization was key. 🔑

With LEA Connect Series amplifiers at the core, the district rolled out a flexible, high-performance solution designed to deliver clarity, consistency, and control at scale. 🎓🔊

THE SPEC

🎭 Venue: School District in Northern Virginia

👷‍♂️ Integrators: Artistic Concepts Group, Inc. (ACG)

🔊 Audio Spaces:  Across School District

🦈 Products Used: Connect Series 352, Connect Series 354, and Connect Series 702

THE VENUE

The history of the eastern part of Northern Virginia stretches back to the early colonial period of the United States. Established in the mid 1700s, the area was defined by agriculture, trade, and its strategic location along the Potomac River. It remained predominantly rural until the latter part of the 20th century, when suburban development accelerated as the Washington metropolitan area expanded westward, evolving the area from a quiet agricultural region into a major suburban hub while still preserving elements of its historical character.

The area now hosts one of the largest public school systems in the state, serving tens of thousands of students across more than 100 schools, emphasizing academic excellence, equity, and innovation while striving to meet the varied needs of its learners. The school district has navigated challenges posed by rapid population growth, demographic shifts, and evolving educational expectations, continually adapting its policies, facilities, and instructional practices to support student success and community engagement across the region.

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“The main challenge was delivering consistent audio across a large-scale venue with varied acoustic spaces — outdoor stands, indoor restaurants, hospitality suites, and public areas,” said Dwaine Schreuder, Head of Broadcast of Prosound. “The system needed to be network-based, reliable, and easy to control from a central location or even remotely. LEA’s growing global reputation as an innovator in networked amplifier technology and remote monitoring made them the obvious choice.”

THE PROJECT

To effectively manage its numerous schools, the school district adopted a phased approach to replacing outdated AV equipment. District staff reached out to Elspeth McCormick, Project Developer at Artistic Concepts Group, Inc. (ACG), to create a comprehensive rollout plan for both replacement and new hardware. The school district was looking for amplifiers that could meet all the needs of a variety of spaces — standardization was a high priority given the number of systems the client needed to support. McCormick thought LEA amplifiers would be a great fit for the school system’s requirements.

“There was a wide variety of spaces to accommodate, ranging from auditoriums with robust audio systems already in place to gyms and cafeterias with little to no equipment,” said McCormick. “LEA has one of the strongest amp lineups in the industry, so it was natural for us to recommend them.”

THE INSTALL

ACG installed a variety of LEA Connect Series amplifiers to address the diverse needs of the spaces within the school district, including multiple Connect Series 352, Connect Series 354, and Connect Series 702 models.

The CS352 and CS354 are 2- and 4-channel amplifiers, respectively, providing 350 watts per channel, while the 2-channel CS702 offers 700 watts per channel. All amplifiers in the Connect Series are professional-grade, IoT-enabled smart amplifiers suitable for installations of any size. They support both Hi-Z (70V or 100V) and Lo-Z, selectable by channel, eliminating the need for separate amplifiers to handle different speaker impedances, while streamlining installations and reducing equipment costs. The Connect Series also includes 96kHz DSP as a standard feature, providing a range of benefits that greatly enhance audio performance and system versatility.

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CS354
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CS702

ACG’s technical team used LEA’s free SharkWare software to configure a base profile and push it to all pre-staged LEA amplifiers. SharkWare includes amplifier grouping, offline design, granular user access control levels, locked speaker tunings, and a graphical EQ. SharkWare also allows users to monitor the status of every amplifier connected to the network and the status and performance of individual channels. In addition, the software allows users to view and adjust channel settings, including input settings, signal generator, crossover, equalizer, limiter, and load monitoring, for all LEA Professional Connect Series amplifiers.

The Connect Series also delivers an industry-first professional amplifier family featuring cloud connectivity, a revolutionary advancement, and a significant benefit for anyone maintaining the systems. With LEA Cloud, AV integrators like ACG can remotely control and monitor amplifiers from anywhere, at any time, and with no subscription model or hidden costs. It’s completely free to use.

School and district staff are pleased with the audio upgrades. Audio clarity is exceptional, and the expanded capabilities in some rooms give instructors greater flexibility in their teaching methods. ⭐

THE CONCLUSION

“The form factor of LEA amplifiers is excellent. We often have limited space in our existing equipment racks, and the LEA amps help us and our clients save valuable space, sometimes even allowing us to avoid purchasing a larger rack,” said McCormick. “Additionally, we really appreciate LEA’s technical support team. They always answer the phone, are very knowledgeable about AV above and beyond LEA products, and we know LEA will provide support to keep our customers’ systems running efficiently. For these reasons and more, we will definitely be using LEA amps for this client in the future, as well as for many others!”

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LEA Professional

Historic Puppeteering Company in Czech Republic Modernizes Theater Sound System with Connect Series Amplifiers

A legacy of performance. Powered for what’s next. 🎭✨

At Alfa Theater in Pilsen, Czech Republic, puppetry is more than art—it’s tradition. When upgrading their sound, they needed modern amplification that could match their pace and precision. With LEA Professional, they’re ready for every show. 🔉

THE SPEC

🎭 Venue: Alfa Theater | Pilsen, Czech Republic

👷‍♂️ Integrators: Audio Kropik

🔊 Audio Spaces:  Entire Venue

🦈 Products Used: Connect Series 354D amplifiers | Connect Series 704D amplifiers

THE PROJECT

With roots dating back to ancient times, puppeteering is a cherished artform within the Czech Republic. So much so, that a local Czech theater decided they needed to upgrade their audio systems to enhance the audio experience for fans of the beloved performance. Recently, management at the Divadlo Alfa performance art theater in Plzen, began a project to upgrade their 20-year-old sound system for greater flexibility and a higher level of performance. The puppeteering theater’s new sound system, designed by the region’s primary AV distributor, AudioMaster CZ and installed by local AV integration firm, Audio Kropik, now features a range of state-of-the-art technologies, including integrated DSP, web connectivity, and advanced audio networking — all found within a set of high-quality, multi-channel Dante Connect Series amplifiers from LEA Professional.

Founded in 1963, the Divadlo Alfa performance art theater (known locally as The Alpha) is a well-respected, 232-seat theater specifically designed for puppeteering. Focused initially on performances for children, the theater company has evolved over the decades to present many genres, including classics such as The Three Musketeers and original, modern productions for adults that focus on sophisticated parodies of current social issues. The company has ten puppeteers who produce more than 220 performances annually. The theater also organizes and hosts a puppeteering festival each year.

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AudioMaster CZ initially received a call from the theater’s sound engineer explaining that they were having trouble with their system and needed them to work on a complete new system design. The team then worked with Jan Zvánovec, from Audio Kropik, the largest seller of AV equipment in the South Bohemia region, to bring the design to life.

“The theater’s sound engineer was having big issues with their existing system,” said Jan Zvánovec, Project Manager, Audio Kropik. “We met him on site and discovered that they had speakers that were not working and older amplifiers that were deteriorating and beyond repair — the system had simply reached its end of life.”

The theater would need to replace all the defective units, but with the age of the system, it was only a matter of time before the other components failed. Theater managers and the Audio Kropik team realized that it would be easier and more cost-effective in the long term to redesign and replace the theater’s entire sound system, including all loudspeakers and amplifiers.

“The client decided to take this opportunity to not only repair the system but to also greatly improve its performance,” added Zvánovec. “They wanted to upgrade to a modern, clear, high-quality sound; and
they needed it to be more flexible and easier to use. They also wanted new loudspeakers that would better blend into the theater visually.”

The team began searching for system components to fit the theater’s requirements and limited budget. A critical specification was to find high-quality, multi-channel, audio-network-ready amplifiers that were
affordable but could also deliver the power needed for the theater.

Many AV manufacturers were having supply chain issues and did not have products available. Additionally, the Alpha only had a small window of time available for the project to maintain their busy show schedule uninterrupted. Upon the recommendation of a colleague at AudioMaster CZ, Zvánovec decided to give LEA Professional amplifiers a try.

“I had not used LEA amps before, but they seemed to have all the features we were looking for, at a good price, and they were available,” said Zvánovec. “The amp’s cloud technology, built-in DSP, and the preset
features were also very interesting; I wanted to see what these amps could do.”

THE INSTALL

The team upgraded the theater system with a set of three Dante Connect Series amplifiers. Two LEA CS354D, 4-channel amplifiers are used to power the upper and lower, left, right, and center main speakers, and an LEA CS704D 4-channel amplifier is used to power the system’s subwoofers. The new system comprises a mix of nine JBL AE Compact Series loudspeakers. A Yamaha DM2000 digital mixing console, equipped with a Dante network card, communicates directly with the LEA amplifiers via the Dante audio network protocol.

The LEA Connect Series is the world’s first IoT-enabled, professional-grade series of amplifiers. Ideally suited for medium-scale installations, these two-, four-, and eight-channel amplifiers feature direct HiZ (70V or 100V) or LoZ

 selectable by channel. With three ways to connect, system designers can engage the Connect Series’ built-in WiFi access point, connect to the venue’s WiFi, or use the Ethernet to connect to any local area network via Cat5 or Cat6 cable. The Dante Connect Series also features analog inputs, Dante inputs, and external I/O control for remote on/off and fault monitoring.

“The amps’ built-in Dante technology made for an extremely simple connection between the mixing room and technical room; everything worked on the first connection, and we have a lot of flexibility for easy, future upgrades,” said Zvánovec. “And there is also no need for external speaker processors because everything is managed by the DSP that’s built into the LEA amps. These features alone saved the client a lot of money and time.”

Using professional audio amplifiers with built-in DSP has become the standard practice for many AV system installers. DSP-powered equipment can do more with less, and therefore installers don’t need to
buy, install, or maintain dedicated DSP equipment. Integrated DSP frees up critical rack space and reduces system weight. All the input routing, room tuning, speaker tuning, and limiting are built into the
amplifier, so equipment racks are smaller, lighter, and cleaner.

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CS704D
CS354D
CS354D

“All the connectors and features of the LEA amplifiers are very logically arranged and well-engineered; the manufacturer thought of everything from the installer point of view,” said Zvánovec. “Setting up the amplifiers with a web browser is great, and we created several presets and stored them in the amps so the client can easily change the settings. Finally, no complicated installation and setup of applications; it
was all very quick and easy.”

The LEA Web User Interface (Web UI) allows users to view the status of every channel on any given amp to quickly monitor channel performance, including data such as an output meter with a clip indicator, status indicators such as Ready, Limiting, Thermal, and Fault, as well as a quick attenuation level view and channel mute button. With the Web UI, users can also adjust channel settings, including Input Settings, Signal Generator, Crossover, Equalizer, Limiter, and Load Monitoring.

THE CONCLUSION

“Upon first hearing the new system, the client was extremely impressed in that the system sounded so much clearer and better than they had expected; this is thanks not only to the new speakers but also thanks to the powerful, natural sound of the LEA amplifiers,” added Zvánovec.

“I’m glad we had this opportunity to learn about and try the LEA amps; we’re definitely adding LEA to our list as a preferred amp supplier for future projects.”

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LEA Professional

LEA Amplifiers Keep Willis Tower Connected

The sharks are still swimming in the Windy City. 🦈

Our Connect Series amplifiers continue to power audio inside the iconic Willis Tower in downtown Chicago. When the tower needed an audio system built for power, flexibility, and scalability, our partners at USIS AV selected LEA to serve as the backbone.

Take another look at this 2020 install and see how it all came together.

THE SPEC

📍Venue: Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower)

👷‍♂️Integrator: USIS AV

🏢 Venue Size: 2 floors, over 90,000 sq. ft.

🦈 Product Used: CS354 (10)

THE VENUE

Located near the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, Claremont McKenna College (CMC) is a private liberal arts college in Claremont, California, and one of the seven members of the Claremont Colleges consortium. Home to 1,300 students, The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse 2025 Best US Colleges rankings rated Claremont McKenna as the 5th-best overall college or university and the best liberal arts college in the nation.

When the college’s gym could no longer adequately serve the college’s expanding varsity programs, the school decided to build a new athletic center — Roberts Pavilion. Groundbreaking took place in Spring 2014, and the building officially opened for recreational use in August 2016. Roberts Pavilion has become a central hub for CMC and the Claremont–Mudd–Scripps athletic community, offering cutting-edge facilities for varsity sports, fitness, physical education, and campus-wide events. However, the audio in the event arena no longer met the student body’s needs, so the college embarked on a project to improve the intelligibility and audio experience in the arena.

Photo by Guido Coppa on Unsplash
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“LEA Professional was the obvious choice for this project,” said Alyssa Ishi, Applications Engineer at Geer Tech. “Its flexibility to support unique spaces, combined with the power of the Cloud, made all the difference. The students at Claremont College deserve exceptional sound quality, and that’s exactly what they now experience every day.”

THE INSTALL

For Anthony Magarelli, Director of Engineering at USIS AV, the historical landmark came with its challenges, not only were the team ensuring equal acoustic coverage across 17 different rooms within 90,000 square ft of space, USIS AV also had to contend with high ceilings and floor-to-ceiling glass.

“Product placement was a real challenge on this project and we were constantly re-evaluating zone layout and counts,” commented Magarelli. “That was the beauty of working with LEA Professional amplifiers, their system is completely scalable so their form factor worked really well in this space and eliminated some of the main challenges.”

In the end, USIS AV installed ten CS354 amplifiers to provide equal coverage across the two floors.

CS354
CS354

THE INTEGRATOR

The team at USIS AV was tasked with the AV design and build in two floors of the tower.

USIS AV, headquartered in Pearl River, New York, provides an extensive range of services to its clients including technology services, electrical contracting, AV systems, security, PoE lighting, wireless solutions and training services. The company has a presence in 10 major US Markets and prides itself on providing exceptional customer service.

We got the opportunity to talk shop with Anthony Magarelli, Director of Engineering at USIS AV.

Read the full spotlight here for more about their business, challenges, and motivations.

For Pearl River, New York-based USIS AV, IoT capabilities such as LEA Professional’s Cloud Platform are vital to providing exceptional customer care.

“The ability to have this system on the cloud allows us to troubleshoot projects with any of our certified support staff across different time zone,” said Magarelli. “No matter where our client might be based, we can still provide them with an incredible level of support, even in a time where travel is not always possible.”

With the global pandemic causing delays all over the world, Margarelli was working against the clock to get this project completed on time.

“It was LEA Professional’s responsiveness and professionalism that made it possible for us to finish this project, despite challenging circumstances,” said Margarelli. “While we experienced some delays from other manufactures, LEA got us their product on time and they were with us every step of the way.”

THE CONCLUSION

It’s truly an honor for our products and our company to be represented in one of the most recognizable buildings in the world. We’d like to thank USIS AV for giving our Connect Series chance in this project and we hope that people will benefit from the support provided by our amps in the Willis Tower for many years to come.

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